Wichita State Men's Basketball

Oct 07, 2025 12:00 PM

Paul Mills, Head Coach

Wichita State University introduced Paul Mills as its 27th head men’s basketball coach on March 22, 2023. In just two seasons, Coach Mills has already made his mark on Shocker basketball, totaling 34 wins—third most by any Wichita State head coach in their first two years. After a 15-19 record in his first season, the Shockers improved to 19-15 in his second, earning their first postseason bid (NIT) since 2021.

Under Mills’ leadership, the Shockers notched 10 non-conference wins—their most since 2019—and showed impressive resilience during conference play. After a 1-7 start, the team rallied with six consecutive victories, including a thrilling upset over No. 14-ranked Memphis that snapped a 10-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

Before coming to Wichita State, Mills served as a longtime assistant at Baylor University under Scott Drew before taking his first head coaching position at Oral Roberts University. There, he transformed the program from Summit League underdogs into perennial champions. During his six seasons (2017–2023) at ORU, Mills led the Golden Eagles to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a historic 2021 run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed—just the second such feat in tournament history. He followed that up with a remarkable 30-5 season in 2023, guiding ORU to an undefeated 18-0 conference record and their best NCAA tournament seeding in nearly 40 years.

Coach Mills will join us to discuss “All Things Shocker Basketball,” including a look at the 2025–26 roster, insights on recruiting and building a team in the transfer portal era, results from summer and fall workouts, and what fans can expect from the upcoming season.