Miller Named Head Coach of Rowing at Willamette

SALEM, ORE. -- Ryan Miller, who served as the interim head coach of the men's and women's rowing teams at Willamette University this past year, has been promoted to head coach of both teams, Athletic Director David Rigsby announced today. Miler was an assistant coach with the Bearcats in the spring of 2011 before being named interim head coach for the 2011-12 season.

"I am proud of Ryan's accomplishments during his first season leading our rowing programs," Rigsby said. "His promotion to head coach is a well-deserved recognition."

This past season, Miller guided Willamette two a pair of top-three finishes at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships as well as two top-three finishes at the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference Championships. The Bearcats achieved second place in the women's varsity 4+ at WIRA, while earning third place in the women's novice 4+. At the NCRC regatta, Willamette crews took third place in both the women's varsity 4+ and the men's novice 4+.

"During his year as interim coach, I was impressed by Ryan's work ethic and attention to detail," Rigsby noted. "He has proven to be a great manager of our teams."

Miller's rowing career began as a novice on the crew club at the University of North Carolina, where he competed on both heavyweight and lightweight crews. After graduating from UNC, he spent three summers coaching for the junior's and master's sweep and sculling programs at the Duxbury Bay Maritime School in his hometown of Duxbury, Mass.

In the fall of 2008, he joined the coaching staff for rowing at Florida State University and began working on his master's degree. He was the women's assistant coach at Florida State for two seasons.

While at FSU, helped lead the Gators to medals at the Florida Championship Regatta, Head of the Chattahoochee, First Coast Regatta, plus a top-six finish at the SIRA Championship Regatta in the women's novice 8+.