The Return of the Legend

By: Katelyn Merrell

Three years ago Myron Miller decided to resign from his position as head coach for the Tustin High varsity football team. Since then, Coach Winter Welz took the job and led the Tiller’s Varsity squad to the playoffs two years in a row, (8-3) in 2015, and continued to build the football empire of Tustin High that Coach Miller began. 

Tustin High Principal Christine Matos shared, “Coach Winter did some amazing things with the program. He took over the program when it was in a tough spot. As a former Tiller, he should have that Tiller pride that he left the program far better than he found it. We have a lot of respect and appreciation for what he did here.” However, Mrs. Matos continued, “We wanted to take the program in a different direction.” With that, the Tustin High community is proud to announce the hiring of Myron Miller as the new head coach of the Tustin High football team.

Myron Miller coaching his 2010 Tillers varsity squad.
Myron Miller coaching his 2010 Tillers varsity squad.

Assistant Coach Mike Neal expressed, “It’s awesome, him coming back. I don’t know where he gets all of his energy from, but it’s an awesome thing for him to come back into the program.” Coach Neal was one of Coach Miller’s assistant coaches for thirteen years. Neal continued to express his excitement regarding the return of Coach Miller and added, “[The team] will be more intense, in better shape, and a lot tougher.” Coach Giebe, a Tustin football alumni who played under Coach Miller during Miller’s first year coaching at Tustin, concurred and expressed, “Any time you can bring back anyone with his experience and success it’s a win for the program, the school, and the community.” When asked whether he had to convince Miller to take the job, Giebe responded with a chuckle, “Did I have to convince him to come back? You don’t convince him. That man makes up his own mind.”

At 72 years young, Coach Myron Miller made the decision to regain his head coaching position claiming, “I think I quit too early. And when the job came open for me, it came at the right time.” He shared, regarding his 2012 retirement, “I started thinking I was too old yet I wasn’t.” Miller is ecstatic for the coming 2016 team and the talented young men he will get to coach. Though the real question on everyone’s mind is, “Will he be running the double wing?” When asked,  Miller laughed admitting, “I will always keep a little bit of the double wing because it irritates other people so badly and they have to plan so hard for it.” He then continued to share, “But let me tell you, we will run the ball. I promise you that. We will run the ball.”

Coach Miller and Coach Welz talk to the refs before one of their games in 2010.
Coach Miller and Coach Welz talk to the refs before one of their games in 2010.

Coming back to coach at 72 sounds crazy to most, but for those who know Myron Miller,  they know retirement is not a plausible option. Giebe explained, “He tried once, but now he’s back so I don’t think it’ll happen again.” Neal chuckled, blurting,”I think we’ll have to drag him off the football field. I don’t think he’ll ever retire.” Even his son Ryan Miller, a Tustin football alumni who played center for his dad on varsity, shared, “His goal is to die of a heart attack in the middle of a game. He says, ‘Roll me over and bury me under the 50 yard line. Then keep playing.”’

I could not help but laugh hearing all these comments and stories, so I decided to go to the man himself and ask, “Do you ever think you will retire?” With a serious look on his face he responded with complete sincerity, “The only thing that makes me want to retire is I don’t want the retirement people to get my money. I’ve got a lot of money tied up in retirement and I’ve gotta figure out a way to coach forever and not let them keep that money.”

 

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