Head Coach Paul Mills
Wichita State announced Paul Mills as its 27th head men’s basketball coach on Mar. 22, 2023 and formally introduced him the following day.
“My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of Wichita State University,” Mills said. “The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable community support will keep us working on behalf of the GREATEST fans in all of college basketball. We can’t wait!”
A longtime Baylor assistant under Scott Drew, Mills took his first head coaching job at Oral Roberts and ran with it, transforming the Golden Eagles from Summit League bottom dwellers to undefeated champions over a six-year span (2017-23) with NCAA tournament bids in two of the last three years.
In 2021 Mills became just the second coach to guide a No. 15 seed to Sweet 16, upsetting Ohio State and Florida in the first two rebounds before losing a heartbreaker to Arkansas in the South Regional Semifinal.
Mills raised the bar again in 2023 when he led ORU to a 30-5 record and swept the Summit’s regular season and tournament crowns. The Golden Eagles became just the second team in conference history to go 18-0 and their No. 12 seed in the Big Dance was the program’s best in nearly four decades.
Mills was a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award as well as the NABC’s Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off the floor.”
Mills’ teams are fast-paced, yet efficient, annually ranking among the NCAA leaders in tempo, scoring and three-point field goals while playing tough, gritty defense.
Over the years Mills has also demonstrated a knack for finding and developing talent, coaching.
His greatest success story is 6-foot guard Max Abmas, an overlooked recruit, turned NBA prospect who scored more than 2,500 career points in Mills’ system and was twice named Summit League Player of the Year.
AS HEAD COACH AT ORAL ROBERTS (2017-23):
Mills spent six seasons on the south side of Tulsa, Okla. rebuilding the program at Oral Roberts. He was 106-84, including 67-28 over the final three years.
ORU finished 30-5 during the 2022-23 season, including 21-0 against Summit League foes, becoming just the second team in conference history to run the table. The 12-seeded Eagles entered the NCAA tournament on a nation-best 17-game winning streak but fell to No. 5 Duke in the Round of 64.
Abmas earned Summit League Player of the Year for the second time and was a third team NABC All-American after ranking among the NCAA leaders in scoring (9th, 21.9 points), threes (6th, 3.50) and free throw percentage (5th, 91.9%).
Arkansas transfer Connor Vanover made an immediate impact as the nation’s second-leading shot-blocker (110). He joined Abmas on the Summit League’s first team and was both newcomer and defensive player of the year.
Junior guard Issac McBride earned second team all-conference, hitting 64 threes on 40.8% accuracy.
ORU ranked third nationally in scoring (83.3), second in threes (10.7) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.56).
Mills was named Summit League Coach of the Year for the first time after guiding ORU to its first 30-win season at the Division I level. He was also a finalist for the NABC’s Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award, as well as the Hugh Durham Award (mid-major coach of the year) and the Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off of it.
Nagging injuries to Abmas and the loss of all-conference forward Kevin Obanor to the transfer portal took a toll on ORU in 2021-22, but Eagles still managed a 19-12 record and a tie for third place in the Summit League standings (12-6).
Abmas finished the season at No. 5 in the nation in points per game (22.8) and third in three-point field goals (3.8) to earn first team all-conference and honorable mention AP All-American status for the second time.
ORU averaged 11.6 triples (fourth nationally), connecting on double-digit treys in 22 of its 31 contests. The Eagles set a school record with 21 treys in a win over Southwestern Christian and 19 against Tulsa.
Mills and his 2020-21 team were an overnight sensation, four years in the making, bursting onto the national scene with a run to the NCAA Sweet 16.
With the foundation of Mills rebuild firmly in place, the Eagles played some of their best basketball down the stretch, winning the Summit League tournament as the No. 4 seed to secure the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2008.
Behind the one-two punch of Abmas, CBS Sports Third-Team All-American, Summit League Player of the Year and the nation's leading scorer (24.5 ppg), and Obanor, a College Insider Mid-Major All-American, the Golden Eagles were the Cinderella story of March. They were the highest scoring duo in the country, combining to post 43.2 points-per-game, including an incredible 50.0 points during the Eagle’s NCAA tournament run.
