Ralph H. Miller (March 9, 1919 – May 15, 2001) was an American college basketball coach, a head coach for 38 years at three universities: Wichita (now known as Wichita State), Iowa, and Oregon State.[1] With an overall record of 657–382 (.632), his teams had losing records only three times. Prior to his final season, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame on May 3, 1988.[2] Miller played college football and basketball at the University of Kansas. His performance on the football team led to him being selected in the 1942 NFL draft, but he chose to serve in the military instead of playing in the NFL.
He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1942. He also drafted in the 18th round (167th overall selection) of the 1942 NFL draft by the Brooklyn Dodgers, but declined playing in the NFL and instead took a personnel department job with the Aero Parts Manufacturing Company. When the company formed the Wichita Aero Commandos football team in 1942, Miller became the starting quarterback.[5]
The "flashy passer" Miller saw his 1942 season come to an abrupt end at the hands of the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL, who played an exhibition game against the Aero Commandos in Wichita's Lawrence Stadium on November 15, during what would otherwise have been a bye week.[6] Midway through the first half Miller suffered an unspecified injury that forced his removal and ended his year.[6]
Coaching career
Early jobs
Miller's first coaching position was at Mount Oread High School in Lawrence, and the team consisted primarily of professors' sons. The season did not go well and left a sour taste in his mouth towards coaching basketball.
Military career interruption
Miller later joined the Army Air Forces for three years, leaving as a first lieutenant. Miller didn't have to go overseas during World War II because of knee problems that began at KU. He enlisted in the Air Force and held desk jobs in Florida, Texas, and California. After the war, he became an assistant director of recreation and oversaw a swimming pool and playground in Redlands, California. Soon, he joined a friend in the business of hauling fruit.
Return to coaching
In 1949, eight years after his ill-fated first attempt at coaching, a friend from Wichita named Fritz Snodgrass sent Miller a telegram asking if he might be interested in returning to guide his son's team at East High School. At East, Miller became a student of the game. He was fascinated by the full-court presszone defense that had been developed at Kansas in 1930, but he wondered why it was only used after a basket was made. Nobody could give Miller a solid answer, and so he began tinkering with ways to press after missed shots, too. His idea was to assign each player a man to guard, and when an errant shot went up, they were immediately to pick up their man. His ideas were very successful. In three years at East High, Miller's teams finished second, third and first in the state using his system of execution and pressure basketball.
Wichita
In 1951, the president of Municipal University of Wichita (now Wichita State University) offered him a job. Miller spent 13 years at Wichita, winning 220 games, earning three NIT berths and a spot in the NCAA tournament in 1964.
Iowa
In the spring of 1964, Miller left for the Iowa of the Big Ten Conference, where he built one of the greatest offensive juggernauts in NCAA history. In his first season he coached Jimmy Rodgers who would go on to be a notable coach in his own right.[7] The Hawkeyes averaged more than 100 points a game in Big Ten play in 1970 and went undefeated (14–0) in the Big Ten with a 19–4 regular season record. Entering the NCAA tournament, Iowa was on a sixteen-game winning streak and played their first game in the Sweet Sixteen, but were upset by independent Jacksonville,[8] the eventual national runner-up. After a consolation win over Notre Dame, the Hawkeyes finished at 20–5 overall.
Oregon State
A month later in April 1970, Miller was offered the job at Oregon State.[9] Miller had only two losing seasons in 19 years at OSU, and retired as the second winningest head coach in Oregon State history with 359 victories, behind Slats Gill.
Miller's career record was 657–382 (.632);[15] the 657 victories were the most by an active coach and ranked him seventh among major college coaches, trailing only Adolph Rupp (876), Hank Iba (767), Ed Diddle (759), Phog Allen (746), Ray Meyer (724), and John Wooden (664). Miller's teams actually won 674 games, but the total was reduced by forfeits because one of his players, Lonnie Shelton, had signed with an agent while still in college in 1976.
The floor of Gill Coliseum is named Ralph Miller Court, and the street in front of the venue was renamed Ralph Miller Drive shortly upon his retirement.
Personal life
In the fall of 1937 at the University of Kansas, Miller took a physiology class where the students were seated alphabetically. Next to him was an attractive student from Topeka named Emily Jean Milam; five years later they were married. The couple had two sons, Ralph Jr. and Paul, and two daughters, Susan Langer and Shannon Jakosky.[16]
The gymnasium at Chanute High School is named after Miller, and is home to the Ralph Miller Classic, an eight-team tournament.
Miller had an unequaled addiction to cigarettes, and chain-smokedMore brand cigarettes during practices, on team buses, and in his office.[17][18]
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
* 15 wins were forfeited and official record for that season is 3–24
** 1 NCAA Tournament loss was vacated
*** 2 NCAA Tournament wins and 1 loss were vacated
**** Official record with vacated and forfeited wins and losses
