Arizona president Robert Robbins on Thursday stood behind embattled basketball coach Sean Miller, who strongly denied an ESPN report tying him to an alleged illegal payment to a player.
Robbins made the announcement following a meeting of the school's Board of Regents Thursday in Phoenix, according to Tucson.com.
Miller met with the media on Thursday for the first time since an explosive ESPN report was published last Friday in which he was alleged to have been caught on an FBI wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to star freshman DeAndre Ayton. Miller read from a prepared statement, which included the following.
"I regret all the negative attention that has been focused on our program," Miller said. "While I have done nothing wrong, I am responsible for our men's basketball program and I have been sickened that we are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. I have never knowingly violated NCAA rules while serving as coach of this great program. I have never paid a recruit or prospect ... and I never will."
According to the ESPN report, Miller was monitored while speaking on the phone with Christian Dawkins, who has been prominently mentioned in the FBI's widespread investigation into college basketball corruption. The FBI seized more than 3,000 hours of phone calls from Dawkins' phone.
Miller acknowledged he had a conversation regarding someone soliciting money to steer a player toward Arizona, but did not identify the player. He also did not identify the person he spoke with or when the conversation happened.
"Let me be very very clear: I have never discussed with Christian Dawkins paying DeAndre Ayton to attend the University of Arizona," Miller said. "I also want you to know that the one time someone suggested to me paying a player to come to the University of Arizona I did not agree to it. It did not happen, and that player did not come to the University of Arizona."
Miller did not coach the Wildcats in a 98-93 loss at Oregon on Saturday night while the school investigated the matter. He is expected to return for tonight's game against Stanford.
Ayton, a 7-foot center from Phoenix, is one of the country's top players this season. He is averaging 19.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, and is expected to be a Top 5 pick in this summer's NBA draft.
The 49-year-old Miller has been at Arizona since 2009, and is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the country. With the Wildcats, he has won four Pac-12 regular-season championships and has reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament three times.
Arizona is 22-7 overall this season, 12-4 in the Pac-12.