by Brent Hovey

Reporter

Cuyahoga Falls -- Cuyahoga Falls is hoping someone with success as an athlete at the school can have the same success as a coach.

Mike Miller, a 1999 graduate of CFHS, will be named the new football coach pending the School Board's approval on May 7. Details of the contract will be released then.

"This is something I've wanted ever since I left [high school]," Miller said. "I played here, I've coached here and I've always wanted this. Now it's come full circle and it's my chance to put an impression in the program."

Miller replaces Greg Lazzari who resigned after two seasons to accept the head coaching position at Newton Falls.

The Black Tigers were just 2-18 under Lazzari and endeared a 25-game losing streak that just ended this past season. Miller is confident he can turn things around.

"I think it's just a matter of getting in here and getting the kids to believe," Miller said. "I think the losses have worn on the kids but there are some good football players here. It's just getting in here; getting a positive attitude; telling them we believe in them and getting their confidence up."

Miller was a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball for the Black Tigers during the late 1990s. During his senior season, he led the baseball team to the Division I state title game and the basketball team to the district finals with an impressive playoff run that included upset wins over Butchel and Stow-Munroe Falls.

After high school, Miller went on to became a four-year starter on the football team at Mount Union. His time there included four conference titles and three national championships.

He has spent the last four years as an assistant football, basketball and baseball coach at Falls. He will now be strictly with the football program.

"What separated Mike from the other candidates is he is a Black Tiger, always has been," said Cuyahoga Falls Athletic Director Jeff Harrison. "He has excellent standards, high morals and a work ethic second to none.

"He brings a lot of intangibles the others couldn't bring: His loyalty and dedication, not only to the school but the Cuyahoga Falls community, a winning attitude from not only the success he had here but continuing at Mount Union. He'll install that in our kids. He fits the mold we want our young athletes to grow into."

Miller has been running the offseason weightlifting program for about three weeks, ever since it appeared Lazzari would be leaving. He got a chance to tell the team Thursday afternoon.

"The kids were excited [when I told them]," Miller said. "I'm excited. I'm excited to get a staff together, get into summer workouts and get into the season."

It's been a busy 24 hours for Miller. He said he had a chance to go golfing on April 30. That same day he found out he was getting the job at about 3 p.m.

"It's been crazy," Miller said. "I found out at 3 p.m. and by 4 p.m., I had 18 missed calls. I don't know how all those people found out.

"Your job as a coach is a motivater, a salesman," he said. "If you believe in them, if you show them you care, you sell yourself as a person, they'll believe in you and take faith in you and it will, hopefully, translate to wins on the football field."

E-mail: bhovey@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115