3/31/2022

OXFORD, Ohio – Miami University Athletics has hired Travis Steele as the 28th men’s basketball head coach in program history, Director of Athletics David Sayler announced today.
 
Steele joins Miami after completing a four-year stint as the head coach at rival Xavier University. He posted a 70-50 mark while at the helm of the Xavier program and led the Musketeers to two postseason berths.
 
“Travis Steele brings with him an exceptional recruiting pedigree and results,” Sayler said. “He also brings unmatched energy, a CEO-like-vision for where Miami Basketball can and should go, and a relentless work ethic to match that vision. He is the right person to raise our program to the next level and put us back in the upper echelon of the Mid-American Conference and beyond.”
 
Miami, the winningest program in MAC history, has won 21 league titles and made 26 postseason appearances. The RedHawks’ last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2007.
 
“I am honored and thrilled to be named the next head men’s basketball coach at Miami,” Steele said. “I want to thank Director of Athletics David Sayler and President Greg Crawford for this tremendous opportunity. Miami University’s blend of elite academics, beautiful campus, and deep commitment to the success of its student-athletes creates a unique advantage. I am excited to get to work!”
 
In addition to recruiting two nationally-ranked classes among the top 20 as head coach, each of his student-athletes graduated during his time at Xavier. As an assistant at XU, he also helped secure two top-10 nationally-ranked recruiting classes, made four NCAA Tournament appearances—twice advancing to the Sweet Sixteen—and won a conference championship.
 
Steele has coached at the high school, AAU, junior college and Division I levels. He has held nearly every role on a staff – from volunteer, to graduate assistant, to assistant coach, to video coordinator, to director of operations to head coach.
 
He was hired as the director of basketball operations at Xavier in 2008 before being elevated to assistant coach in 2009 and then associate head coach in 2015, and ultimately, head coach in 2018. Prior to Xavier, Steele worked on the staff at Indiana University. He joined the Hoosiers in August of 2006, taking on the duties of video coordinator. He also served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Wabash Valley College (2005-06) and spent a year with the Ohio State basketball program as a graduate manager (2004-05) under Thad Matta.
 
From 2001-06, Steele was a coach for the Spiece/Indiana Adidas Elite AAU Basketball program. Steele also was an assistant varsity coach at Ben Davis High School while attending Butler University. He earned his undergraduate degree in business from Butler, where he graduated cum laude in marketing in 2004.
 
Steele, the brother of current University of Akron head coach John Groce, was born Nov. 12, 1981 in Danville, Indiana. He and his wife Amanda reside in Cincinnati with their sons, Winston and Anderson.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS