Miami women’s hoops notebook: Glenn Box makes his Miami introduction as new coach

Until Saturday morning, Glenn Box didn’t have David Sayler’s number.

That’s when Sayler, Miami University’s Athletic Director, called Box to ask if he would consider taking over as the newest head coach of Miami’s women’s basketball team. Box almost didn’t answer his phone, but by Saturday night, he was meeting with Sayler and other members of the athletic department on Zoom.

Sayler and his team went to Box’s house the next day and discussed the opening. He accepted the position Sunday night, told the Indiana staff yesterday, on Monday morning, and on Tuesday at 11 a.m. he was introduced in Oxford.

“Before you knew it, I was here,” Box said. “Running around. That’s how it went.”

The Miami women’s basketball head coaching job opened suddenly less than two weeks ago when former coach DeUnna Hendrix resigned shortly after the university was made aware of “intimate” text messages she exchanged with a player.

“My heart has been hurting for our student athletes over the past few weeks,” Sayler said, “which is why I’m so excited and thrilled to be moving forward and doing that under the guidance of coach Glenn Box.”

Box talked about his next steps as the coach of Miami, the first of which is building a staff. He said the staff will include some experienced recruiters.

“As soon as I get out of this building, I’m moving forward toward what I need to do as far as building a staff.” Box said. “... I’m gonna bring in the right staff too. I promise you that.”

Box expects that his teams will have to play to their strengths at the beginning of his tenure, while he rebuilds the Miami program which has seen all of its 2022-23 starters enter the transfer portal this offseason.

“Long-term, we will eventually be a man defense,” Box said. “... We’ll have smart, high-IQ kids … from an offensive standpoint. Like everyone else, I want to run, but I want to play pretty basketball too.”

Before Miami, Box spent seven years at Indiana University, and the last four as the associate head coach. Indiana saw huge success in Box’s tenure on Teri Moren’s staff. The team made five NCAA tournament appearances in the last seven seasons, and in 2023 earned a No. 1 seed, in addition to a Big Ten regular season championship and an appearance as high as No. 2 in national polls. According to the university’s announcement of Box’s hiring, Box helped guide Indiana’s defense, which was best in the Big Ten last year.

Box has worked in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in two previous jobs, as an assistant at Western Michigan and then Akron, where he was part of a team that won the MAC Championship in 2014.

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“There is a strong level of comfort with this league,” Box said.

Current sophomores Clare Chambers and Katey Richason were the only 2022-23 RedHawks in attendance at Box’s Presser. They said they had spoken to Box, and they see his vision.

“We’re bought in at Miami,” Chambers said. “We came here for other reasons, too.”

Box mentioned that he had also talked to players who aren’t currently with the program, presumably some of those in the transfer portal.

It’s Box’s first head coaching job. But he’s confident that he has what it takes to lead Miami women’s basketball to the top of the MAC.

“Every year, eventually we are going to be in positions to compete for championships,” Box said at his opening press conference on Monday morning. “That doesn’t guarantee championships, but we’ll be in competition … I’m a winner, and I expect to win.”

@jackschmelznger

schmelj2@miamioh.edu