St. Paul's Miller retires after 31 seasons, 619 wins

NORWALK — The photo says it all. After the final home match of the regular season on October 12, St. Paul volleyball coach Nancy Miller gathered with her family for a group photo. As she announced her retirement after 31 seasons as head coach on Thursday, Miller pointed to the photo, beaming with pride. The picture included her husband, Tom, their two sons and their wives and children: Zack and Krista Miller with Maverick and Reagan; and Hayden and Katie Miller with Halston and Kinsley. "That's my reason," Miller said. "They are my biggest reason that it's time. When one of my daughter-in-laws calls me and asks if I can pick up the kids — I can say yes, now. "I don't have to worry about who is going to cover weightlifting, or if I can get out of a practice or a commitment from volleyball in time. I can just go now." Miller retires from St. Paul with one of the greatest coaching careers in the history of Ohio high school volleyball. In 31 seasons, her teams finished 619-158, good for a .796 winning percentage. She is unofficially one of just 12 coaches in OHSAA history with 600-plus wins, and will enter 2024 ranked ninth all-time on the wins list. During her tenure, St. Paul won 19 Firelands Conference championships, 28 Division IV sectional titles, seven district championships, four regional titles and two state championships along with two state runner-up finishes. After playing in junior high, high school and college, followed by her lengthy coaching career, Miller fully admits walking away was an extremely difficult decision. "When you think about it, that's 45 years around volleyball," she said. "The idea of just shutting that off right now is really hard." After taking over as head coach at St. Paul in 1989, Miller's team broke through with an FC title for the first time during her tenure in 1993, when they went 18-4 overall (14-0 FC). The Lady Flyers added conference titles in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001 — with sectional championships from 1990-94 and 1996-2001. However, one key step in the tournament trail was missing. St. Paul kept coming up short in the district round — including several district title losses against Buckeye Central. That all changed in 2002 when a loaded St. Paul team steamrolled its way through the regular season before winning the program's first district and regional championships. After a dominating state semifinal win over Old Fort, the Flyers broke through with a dramatic three-set win — pre-rally scoring — over Marion Local to win the Division IV state title with a perfect 29-0 record. "Everything changed after that," Miller said. "From not only the expectations, but the desire of the kids. They see the messages on the wall, and the trophies and team photos — suddenly it became real." Her retirement on Thursday wasn't the first time Miller put her family first, however. After the state title, she "went out on top" and stepped down as coach as both her sons were at an age where they were very active in youth sports and other activities. After Bill Cramer coached St. Paul from 2003-05 with three more FC and district titles, and two trips to state, Miller returned to the helm in 2006. St. Paul then continued a run that ultimately totaled six state appearances in eight years by winning a state title again in 2006. The Flyers lost in the state title match in 2007 and 2009. They reached the regional title match in 2010, 2011 and 2016. While proud of the championships and sustained success, Miller also pointed to how much her players and their families bought into the program. "It wasn't a powerhouse program yet at that level," she said. "Establishing that, it took awhile. It wasn't like it was a couple years with a great class and it was there. We waited 13 years to win our first district title, which followed with regional and state. "I still think back to the support the girls received from their families," she added. "We'd have matches with 95 or 100 percent of their parents in the stands, and there were also others there watching, family and friends." Miller will remain in the classroom as a math teacher at St. Paul. While she doesn't intend on being a constant presence, she said she'll be available as a resource to the next coaching staff. The Flyers were 15-9 overall and 10-4 in the FC last season, falling in five sets to Buckeye Central in a district semifinal. They had just two seniors on the team. "I'll be here to support the program," she said. "I truly believe it's in great shape. I think there is a ton of talent in the program right now."