Travis Steele is enjoying an incredible campaign with the Miami (OH) Redhawks this season. However, those highs came after his low points, which took place when his time with the Xavier Musketeers ended.
Steele is going through the eighth season of his head coaching career, his fourth with the Redhawks. He previously coached at Xavier for four seasons from 2018 to 2022, leading them to two NIT appearances.
However, the Musketeers athletics department felt they weren't going in the direction they wanted to go, specifically making the NCAA Tournament. They ultimately let him go during the 2022 NIT, seeing his stint end with a 70-50 overall record.
Steele reflected on his tenure during his special guest appearance on the Hoops HQ show with Seth Davis and Andy Katz. He expressed how much he loved coaching at Xavier but understood why they made the decision to part ways with him.
“It really hurt. I mean, I loved Xavier. We had poured shoot, 15 or 14 years not just as the head coach, but I was the director of operations as assistant coach, Associate Head Coach, then became the head coach. The relationships that you have, the players that you've coached, you felt like you've let down a lot of people. It's difficult, but again, I would also tell people that go through it, listen, it can make you better,” Steele said.
“The hard moments reveal who you are, and you have to respond the right way. I hate using the word failure, because listen, we didn't fail. We were close, like, one game away for three of my four years from meeting the expectation there with the standard. But listen, I was below the standard, and I totally understand the decision that they made. But those moments make you who you are, and you have to self-reflect and get better.”
Head Coach Travis Steele, of @MiamiOH_BBall speaks on what it was like being fired from Xavier and how the experience has shaped him. pic.twitter.com/pTbr6h0oVA
— Hoops HQ (@hhqsports) February 23, 2026
What's next for Travis Steele, Miami (OH)
It's clear that Travis Steele learned a lot from his Xavier stint, helping him improve as he is helping Miami (OH) have its best season in program history.
Miami (OH) boasts a perfect 27-0 record on the season, going 14-0 in its MAC matchups so far. They control the top spot in the conference standings, being above the Akron Zips and the Kent State Golden Flashes.
The No. 21 Redhawks will look forward to their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Eastern Michigan Eagles as tip-off will take place on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
