BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State women’s basketball head coach Aaron Johnston has announced changes to his coaching staff for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Associate head coach Carissa Thielbar has stepped away from the coaching profession to spend more time with her family. Macy Miller has been hired as an assistant coach.
Thielbar spent 10 seasons on the women’s basketball staff in a number of roles, most recently as associate head coach. In that time, Thielbar helped the program reach seven NCAA Tournaments and win 14 Summit League titles – eight regular season crowns and six conference tournament championships. With Thielbar on the bench, SDSU posted a .767 win percentage.
“I appreciate Carissa’s leadership and mentorship dedicated towards the young women in our program,” said head coach Aaron Johnston. “There is no doubt her positive impact will stay with our student-athletes for years to come. I wish Carissa and her family the very best!”
Miller, a 2019 South Dakota State graduate, returns to Brookings for her second stint on Johnston’s staff. She spent the 2020-21 season at SDSU as a graduate assistant before taking an assistant coaching position under Kristin Rotert (SDSU 2011) at NAIA Northwestern. In three seasons at Northwestern, Miller helped the Red Raiders go 62-32 and make three trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
“I am thrilled to welcome Macy back to our Jackrabbit family!” Johnston said of Miller. “Macy brings a unique combination of servant leadership and first-hand knowledge of what it takes to be an elite competitor at this level. She is driven to help others succeed, and I am excited to see her become a positive mentor for our Jackrabbit student-athletes.”
As a graduate assistant with the Jackrabbits for the 2020-21 season, Miller helped SDSU capture its sixth Summit League regular season title. State posted a 14-0 conference record, going undefeated in Summit League action for the first time in program history. The squad topped three nationally ranked opponents throughout the season – No. 15 Iowa State, No. 18 Gonzaga and No. 20 Missouri State.
The Jacks earned its 10th NCAA Tournament berth in 2021 via the program’s first ever at-large bid. SDSU finished the season with a 21-4 record, falling to No. 8-seeded Syracuse in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. State spent nine weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll and eight weeks in the USA TODAY/Coaches Poll during the 2020-21 season. The Jacks ranked as high as 21st in the Coaches Poll and No. 22 in the AP Poll.
Miller played basketball professionally for one season in Spain for Baxi Ferrol in 2019-20. Prior to her time playing overseas, Miller was the second Jackrabbit women’s basketball player to be selected in the WNBA Draft. She was a third-round pick by the Seattle Storm in 2019.
A Mitchell native, Miller was honored as the Summit League Player of the Year during both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Her 2,355 career points are both SDSU and Summit League records. The three-time All-Summit League First Team selection also graduated as State’s all-time field goal (843) and free throw leader (501). Miller started all 144 contests that she appeared in for the Jackrabbits. Throughout her career she tallied 428 assists, 168 steals and 755 rebounds. As a senior, Miller scored in double figures in 31 of the Jackrabbits’ 35 games as they reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.