First impressions

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Today was Glen Miller's first day at the Palestra as the new Penn basketball coach. Just about everybody there was optimistic about the future of the former Brown headman.

Miller's predecessor, Fran Dunphy, was there chatting with players and supporters of the program. He was upbeat, and pulled Miller away from a gaggle of reporters for a hug and a brief exchange.

I thought Miller did a fine job of representing himself, although he's probably now the most soft-spoken of any of Penn's major-sport coaches. It was quite a bit different than Dunphy's introduction at Temple a few weeks back. Dunphy was relaxed and had his usual swagger to him. Miller seemed a bit cautious to on the Palestra's big stage for the first time. The crowd assembled was a little smaller, too.

Just about all of the team was there, including rising seniors Steve Danley, Ibrahim Jaaber and Mark Zoller. Miller recognized there was some "resistance" with his new players, but there will be plenty of time to work things out before the fall. Danley, for one, was just glad to see the search process come to an end.

Penn football coach Al Bagnoli, who was part of the committee that interviewed Miller, had good things to say about his new colleague.

"He's going to have his hands full following the success that Franny's had. But I think he's looking forward to it. He'll do well."

Bagnoli had some simple advice for Miller: "You've got to be you. You can't be Franny. Franny had his own style and people respected that style and what he stood for. You were hired on your own merits and you do the things you think you believe in and are important to you."

Bagnoli also said he gave Miller a few pointers of where most coaches live around here. Miller said he has a brother who lives in the area and that he was looking around the Villanova area, coincidentally that's where Dunphy makes his home. But, he said, the transition will be difficult for his family, especially his four kids who are in school. Miller has lived in the same house in Connecticut throughout his past three coaching jobs.

Now it's on to Philadelphia.