“Kim Mulkey Would be Proud”: NCAA Coach’s ‘Illegal Defense’ Leaves Fans Furious

As per fans, Kim Mulkey might just have found a friend on the Rhode Island Rams. Undeniably, emotions do run high on the court. Yelling, crying, and sometimes even swearing become natural reactions on the hardwood. While we are used to seeing this from the players, there are also a few coaches who cannot hold back during intense moments.

Mulkey for one has never been shy of expressing her feelings during a game. Last year, her LSU Tigers won the NCAA women’s championship against Iowa. But it was Kim Mulkey’s antics that caught the eye as she spent a considerable amount of time arguing with referees and stepping onto the court. Similarly, Rams’ head coach Archie Miller recently found himself overstepping some professional boundaries. Literally!

Yesterday, coach Miller’s Rams were facing his former squad, the Dayton Flyers. While it was already quite a high-stakes game, Miller’s unexpected defensive maneuvers have taken over the conversation. During the first half of the game, Koby Brea, seemingly unguarded, received a pass with no Rhode Island players around to defend the fastbreak. However, surprisingly, Archie Miller dashed onto the court, positioning himself close to Brea as the player came to a halt.

Of course, coach Miller’s unexpected defensive intervention didn’t work in his favor. Brea quickly passed the ball to the Flyers’ star player DaRon Holmes II, who scored an effortless two points under the basket. Here is the clip in case you missed it.

Archie Miller served as the Flyers’ head coach from 2011 – 2017. He was inducted in the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame for achieving 78 wins between 2013-16. However, Dayton have not skipped a beat following his tenure. Miller’s former team emerged victorious with a decisive 96-62 win, securing their 12th consecutive victory and maintaining an unblemished 5-0 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

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For the 45-year-old coach, it ended with just a strict warning from the officials. Online, however, it was a different situation. Fans on Twitter started to criticize his illegal move on their social media.  Let’s take a look at fans’ comments.

Fans rip into Archie Miller for his on-court interference

Some NCAA fans couldn’t help but see glimpses of Kim Mulkey during Miller’s intervention. The women’s head coach is known for being equally involved in her games, often frustrating the opposing team by slowing down the pace. After seeing Archie Miller do the same, one fan thinks, “Kim Mulkey would be proud“

Another fan wrote, “Coaches on the floor has been getting out of hand for years. The officials need to start taking action before someone gets injured.”

Most fans were not enjoying the interference as they want to see less of the coaches and more of the players. “This epidemic of head coaches being on the court needs to stop.”

Some think the problem has only one solution. And it’s a tad drastic. “Won’t stop until a player runs into the coach and acts injured.”

But the general sentiment was clear. Fans want to see coaches receive some sort of punishment for interfering with the flow of the game.

Do you agree with the fans? What is your take on this? Let us know in the comments section below.

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