In the Round of 64 against No. 2 seed Ohio State, Abmas and Obanor combined for 59 points in a 75-72 overtime win. It was the program’s first NCAA tournament victory since 1974.
ORU fans didn’t have to wait long for the next one, as two days later, Mills’ Eagles sent No. 7 seed Florida packing, 81-78, becoming just the second No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to advance to a Regional Semifinal.
The run nearly continued with ORU battling No. 3 seed Arkansas to stalemate for 39 minutes and 57 seconds before falling 72-70 on a last-second jumper.
ORU closed the season leading the NCAA in 3-pointers made per game (11.1) and free-throw percentage (82.1), while having the 14th-highest scoring offense in the nation (81.1).
Excitement from the Golden Eagles’ Sweet 16 run sparked renewed interest in the men’s basketball program. In the Fall of 2021, ORU made a series renovations to its 50-year old arena, including new seats and a 35-foot video board, and broke ground on a multi-million dollar training facility.
ORU was dominant at home in 2019-20 posting a 13-1 record at the Mabee Center on the way to Mills' first winning season as head coach. The Golden Eagles were invited to a postseason tournament for the first time since 2015, earning a spot in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), however the event was canceled due to COVID-19.
A 17-14 overall mark, including a 9-7 record in league play, was highlighted by ORU's ability to protect the basketball. The Eagles’ 13.9% turnover percentage was the NCAA’s second-best, according to KenPom.
Emmanuel Nzekwesi landed NABC All-District Second Team and First Team All-Summit League honors, leading ORU in scoring and rebounding in his final collegiate season, while Deondre Burns and Abmas earned recognition on the All-Newcomer Team.
ORU finished 11-21 in 2018-19 while laying the groundwork for its future success. Obanor earned the Summit League’s freshman and sixth-man of the year honors and joined fellow big man Emmanuel Nzekwesi on the all-conference second team. The duo both ranked among the league’s top-10 in scoring and rebounding.
In his first season in south Tulsa (2017-18), Mills led ORU to a fifth-place finish in The Summit League, while earning four postseason honors from the league. Albert Owens was the Sixth Man of the year, Austin Ruder was the Transfer of the Year, Nzekwesi was an honorable mention All-Summit League selection and Sam Kearns was named to the All-Newcomer team.
Mills was introduced at ORU on April 28, 2017 as the 11th head coach in program history.
AS AN ASSISTANT COACH:
Before making the trip to south Tulsa, Mills was at Baylor under Head Coach Scott Drew for 14 seasons – six as a staffer (2003-09) and the last eight as assistant coach (2009-17) -- helping the Bears graduate 36 of 38 seniors.
From 2003-17 Baylor played in seven NCAA tournaments, including a pair of NCAA Elite Eights and four Sweet 16s. The Bears were nationally-ranked for 10 straight seasons and reached No. 1 in the polls for the first time since school history during Mills’ final year (2016-17).
Mills was on the Rice staff from 2002-03 and, before that, was head coach at Fort Bend Christian Academy from 1998-2002. He led the school to its first-ever TAPPS 4A Final Four and was the South Region Coach of the Year and a four-time District Coach of the Year. Prior to his time in Sugar Land, Texas, Mills won three straight district championships as the head coach at North Belt Christian.
Mills served as the Big 12 representative for the National Association of Basketball Coaches and was a board member for the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches from 2001-03.
PERSONAL:
He is a 1996 graduate of Texas A&M with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in the summer of 2020. He and his wife, Wendy Scott-Mills, have two daughters, Audrey and Abbey.
