Throughout his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, former tight end Heath Miller was always a cerebral football player. He knew where to be and when to be there and always understood his assignment.
He was a coach’s dream player.
Now, he’s hoping to instill some of those lessons learned at the highest levels of football in the NFL from the likes of Hall of Fame head coach Bill Cowher and future Hall of Fame head coach Mike Tomlin, not to mention former Virginia Cavaliers’ head coach Al Groh, in his own foray into coaching.
Miller, who retired from the Steelers after the 2015 season, was named the acting head coach at St. Anne’s-Belfield High School, a private school in Virginia, a move that the school announced Monday on Twitter.
Speaking with 29 News in Charlottesville, Virginia, Tuesday, Miller stated that he’s aiming to impart some of the lessons and wisdom on his new players, leaning on his experiences at Virginia and with the Steelers under some great coaches and men.
“I’ve been able to see how the best operate. I know what it looks like,” Miller said to 29 News, according to video via 29news.com. “There’s gonna be many quotes. Yeah, many quotes, I’m sure, that I’ve learned from them. But seriously, things that I’ve taught and I learned from here with Coach Groh at such an impressible age that I carry with me to this day as a parent.”
Coming out of college following a stellar career at Virginia that saw him win the Mackey Award for the nation’s best tight end, Miller was a hit in the NFL immediately. Drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Miller helped the Steelers win the Super Bowl right away as a rookie as the Steelers topped the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10, in Super Bowl XL.
That season, Miller hauled in 39 passes for 459 yards and six touchdowns, adding a touchdown in the AFC Divisional Round upset of the Indianapolis Colts.
He quickly became a fan favorite for his toughness and dependability, matching the Steeler fans’ blue-collar mentality.
Now, he’ll aim to do that same thing as the head coach at St. Anne’s-Belfield in Virginia, where his son plays.
Miller is taking over a program that went 6-3 last season under former head coach Joe Sandoe, who took a job with another program.
Prior to being named the head coach, Miller was previously an assistant coach at the middle school level. This will be a big jump up in expectations and demands for the former Steelers’ tight end. But greatness is all he’s been around from a coaching perspective. He won the Super Bowl under Cowher and then won another under Tomlin, playing in three total in his career.
Being part of the Steelers’ organization for 11 seasons gave Miller a front-row seat as to how a great organization is run from top to bottom. He’ll get to carry those experiences into his own day-to-day operations at St. Anne’s-Belfield.
