Tori Miller is no stranger to blazing her own path.
In 2020, she made history when she was the first female general manager in the National Basketball Association G League history. At the time, she was promoted within the front office of the College Park Skyhawks, the G League affiliate of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
Her newest career move makes her one of the NBA’s highest-ranking women in a front-office position. The Atlanta Hawks recently promoted Miller to vice president of player personnel/basketball intelligence. In this role, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the team’s player personnel division as well as scouting new players for the Hawks.
Miller graduated cum laude from the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a sport administration minor from the School of Education and Human Development. She credits her undergraduate education at the University and internship experiences for preparing her for the career and success she has obtained.
“I chose the University of Miami after coming down for Harambee weekend and it sold me,” said Miller, referring to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions annual overnight program that shows newly admitted multicultural students around campus to give them a preview of what student life is like. “It was great times spent there and I received a great education.”
While a student at the University, she interned at a sports agency in Sunset Place, a once-popular entertainment destination in the South Miami community, and she credits that opportunity for kick-starting her career into sport administration.
As a child, Miller said she played basketball and softball and enjoyed the comradery of being a part of a team. During her junior year at the University, Miller realized how much she missed that aspect of her life and decided to pivot her dream of becoming an agent to becoming a general manager of a professional basketball team.
Her story is one of true determination and tenacity. Following a basketball operations internship position with the Phoenix Suns, Miller had hoped for a full-time job there, but the group didn’t have any appropriate positions available.
“I moved back to Atlanta and didn’t land a job for that year,” said Miller. Instead of being down and out that things didn’t go her way, she thought of ways she could make herself stand out amongst the thousands of applicants. “I really honed in on the G League and I began sending teams monthly reports about standout college player performances. It began to get a lot of traction, and I eventually caught the attention of a guy named Malik Rose, who presented me with the opportunity to become the assistant general manager of the [College Park] Skyhawks.”
From that start in the Hawks' minor league organization, Miller rose through the ranks. It took her about 10 years since receiving her University degree to eventually land her current position.
“You have to have perseverance and unwavering faith,” said Miller. “I always tell people that I received a ton of ‘NO’s’ throughout my career, and I feel like it prepared me for my next opportunity.”
Tywan Martin, associate professor of kinesiology and sport administration, said he is extremely happy for his former student and all that she has accomplished.
“It really excites me. She is a living example of where determination takes you,” said Martin. “She is what’s needed in the business world and is exactly what we try to impart into every student. You have the power, strength, and capability.”