THE MILLS FILE:
Full Name:
Paul Kerry Mills
Birthdate:
April 4, 1972 in Houston (Age 50)
Education:
Undergrad: Texas A&M ‘96
Masters: Dallas Theological Seminary ‘20
Family:
Wife: Wendy
Daughters: Audrey & Abbey
Coaching Experience:
2023-Pr. – Wichita State – Head Coach
2017-23 – Oral Roberts – Head Coach
2009-17 – Baylor – Assistant Coach
2003-09 – Baylor – Coordinator of Operations
2002-03 – Rice – Operations
1998-02 – Fort Bend Baptist Academy, Head Coach
1995-98 – North Belt Christian Academy, Head Coach
Awards:
Hugh Durham Award Finalist (2023)
Jim Phelan Award Finalist (2023)
Skip Prosser Man of the Year Finalist (2023)
Summit League Coach of the Year (2023)
Year-by-Year (as Head Coach):
2017-18 – 11-21
2018-19 – 11-21
2019-20 – 17-14 – CIT (Invited; Canceled due to COVID-19)
2020-21 – 18-11 – NCAA Sweet 16
2021-22 – 19-12
2022-23 – 30-5 – Summit League RS, Tourney Champs, NCAA Rd. of 64
TOTAL: 106-84
Postseason Experience (as Head Coach):
2023 – NCAA, Round of 64
2021 – NCAA, Sweet 16
2020 – CIT, Invited (canceled due to COVID-19)
Postseason Experience (on Baylor Staff):
7 NCAA tournaments – Elite Eight (2010, 2012); Sweet 16 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017)
2 NITs – Champion (2013), Runner-Up (2009)
Coaching Tree:
Solomon Bozeman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
Talvin Hester (Louisiana Tech)
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PAUL MILLS:
“Paul Mills’ heart for people, passion for life and approach to the development of young people and programs is energizing. He aligns with Shocker Athletics’ core values, facilitates a first-class student-athlete experience and fuels broad-based competitive excellence. We are thrilled to welcome the Mills family – Paul, Wendy, Audrey and Abbey – to Wichita, Wichita State University and Shocker Nation!”
- Kevin Saal, Wichita State Director of Athletics
“We are looking forward to the next chapter of WSU basketball under Paul Mills’ leadership. He’s fully aligned with our priorities, which includes creating success for our student athletes and a winning culture for all of Shocker Nation.”
- Dr. Richard Muma, Wichita State University President
“Paul Mills helped build Baylor Basketball then took Oral Roberts to levels never before achieved. He is an outstanding coach and, above all, a man of high integrity and character. He LOVES building relationships and mentoring his players, helping them become winners on and off the court. Wichita State hit a homerun with Coach Mills.”
- Scott Drew, Baylor Head Coach
“WSU hit a grand slam with Paul Mills as its new head men’s basketball coach. Paul is a terrific husband and father, a caring son, and a dynamic leader. The young men that will be blessed to be mentored and molded by his enthusiasm for faith and family will be changed for life and will be exponentially better because of the time spent with Paul and his family. Shocker Nation will have a lot to celebrate, on and off the court!!!”
- Jerome Tang, Kansas State Head Coach
“Congratulations to Kevin Saal and Wichita State on hiring one of the rising stars in college basketball in Paul Mills. Paul is an outstanding leader, will run an exemplary program and develop his student-athletes on and off the court.”
- Ian McCaw, Former Baylor, Current Liberty Athletic Director
“Paul is highly regarded in the coaching profession and has all the qualities needed to restore the iconic Wichita State basketball program to its former heights and to take it to even greater renown. We are pleased to welcome Paul to our conference and to add his name to a strong roster of conference coaches. Congratulations, also, to Athletic Director Kevin Saal on this outstanding hire. There is renewed excitement in the Shockers’ men’s basketball program.”
- Mike Aresco, American Athletic Conference Commissioner.
“The hiring of Paul Mills is a great step forward for Wichita State basketball. It has been my privilege to spend many hours talking basketball with Paul and watching his teams play. He is a coach that not only understands the X’s and O’s of the game, but the importance of his role in shaping the lives of his student-athletes. His teams will be well coached and also represent Wichita State University in a first-class way. I am excited to watch the progress of the Shockers over the next several years.”
- Rick Byrd, Former Belmont Head Coach
“Paul Mills is one of the next stars in our profession! Wichita State just got a triple double!
He is incredibly adept in his offensive schemes. He is an elite evaluator and recruiter. However, his greatest attribute is the kind of person he is; honest, relational, relatable, and authentic!
Shocker Nation got a great one!”- Ritchie McKay, Liberty Head Coach
“Paul Mills is one of the most incredible basketball minds I have ever had the pleasure of being around. His IQ and character set him apart from the rest. Wichita State got everything and more with this hire.”
-Jay Williams, Former Duke guard and current ESPN college basketball analyst