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February 08, 2005
Miller aims to lead HU football to new levels in conference play
In mid-December Paul Miller was named the new Hamline University football coach. He brings with him a track record marked with football trials and successes.
Miller has coached at St. Olaf College and was also a longtime coach at Apple Valley High School, building successful programs at each institution. He coached for 17 seasons at Apple Valley from 1980 to 1996, and during his tenure his teams went to three Prep Bowls, winning two AA championships in 1986 and 1993.
He also went to the state playoffs seven times, and in 1985 he was named KARE-11 Coach of the Year. Miller also earned the honor of being named Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association
Coach of the Year in 1993 and later was inducted into the Apple Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
The college ranks came calling and Miller answered, finding himself in Northfield at St. Olaf College where he stayed for five seasons, from 1997 to 2001.
He posted winning records in 2000 and 2001 č the first back-to-back winning seasons in 21 years at St. Olaf. The Oles finished third in the conference in 2000, with a 6-3 mark in the MIAC.
For the past three years, Miller coached at South St. Paul (2002ą03) and Burnsville High Schools (2004).
His coaching career also included stints at Beardsley (1973ą75), Dover-Eyota (1976), and Jordan High Schools (1977-79).
Not only does Miller’s track record of success speak for itself, he also brings with him a love for the game, a commitment to hard work and excitement in leading the Pipers on the gridiron.
“I’ve always been really impressed with Hamline,” he said. “They are pushing their academics really hard and are also doing the same with athletics. It’s going to be fun football to be involved with.”
His athletes’ success in the classroom and on the field are both key to Miller.
“We want our guys to graduate in four years, but in football we want to give them the chance to win a conference championship,” he said.
“I expect our guys to be as good as they can possibly be and do the right things on and off the field, and number one on their list is graduation. That is our first and foremost expectation of them.”
Though the football season may seem far away in these winter months, Miller is already hard at work with both recruiting and getting ready for his new campaign as a college coach.
Said Miller: “I’m committed to working hard and I think my track record shows that. We’re going to get after it and try and do things well. I’m very organized.”
Miller looks forward to the coaching task that faces him and thinks the team has a good foundation for success, adding, “I think we have the chance to be one of the better teams in the MIAC.”
Miller graduated from the University of Minneota-Morris in 1973 with degrees in physical education, political science, and social science.
Posted by msveum at February 8, 2005 04:24 PM