I’m just at that time in my life where I’m trying to do something new. – Mike Miller
RIVERTON — Monday afternoon, Riverton head football coach Mike Miller stood before the boys he loves and had a conversation he’s been dreading.
“I am stepping away,” said Miller, who’s led the Silverwolves for the past 11 seasons. “I’m in an administration program, and I’m supposed to finish this spring. … I’m just at that time in my life where I’m trying to do something new.”
He said he felt the demands of earning a master’s degree, teaching math and coaching Riverton’s football team had him “spread thin” last year. So he decided to step down as football coach and pursue his goal of working as a school administrator.
“(Monday) I announced it to the kids and that’s always hard,” he said. “Right now, at this point, I’ll miss the camaraderie with the coaches and the kids. I just love them. I feel like I do good things both on and off the field with them, and I’ll miss that.”
He said the relationship coaches have with players is special in that it allows them a much deeper, more all-encompassing relationship with the student-athletes.
“We get to know their whole lives,” Miller said. “You know everything about them. You get to supplement their parents.”
He said one of the great joys of his nearly 27 years as an assistant and a head coach is several calls and visits each week from former players.
Miller knows he’s one of the fortunate prep coaches as he’s only had one season as a head coach where his team didn’t make the playoffs. He led Olympus to a state title in 1998, and this year the Silverwolves lost in the semifinals to eventual 5A champion Bingham.
“The game has been good to me,” he said. “And I know this is a leap of faith. There are no guarantees I’ll get an administrator's job.”
But, just as he advises his players, you can’t succeed if you aren’t willing to take risks.
Miller’s defensive coordinator Brent Hawkins has already been named Riverton’s new head coach.
“I think he’s going to do a great job,” Miller said. “He’s definitely a Riverton guy.”
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