In an important development for Sean Miller and Arizona's basketball program, federal judge Edgardo Ramos ruled that testimony from the UA head coach would be irrelevant to next week's trial involving Christian Dawkins meaning Miller will not have to take the witness stand and testify. Additionally, any recordings of Miller will not be played for the jury during the trial that is set to begin Monday.

The prosecution and defense have gone back and forth on the issue for weeks with the defense trying to show that Miller's – and LSU coach Will Wade's – testimony would be pertinent to the case. However, the prosecution argued that it had no relevance to the proceedings.

Judge Ramos ruled in favor of the government Friday and will not allow the Dawkins' lawyers to call Miller or Wade to the witness stand in the trial. He did reserve the right to change his mind as the expected two-week trial plays out, but at this point Miller will not be part of it.

Leading up to Friday's decision, the defense argued that playing recordings and having Miller and Wade testify would allow the jury to see the frame of mind Dawkins was working under during the time of his crimes. The prosecution felt none of that was relevant to the case nor was bringing in coaches who have yet to be charged with any crimes to take the witness stand.

When it became known that Dawkins' attorney, Steve Haney, planned to subpoena Miller and Wade Yahoo! Sports reported that could potentially bring in other coaches as well as part of next week's trial.

“As many as I can get in the courtroom,” Haney told Yahoo! Sports. “… We are going to pull back the curtains.”

That last phrase was used by the government in its argument to show the irrelevance of bringing coaches in to testify would be in this particular trial with the case being about bribery not NCAA amateurism rules.

Per reporter Adam Zagoria and others, Haney plans to continue to try and pull Miller into the trial.

"‘The evidence establishes very clearly that Sean Miller is paying players at Arizona," Zagoria said Haney told reporters after Friday's decision adding, "You’ll have to be here to hear the evidence."

Overall it is a big and important hurdle for the program to get over and presents the next step in moving forward from the case for Miller and the Wildcats.