University of North Carolina at Charlotte Director of Athletics Kevin White officially announced the hiring of Wes Miller as the school’s men’s basketball head coach on Monday.

“I’m incredibly honored to lead the Charlotte Basketball program,” said Miller. “This is a university with tremendous momentum, a passionate city behind it, and deep basketball roots in the state of North Carolina. From the moment I began talking with Kevin White and Chancellor Gaber, it was clear there is a shared vision to build a program defined by toughness, passion, and relentless energy. We’re going to pour everything we have into developing our student-athletes, competing at the highest level, and building a team that our campus and this city are proud to rally around. The foundation is here for something special, and I can’t wait to get to work because Charlotte’s stock is rising.”

Miller, 43, was fired by the University of Cincinnati in March after finishing last season 18-15 and 9-9 in the Big 12. In five seasons as head coach, he posted a 100-74 overall record and went 41-51 in conference play, without making an NCAA Tournament appearance. He did, however, lead the Bearcats to multiple NIT quarterfinals and one CBI quarterfinal.

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Miller also has strong ties to North Carolina. Before his time at Cincinnati, the Greensboro native spent 10 seasons as head coach at UNC Greensboro, compiling a 185-135 overall record and a 109-66 mark in the Southern Conference. He led the Spartans to two NCAA Tournament appearances, two NIT appearances and one CBI quarterfinal.

Before joining UNC Greensboro as an assistant in 2010, Miller held assistant coaching positions at High Point and Elon, both in North Carolina. As a player, he began his career at James Madison before transferring to the University of North Carolina, where he played point guard.

Miller replaces former Charlotte 49ers head coach Aaron Fearne, who was fired after three seasons on Tuesday. Fearne posted a 47-51 overall record and went 25-29 in the American Athletic Conference. Last season, the 49ers finished 17-17 overall and 9-9 in conference play.