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Al Miller (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Al Miller is a former U.S. collegiate and professional soccer coach
. After leaving coaching, he then became a general manager
for two indoor soccer clubs in Cleveland, Ohio
. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
and grew up in Ono, Pennsylvania. He attended East Stroudsburg State College
where he played on both the soccer and basketball teams. He was a midfielder
who earned second team All American recognition in 1958 and 1959.
golf
coach. He gained his first soccer coaching position with New Paltz State
. He spent five years with the East Paltz, winning three New York Conference Championships.
In 1967, Hartwick College
hired Miller. In his six seasons at Hartwick, he took the team to a 64-12-3 record and a 1970 Final Four appearance.
, Lamar Hunt
broached the subject of McCloskey starting a North American Soccer League
(NASL) franchise in Philly. The NASL awarded McCloskey a team to begin play in the 1973 season. With very little time to prepare, McCloskey, and his general manager
Bob Ehlinger, hired Miller who was both a successful collegiate soccer coach and from the Philadelphia area, as the Philadelphia Atoms
first coach.
Miller decided to build the Atoms around a core of native U.S. players. This was significant in that most NASL teams used U.S. players as goalkeepers or bench warmers. Miller took Bob Rigby
with the first pick in the 1973 NASL college draft. Rigby went on to become one of the best goalkeepers in the NASL. In the second round, Miller selected Bobby Smith who was selected as a second team All Star his rookie year. Miller then took his team to England to train. While there noticed several English players who he thought could help his team. He negotiated an on loan arrangement for Andy Provan
, Jim Fryatt
and Chris Dunleavy
.
The selection of Miller proved to be a significant advantage for the Atoms. His decision to use U.S. players made the team immediately popular in Philadelphia. Miller was also personable became media darling. Besides creating a team popular with the fans, Miller also created a talented team which ran to a 9-2-8 record and a spot in the playoffs. In the semifinals, the Atoms crushed the Toronto Metros 3-0, then easily handled the Dallas Tornado
2-0, to take the 1973 NASL title.
Miller continued his contributions to U.S. soccer when he brought Francisco Marcos into the Atoms. Marcos had played at Hartwick when Miller coached there and Miller now game Marcos his first taste in soccer management, a skill he would develop over years in the NASL, then as the founder of the United Soccer Leagues
.
In 1974, McCloskey promoted Miller to general manager, a position he held in addition to his coaching duties. In 1975, he drafted Chris Bahr
who became the 1975 NASL Rookie of the Year and later became a standout National Football League
placekicker
.
Miller was unable to replicate his 1974 success and the team slowly became a drain on McCloskey’s finances. In 1975, he sold the team to a Mexican group. With the change in ownership, Miller elected to move to the Dallas Tornado
. He spent the 1976 through 1980 season with the Tornado, gaining the playoff semifinals in 1980. After Dallas lost that semifinal match with the New York Cosmos
, Miller announced his resignation as coach in the locker room. While with Dallas, Miller had a hand in giving another significant individual his start when he drafted Glenn Myernick
with the first pick of the 1976 College Draft.
He then moved to the Calgary Boomers
, taking them into the playoffs in 1981. The Boomers folded at the end of the season and Miller found himself without a team until hired by the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He took the team to a 7-23 record then resigned on October 5, 1983 after disagreements with the team’s management.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E5DE173BF936A35753C1A965948260
. He was 0-2-0 in his two games with the team.
of Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL). He oversaw the Force from 1984 until it folded at the end of the 1987-1988 season.
He then moved on to become the general manager of the United States Soccer Federation
for a year. However, on February 22, 1989, Cleveland was awarded a new MISL franchise, the Cleveland Crunch
.
http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=CC11 The Crunch hired Miller as its general manager, a position he held for the next ten years. In July 1992, the MISL folded and the Crunch moved to the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). However, Miller continued with the Crunch until replaced by Paul Garofolo on February 22, 1999. In Miller’s ten years, the Crunch won three championships and lost another three title games.
