ESPNU Game Broadcast Incorrectly Reported Sean Miller Had Been Fired, Then Retracted It
By Henry McKenna
ESPNU got it wrong.
During a broadcast of the Oregon State game against Arizona State on Saturday night, the broadcast team broke the false news that Arizona men’s basketball coach Sean Miller had been fired.
“It almost leaves you breathless,” the broadcaster said on Saturday night.
They quickly retracted the news.
Per the ESPNU broadcast, Sean Miller is now out as Arizona basketball coach. Yowsers. pic.twitter.com/fNwudzAHVq
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) February 25, 2018
The report moments ago on the ESPNU broadcast that Sean Miller had been fired was inadvertent. #12Sports pic.twitter.com/J8we7Arkyf
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) February 25, 2018
The breaking news, which (again) proved false, came in the form of an announcement — not a sourced report. It’s unclear where they found the incorrect news.
To be fair, the news may come true in time.
Miller is embroiled in an FBI investigation for corruption in college basketball. An FBI wiretap reportedly caught a conversation between Miller and Christian Dawkins, during which they discussed a payment of $100,000 to center Deandre Ayton when he was still a recruit, according to ESPN. Dawkins is considered to be a lynchpin in the FBI’s college basketball probe. Miller did not coach Arizona’s Saturday night game at Oregon, though Ayton did play.