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Former Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller has passed away at the age of 82.
The product of The Dalles, Ore., was hired as the Roughriders’ offensive co-ordinator in the Grey Cup-winning season of 2007 under then-head coach Kent Austin.
Miller succeeded Austin in 2008 and guided Saskatchewan to Grey Cup appearances in 2009 and ’10. He resigned as head coach after the 2010 season but returned to the post midway through the 2011 season.
Miller was inducted into the Plaza of Honour at Mosaic Stadium in 2022.
“It is a tremendous and awesome feeling,” he said in a 2022 interview. “When we came into Regina, it was just a tender moment for us to realize we were coming home to be part of a tremendous celebration.”
We are heartbroken over the passing of former Head Coach Ken Miller.
On behalf of Rider Nation we send our love and condolences to his wife Maureen, his family, friends and loved ones and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
💚 https://t.co/Kt7zWzHNIM pic.twitter.com/Owhvt4SsKj
— Saskatchewan Roughriders (@sskroughriders) August 21, 2024
Saskatchewan sports writer and Green Zone contributor Darrell Davis says Miller will be remembered fondly.
“Players adored him, in the media we adored him and how rare is that, and fans adored him and he was this grandfatherly person. He was like your grandfather coaching the football team. He was well-adored throughout the entire Rider nation and everyone who played for him and everyone who dealt with him too,” Davis said.
Miller may have been the head coach during the infamous 13th man loss in the 2009 Grey Cup, but Davis remembers how he was there for his team.
“They players seemed to love him too right, they played extra hard for him too you know. I just remember him consoling the players in 2009 and what a tough loss that was and how heartbroken they all were and how he was consoling them.”
Riders reciever Chris Getzlaf announces his retirement from football on Jan. 4, 2017. (980 CJME)
Chris Getzlaf was a star receiver for the Riders and got to Saskatchewan in 2007 after he was traded to the Riders mid-season by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
He too reflected on Miller as someone who always looked out for his players.
“He always thought about others and he was always more interested in learning how a player’s personal life was going than the game itself,” Getzlaf said. “I think that made guys want to play that much harder for them because it shows his true caring of each individual. I have nothing but amazing things to say about him.”
Getzlaf felt Miller’s best moments came from when he was at the helm of the team. He suggested his coaching style was unlike anything he’s dealt with.
“It’s a non-traditional approach and I don’t think I’ve ran into any coach who did it the way he did,” he said. “It’s unique and I think it’s a fantastic way to approach it. He was just able to do it in such a true and honest way that guys loved him.”
Getzlaf suggested the best moments he had with Miller were all of the big wins they cherished together.
“We got to share in a lot of successful seasons,” he said. “Outside the game, him and (his wife) were just always present in the community and always encouraged guys to be a part of that and look after their own mental well-being.”
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders coach, Ken Miller, has passed away.
The Green Zone sends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Ken.
Thanks for the memories, Coach. pic.twitter.com/LveR3ta1EN
— The Green Zone (@GreenZoneSK) August 21, 2024
Jason Clermont spent three seasons with the Riders and was coached by Miller from 2009-2011.
He recalls Miller as a coach who cared about his players.
“Ken was very quiet, confident and stoic – he really cared for the people who he had surrounded himself with. It’s really unfortunate we lost him today. He was an oak of a man. He didn’t say a lot, but when he spoke it was meaningful,” Clermont said.
“He loved and trusted all of the guys he surrounded himself with – from his coaching staff to his training staff to his players, family and friends. It’s just a great loss for the community,” he added.
Clermont suggested Miller was a big reason why the Riders had such a winning culture during his time in charge.
“(There were) lots of moments where he had a profound effect on the culture of that team and the fabric of the men that came in and out of that locker room,” he added.