San Jose State head coach Tim Miles watches his team from the sideline in a game against the University of Wyoming inside the Provident Credit Union Event Center in San Jose, Calif. on Feb. 12, 2022 (Johnny Culbertson/The Spear)
By Johnny Culbertson (@Johnculb3) — Reporter
Tim Miles is no stranger to rough starts. In his last two stops as a Division I men’s basketball head coach, he started off with below .500 records. He’s facing the same issue in his first season at San Jose State as the Spartans are currently residing at the bottom of the standings in the Mountain West. Miles refuses to let the rocky start to his tenure at SJSU change his coaching style.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that as the head coach, you’re a leader,” Miles said. “You set the tone. You set the mindset. If I came in grumpy and complaining all the time I think our guys would feel grumpy and they’d be complaining all the time.”
Miles sets the tone for his players and believes in the results that come with having a positive mindset. “Positive attracts positive,” Miles said. “That’s how good things happen in life. That’s how good things happen in a basketball program.”
This style of coaching Miles has brought to the program has been well received by the players. “He’s definitely different,” junior forward Trey Anderson said. “His energy is unmatched. He’s always thinking about basketball. He’s always thinking about what’s best for the team.”
Miles also serves as a well of basketball knowledge. This year marks his 25th season as a collegiate head coach, so he surely knows what he’s talking about on the hardwood. The players don’t take his expertise for granted.
“Coach Miles has been coaching longer than I’ve been alive,” junior guard Omari Moore said. “Anything he says I need to listen to with an open mind … He’s definitely somebody that I can take advice from.”
The Spartans are the sixth team Miles has led. He found success in his previous positions, including two trips to the NCAA Division I Tournament. One of the teams he coached to the tournament was fellow Mountain West program Colorado State.
It’s no secret that SJSU’s basketball team is not known for its dominance. They currently hold a lifetime losing record against every team in the Mountain West, but the focus for Miles is placed solely on the team.
Trust the process.
“Everyday that we show up we talk about one thing — improvement,” Miles said. “If you’ve lost four in a row, you’re worried about getting better. When you’ve won four in a row, you’re worried about getting better. We’ve had both those situations happen this year.
“My mentality has always been the same. We’re here to get better.”
Although this is Miles’ first year as the head coach for the Spartans, the players have quickly adjusted to his style of coaching and welcomed his approach to the game.
“It was different at first, but it’s been good. They demand the best out of all of us, and they don’t want anything less than that for us,” Moore said. “It’s a lot of preparation for games. We’re doing stuff outside of practice. Stuff like workouts, a lot of film and a lot of studying.”
While Miles has centered his first season on consistent improvement, this mentality shift has not shown in the wins column. The Spartans have struggled this season partly because of injury and general growing pains.
“We’re still working on it, and we’re still gonna continue to work on it,” Anderson said. “His biggest thing is … getting all five guys on the court to buy in at the same time.”
This is the mentality of a team. It’s not about any one player.
As the team continues to push themselves, the chemistry grows stronger. Miles takes an approach to practice that promotes growth, but not at the cost of love for the game.
“We’ve been practicing since June so we’ve been around each other for a really long time,” Moore said. “We’re going on the road and spending time together. Even in practice I feel like
coach Miles is lighthearted. He knows when to be serious, but he can also bring fun to practice.”
Miles is not as focused on the record as he is on the long-term future of the program. He’s been trying to grow a winning culture at SJSU and wants the Spartans’ jersey to be representative of the positive, improvement-craving attitude he has been driving into his players.
“What do I want us to represent? When I wear SJSU across my chest, what am I representing?” Miles said. “I want it to be someone who is hard working with a positive mental attitude that’s going out there, competing their tail off to the bitter end. Win, lose or draw.”
