Seven reasons the Dayton Flyers job will be highly coveted

Fan support alone makes it one of the best jobs in the country

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

The sun came up in Dayton on Sunday, even if it was a cloudy, ugly, rainy day. The weather didn’t improve the mood of fans of the Dayton Flyers, who were still processing the news of Archie Miller’s departure to Indiana.

On the bright side, with or without Miller, the Dayton job will be highly coveted. The Flyers will have a new coach soon — though Neil Sullivan didn’t put a timeline on the hire — and he’ll have an impressive resume.

“I will be very curious to see who Dayton hires,” wrote Seth Davis, of Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, on Twitter on Sunday. “One of the best jobs in college hoops. Great city, arena, fan base. In a league you can win.”

RELATED: Behind the scenes on Miller’s journey to Indiana

Here are seven reasons the Dayton job is a great one:

1. Fan support: Dayton ranked 25th in the country in attendance in 2015-16 (12,942) and set a UD Arena record by averaging 13,018 fans in 2016-17. UD has ranked in the top 30 in attendance every season since 1997-98.

» Flyers begin search for new coach, who could it be?

2. Strong facilities: UD Arena has hosted more NCAA tournament games than any other venue. It's the 44th-largest arena in terms of capacity in Division I. It is nearing its 50th birthday, but plans are in the works for a major upgrade.

UD has already improved its locker room and meeting areas for the men’s and women’s teams at the arena, as well as its training facility. A new weight room was added on campus in recent years.

» Social media reacts to UD’s Archie Miller leaving for Indiana

3. Storied history: A new coach can now tout recent history as well as the first golden age of UD hoops. Dayton played in the national championship game in 1967 and was a national power throughout the 1960s. A four-year NCAA tournament run under Miller proves the program can be consistently relevant again.

4. Promising roster: The cupboard won't be bare for the new coach. He'll inherit a roster that includes 6-foot-10 freshman Kostas Antetokounmpo, one of the most promising UD talents in years. If the new coach can convince the five recruits to stay, he'll have a much easier time competing in the Atlantic 10 next season. But there will be challenges next season with the loss of four senior starters.

» Dayton Flyers recruits react to departure of Archie Miller

5. Administrative support: Miller raved throughout his tenure about the help he got from Athletic Director Neil Sullivan and his predecessor Tim Wabler, who hired Miller. He also appreciated former UD President Dan Curran and his successor Eric F. Spina.

6. Big paycheck: The new coach might not make as much as Miller, who was believed to be making at least $2 million per season and was offered a contract that would have put him in the top 10 in the nation in salary, or around $3 million, according to Sullivan. But Dayton has proved it can compete financially with the top programs.

» Calipari: Miller will do great job at Indiana

7. Stepping stone: A young coach can use the UD job as a path to a job in a power conference. That's not great for UD — and maybe this time they'll hire someone more likely to stick around — but it's what the last three UD coaches have done and would be a selling point for many coaches. Oliver Purnell left for Clemson. Brian Gregory left for Georgia Tech. Miller waited for the best offer he could get.

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