Ryan Miller, the head men’s basketball coach at Murray State University, has been named to the watch list for the Joe B. Hall Award by CollegeInsider.com. The award is given annually to the top first-year head coach in NCAA Division I basketball and is named in honor of former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall.
Miller joined Murray State as head coach in March 2025 and rebuilt the team with a roster consisting entirely of 15 newcomers, making him one of only nine Division I coaches to do so this season. In his debut year competing in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), Miller led the Racers to their best seed—No. 4—in their four seasons in the league, along with a record 12 conference wins for Murray State since joining The Valley.
The Racers achieved a 20-11 overall record under Miller’s leadership, making him one of just four coaches in program history to win 20 games during their first season. The team also posted a 12-game winning streak during the campaign.
Several student-athletes received postseason honors from the MVC under Miller’s guidance. Fred King was selected for All-MVC First Team, MVC Newcomer of the Year, and included on both All-Newcomer and All-Defensive teams. Roman Domon was recognized as MVC Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year and earned spots on both All-Bench and All-Freshman Teams. Javon Jackson was named Second Team All-MVC, bringing Coach Miller’s total postseason awards tally in his first year to nine within the conference. Brayden Shorter also earned recognition on the MVC All-Scholar Team.
The Joe B. Hall Award commemorates Joe B. Hall’s achievements as he coached Kentucky Wildcats to an NCAA Championship in 1978 and amassed 397 wins between 1972 and 1985.
“This recognition places Miller among the elite first-year head coaches in NCAA Division I basketball, a year after the award resided in the MVC when Drake’s Ben McCullum was named the winner.”
