Percy “Master P” Miller is heading back home—this time, not as a rapper or entrepreneur, but as the new President of Basketball Operations for the University of New Orleans Privateers.
The announcement was made Thursday as the UNO basketball program is undergoing an NCAA investigation related to sports gambling violations. Four players have been suspended since late January. Despite the controversy, Miller has pledged to revive the program’s winning culture. The team currently sits 11th in the Southland Conference with a 4-25 record.
“As a kid growing up in New Orleans, I can honestly say that basketball changed and saved my life,” Miller said during his introductory press conference.
“At that time, UNO was one of the best programs in the country. It was all about Privateer Nation, and there was so much excitement on the Lakefront. As President of Basketball Operations, I am committed to bringing back that winning tradition to NOLA’s team. But this is bigger than the game—it’s about educating and creating future leaders at the same time. I’m here to make sure that these young student-athletes have the opportunities, resources, and mentorship to succeed on and off the court.”
While most know Master P as the founder of No Limit Records and a hip-hop mogul, his basketball résumé is just as impressive. He was a scholarship player at the University of Houston before a knee injury ended his college career. In the late 1990s, he had NBA preseason stints with the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors and also competed in Summer League for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, and Sacramento Kings.
His love for the game has carried into the next generation as well—his son, Mercy Miller, is currently a guard for the University of Houston.
With deep ties to basketball and New Orleans, Master P’s leadership could be precisely what UNO needs to turn things around.