East Stroudsburg State College
inducted Miller into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. http://www3.esu.edu/athletics/hof/members.asp Hartwick college inducted Miller into its Hall of Fame in 1995. http://www.hartwick.edu/x12593.xml That same year, Miller was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. After leaving coaching, he then became a general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
for two indoor soccer clubs in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Youth
Miller was born in Lebanon, PennsylvaniaLebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
and grew up in Ono, Pennsylvania. He attended East Stroudsburg State College
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . It is commonly referred to as ESU by its students and members of the community...
where he played on both the soccer and basketball teams. He was a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who earned second team All American recognition in 1958 and 1959.
Collegiate
While he starred as a soccer and basketball player, his first job was as the Albright CollegeAlbright College
Albright College is a private, co-ed, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1856 and is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States.-Overview:...
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
coach. He gained his first soccer coaching position with New Paltz State
State University of New York at New Paltz
The State University of New York at New Paltz, known as SUNY New Paltz for short, is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It was founded in 1828 as the School for teaching of classics. In 1885, the New Paltz Normal and Training School was established as a school to prepare teachers for the...
. He spent five years with the East Paltz, winning three New York Conference Championships.
In 1967, Hartwick College
Hartwick College
Hartwick College is a non-denominational, private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college located in Oneonta, New York, in the United States. The institution was founded as Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, and is now known as Hartwick College...
hired Miller. In his six seasons at Hartwick, he took the team to a 64-12-3 record and a 1970 Final Four appearance.
NASL
Several events led to Miller moving from the collegiate to the professional coaching ranks. Tom McCloskey, a wealthy Philadelphia businessman was interested in owning a professional sports team. While attending the 1973 Super BowlSuper Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
, Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
broached the subject of McCloskey starting a North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) franchise in Philly. The NASL awarded McCloskey a team to begin play in the 1973 season. With very little time to prepare, McCloskey, and his general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Bob Ehlinger, hired Miller who was both a successful collegiate soccer coach and from the Philadelphia area, as the Philadelphia Atoms
Philadelphia Atoms
The Philadelphia Atoms were a soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League . They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium and Franklin Field ....
first coach.
Miller decided to build the Atoms around a core of native U.S. players. This was significant in that most NASL teams used U.S. players as goalkeepers or bench warmers. Miller took Bob Rigby
Bob Rigby
Bob Rigby is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper. Among the most talented soccer goalkeepers born in the United States, Rigby played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United...
with the first pick in the 1973 NASL college draft. Rigby went on to become one of the best goalkeepers in the NASL. In the second round, Miller selected Bobby Smith who was selected as a second team All Star his rookie year. Miller then took his team to England to train. While there noticed several English players who he thought could help his team. He negotiated an on loan arrangement for Andy Provan
Andy Provan
Andrew McKelvie Hughes "Andy" Provan , also known as Drew Provan, is a Scottish former footballer who played in the Scottish Football League for St. Mirren, in the Football League for Barnsley, York City, Chester, Wrexham, Southport and Torquay United, and in the North American Soccer League for...
, Jim Fryatt
Jim Fryatt
Jim Fryatt is a retired English footballer who played as a striker. During his playing career he was nicknamed 'Pancho'.-Football League:...
and Chris Dunleavy
Chris Dunleavy
Chris Dunleavy is an English footballer who played for Everton, Southport, Philadelphia Atoms, Chester, Halifax Town and Wollongong FC....
.
The selection of Miller proved to be a significant advantage for the Atoms. His decision to use U.S. players made the team immediately popular in Philadelphia. Miller was also personable became media darling. Besides creating a team popular with the fans, Miller also created a talented team which ran to a 9-2-8 record and a spot in the playoffs. In the semifinals, the Atoms crushed the Toronto Metros 3-0, then easily handled the Dallas Tornado
Dallas Tornado
Dallas Tornado were a soccer team based in Dallas that played in the NASL. They played from 1967 to 1981. Their home fields were Cotton Bowl , P.C. Cobb Stadium , Franklin Field , Texas Stadium and Ownby Stadium on the SMU campus...
