Huron's Toby Miller part of coaching youth movement

HURON — Toby Miller is just 26 years old, but he sees young coaches in every sport, at every level. It's becoming the norm, and Miller is embracing his newest coaching challenge with youthful enthusiasm packaged with a plan constructed from years of practices and games. Huron's school board voted 5-0 Monday night to approve Miller as the Tigers' new boys basketball coach. "It feels great. It's a dream becoming a reality," Miller said. Miller is ready to earn the trust of his bosses and his players. And even though he looks young enough to suit up and participate, he's confident his track record has prepared him for his new job. "The youth movement (in coaching) all boils down to the type of kid today is vastly different than 20 years ago," Miller said. "It's about trust and respect, but it needs to be reciprocal. That relationship factor matters. Trust and respect is what every coach is seeking." Miller has coached for several years, getting his start at the middle school level at Margaretta and working his way up to college ball. He's finishing out his two-year contract as a graduate assistant coach at Heidelberg University. Miller also has been a fixture with the Ohio Buckets AAU program. Huron seniors Dylan Hohler and Luke Rager were members of the team he coached for several years. His squad practiced at Huron so he won't be a stranger when he walks into the gym next season. "I had him for six years in AAU, and from the first day he knew what he was doing and got the best out of every player," Hohler said. "AAU is seen as one-on-one, no team, no connection, but it was a complete family every day. We did team bonding stuff and we're all still friends." Miller's Buckets team also featured area standouts Daylen Green (Sandusky), Tyler Ray (Bellevue) and Adam Thorbahn (Port Clinton). "Being around that quality of player gave me a chance to connect with kids from the area," Miller said. "It was a great experience and I loved every second of it. They'll always have a special place in my heart. I enjoyed growing with them." And joking with them. Miller, a 2015 Margaretta graduate who played point guard for the Polar Bears, said he's excited to wear some red Huron basketball gear. "When I was a team captain I always said, 'We don't lose to Huron.' I used to joke with Hohler and Rager about that," Miller said. "Now I'll be flipping the script and say, 'We won't lose to Margaretta.' " Miller knew from Hohler and Rager that Tigers coach Bobby James might be calling it quits after 14 successful seasons that included two district championships. When James announced his move last month, Miller was prepared. "I knew I had to keep my eye out for the job posting," he said. "For me this is a dream job, coming back to the area and a great school. I had my resume ready in case a Cadillac job like this came open." Miller plans to meet with his new players soon, and the message will be positive. "We're going to talk about the Huron standard. At a school like this there's no time for down years," he said. "We know we'll have capable athletes. Huron kids are competitive. They may not always be the most skilled but they win. "It'll be fun to get my boots on the ground and channel that and hopefully be successful for years to come." Coaches who have worked with Miller say he's an accomplished Xs and Os guy. He helped with scouting and game preparation at Heidelberg and led the scout team. The Student Princes had a 37-16 record in his two seasons with the NCAA Division III program in Tiffin. Miller said preparation was the key to getting players who were close to his age to buy in to what he was teaching. "It's not about what you know, it's about how you deliver what you know," he said. "I had my own scouting reports and segments in practice. It comes back to relationships with the guys. Input needs to be strong but delivered with grace. It's a delicate dance and I learned a lot about that in my time (at Heidelberg)." Miller attended BGSU Firelands for two years after graduating from high school, which allowed him to coach at the middle school level at Margaretta. He went 36-5 in two years and won an SBC championship. "From 18 years old I caught the itch and have been coaching non-stop," Miller said. He transferred to Ohio State University, changed majors and helped coach basketball at The Wellington School in Upper Arlington while attending college classes. Wellington advanced to a regional final in 2020 before the coronavirus ended the high school season. Miller majored in middle childhood education at OSU and will earn his master's degree in business administration at Heidelberg next month. Miller said he'll teach "in some capacity" at Huron. He's heard from plenty of friends and colleagues in recent days. "There's been a sense of excitement," he said. "I want to inject this program with some youthful excitement. A place like this, if you can get a certain type of energy flowing special things can be accomplished." Miller's father, Joe Miller, is the principal and girls basketball coach at Danbury High School. He is moving into the athletic director role at Danbury. Steve Keller, who coached Miller at Margaretta before giving him his first coaching job, said Huron is getting a "very positive role model" who won't stop learning. "He was always a guy who was a sponge," Keller said. "He'd do junior high practice and head to varsity practice and spend four hours in the gym. He has a tireless work ethic and cares a lot about the kids."