Why Doug Miller wants to give back to Adena's football community
FRANKFORT − Doug Miller considers himself a journeyman coach.
He's seen plenty in a coaching career that's spanned over three decades, multiple states and multiple levels of football. He's worked with big teams, small teams, high schools, colleges and everything in between. It's a lifestyle well-suited to him. Coaching serves a conduit to do what he loves − giving back to his players and the communities that surround them.
Adena is no exception. Despite only being hired in April, Miller is doing what he can to give back to the community. Adena, and Frankfort as a whole, have stuck out to him. He's seen it on the faces of his players since getting into a rhythm with his new position.
"Although Adena is a long drive for me, I find this to be my community," Miller said. "These kids are great kids, and they're hungry. Any time you can step in and guide young men to success, whether that's in the classroom or on the football field, that's important to me."
Miller has kept his eye on Adena for some time, most recently while he served as the offensive quality control coach for Alderson Broaddus University. Travis Everhart, the head coach for the Battlers, played for and graduated from Adena.
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But it was those around the Warriors that drew in Miller further after getting the job. He doesn't consider it his program, but Frankfort's program. The coach has seen the support pour in from parents, players and local businesses. The excitement in Frankfort is palpable.
"Our fundraising has just been astronomical because the community is excited, and they're hungry," Miller said. "When you want to build a winning culture. It's not about me, it's not my program, it's not their program, it's not the parents' program, it's a community program. The community support for us during our 7-on-7s has been overwhelming. I can't give enough compliments to the parents and the community for supporting us."
But excitement can only get a team so far. Miller and his staff haven't been idle over the past four months. The Warriors to reinstate a winning culture. That culture, in Miller's eyes, begins at the personal level. He wants to work the Warriors hard, but also become a part of their lives. He's invested in his players and wants to see them succeed both on and off the field.
He also wants his players to invest in their program. The locker room at Bostic Field received a new paint job, the players have taken further care to treat the facilities with care and act like the winning program they're aiming to be. Aside from the new paint, a new sign also hangs inside Adena's locker room reminding players of their mission statement and the culture Miller and his staff wish to cultivate. The Warriors have taken to that mission with gusto.
"That was the first step, get them to buy into themselves," Miller said. "They're putting time in the weight room. They're putting time on the field. They're cleaning the locker room, and they're taking pride in what they have. We don't have lot, but we take pride in what we have and we're going to treat it like a first-class program."
Miller is a player's coach. To him, success begins with his players. If they don't succeed, neither will he. It has been his goal since April to begin down the road of development that might usher Adena into a new football boom. part of it began with those he had immediate influence with − his players. Adena's football community has already welcomed him with open arms.
He hopes that one day those he has impacted in his coaching career will take to that message both on the field and beyond.
"That's what coaching is about, to impact the lives of young men," Miller said. "I love the sport. I love being around, seeing guys become successful and reach their potential. I'll be a football coach as long as they'll have me, whether it's Adena or whether it's another high school or college. I'm going to continue to coach because I love it."
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Adena football coach Doug Miller wants to give back to the community