2-0, to take the 1973 NASL title.
Miller continued his contributions to U.S. soccer when he brought Francisco Marcos into the Atoms. Marcos had played at Hartwick when Miller coached there and Miller now game Marcos his first taste in soccer management, a skill he would develop over years in the NASL, then as the founder of the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
.
In 1974, McCloskey promoted Miller to general manager, a position he held in addition to his coaching duties. In 1975, he drafted Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League.-Soccer:...
who became the 1975 NASL Rookie of the Year and later became a standout National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
.
Miller was unable to replicate his 1974 success and the team slowly became a drain on McCloskey’s finances. In 1975, he sold the team to a Mexican group. With the change in ownership, Miller elected to move to the Dallas Tornado
Dallas Tornado
Dallas Tornado were a soccer team based in Dallas that played in the NASL. They played from 1967 to 1981. Their home fields were Cotton Bowl , P.C. Cobb Stadium , Franklin Field , Texas Stadium and Ownby Stadium on the SMU campus...
. He spent the 1976 through 1980 season with the Tornado, gaining the playoff semifinals in 1980. After Dallas lost that semifinal match with the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
, Miller announced his resignation as coach in the locker room. While with Dallas, Miller had a hand in giving another significant individual his start when he drafted Glenn Myernick
Glenn Myernick
Glenn "Mooch" Myernick was an American soccer player and coach. He won the 1976 Hermann Trophy as that year’s outstanding collegiate player. He then spent eight seasons in the North American Soccer League and one in Major Indoor Soccer League. Myernick also earned 10 caps with the U.S. national...
with the first pick of the 1976 College Draft.
He then moved to the Calgary Boomers
Calgary Boomers
The Calgary Boomers were a professional soccer team, that competed in the North American Soccer League during the 1981 season, after which they folded. They were owned by Nelson Skalbania, a Canadian businessman who moved the Memphis Rogues to Calgary, Alberta after the 1980 season.-1981 Roster:*No...
, taking them into the playoffs in 1981. The Boomers folded at the end of the season and Miller found himself without a team until hired by the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He took the team to a 7-23 record then resigned on October 5, 1983 after disagreements with the team’s management.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E5DE173BF936A35753C1A965948260
National team
In 1975, Miller was named head coach of the U.S. national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He was 0-2-0 in his two games with the team.
General Manager
After leaving the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Miller never again coached a professional team. Instead he entered team management with the Cleveland ForceCleveland Force (1978 – 1988)
The original Cleveland Force was one of the six charter franchises in the original Major Indoor Soccer League . The team played from 1978 to 1988 at the Richfield Coliseum, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and occasionally drew crowds in excess of 20,000 in the mid-80's.Akron businessman Eric J...
of Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
(MISL). He oversaw the Force from 1984 until it folded at the end of the 1987-1988 season.
He then moved on to become the general manager of the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
for a year. However, on February 22, 1989, Cleveland was awarded a new MISL franchise, the Cleveland Crunch
Cleveland Crunch
The Cleveland Crunch was formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Soccer League to replace the Cleveland Force, which had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group, named Al Miller general manager and former Force star Kai...
.
http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=CC11 The Crunch hired Miller as its general manager, a position he held for the next ten years. In July 1992, the MISL folded and the Crunch moved to the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). However, Miller continued with the Crunch until replaced by Paul Garofolo on February 22, 1999. In Miller’s ten years, the Crunch won three championships and lost another three title games.
Media
ESPN later signed Miller as a color commentator on ESPN's Mundial Sports. He also has narrated a series of films on soccer and wrote a chapter in the book Winning Soccer.East Stroudsburg State College
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the 14 state universities that compose the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . It is commonly referred to as ESU by its students and members of the community...
inducted Miller into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. http://www3.esu.edu/athletics/hof/members.asp Hartwick college inducted Miller into its Hall of Fame in 1995. http://www.hartwick.edu/x12593.xml That same year, Miller was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.