Master P says major college basketball head coaching offers on the table, not ready yet

Master P says his work rebuilding the program at the University of New Orleans has drawn interest from other Division I schools eager to replicate his model.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, the entrepreneur and rapper known as Percy Miller said multiple colleges have reached out after he helped boost the Privateers as president of basketball operations and assistant coach. They also want him to build in the new era of college athletics. 

“Now this is business,” Master P said. “I’m bringing business people around the university, and I think that’s what I bring to the table.”

The 55-year-old New Orleans native said the outreach has come in different forms, with some schools expressing interest in having him oversee programs and others floating the idea of him becoming a head coach.

@MasterPMiller swung by the studio this week and told @mikejbabcock he’s already had multiple colleges try to lure him away because of how quickly he's turned around the University of New Orleans, where he serves as assistant coach AND President of Basketball Operations. pic.twitter.com/HDDVdMMbhi

“I think it’s both,” he said. “Even they want me to be a head coach out there. I don’t know if I’m ready yet. But I do have interest in that.”

Miller, who briefly played in the NBA during the late 1990s, said his vision extends beyond X’s and O’s. He believes modern college athletics require leadership that blends player development, branding and community engagement.

“Times are changing,” he said. “People don’t want the traditional coaches. They want coaches that think outside the box. How are we going to get fans in the stands? How are we going to motivate the team?”

He credited Houston's Kelvin Sampson  Houston and Colorado's Deion Sanders as influences in shaping his leadership style. 

Sampson’s ability to motivate and structure a program stood out, Miller said. For good reasons, too. His son, Mercy Miller, plays for the Cougars. While Sanders’ emphasis on mentorship and “fatherhood” resonated deeply with him. Coach Prime and Coach Miller have a long-standing relationship that has transitioned in many forms over the years as well.

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“What I like about it is it’s not just about winning,” he said. “If you want to see these guys succeed, you’re going to find corporations, you’re going to find other people to get around them and keep the program going.”

At New Orleans, Miller said the basketball team has become a vehicle for broader institutional growth, including increased student engagement and visibility.

More: 'Basketball Saved My Life': Why Master P came home to rebuild New Orleans

“It’s not just about basketball,” he said. “Nobody uses the basketball team to help get students into the school. When we can do that, that’s when we’ve made it.”

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