From a modest start, a 600-win coach

In 1972, Father Joseph Denney, then the athletic director at Roman Catholic, asked basketball coach Speedy Morris to take on John Miller as one of his assistants.

"We really didn't have any room for him, but Father Denney laid such a guilt trip on me - telling me that if I didn't take him, he was going to go back in the seminary - I took him on, and he's been a thorn in my side ever since," Morris, now the coach at St. Joseph's Prep, said with a huge laugh.

For Miller, who admittedly had little basketball playing talent, that was the launch of a career that has made him one of the area's most successful coaches - high school or college.

On Friday night, Miller will lead Mount St. Joseph into the first round of the PIAA Class AAAA girls' basketball playoffs against Harrisburg.

The Magic, the smallest Class AAAA school in the state, won the District 1 crown Friday by beating top seed Council Rock North. It was Miller's third district title since coming to the Mount five years ago.

The other two were at the Class AAA level before the school moved up this season.

Miller, 64, has forged a 133-16 record at the Mount and has won more than 600 games in his 37-year career, which also includes stops as head coach at Monsignor Bonner (boys), Archbishop Ryan (boys), and La Salle University (women).

"I was always cut from my school's team," said Miller, a graduate of Reading Central Catholic before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary to study for the priesthood. He ended up as a player-coach on the seminary team.

"I thought I knew a lot about basketball, but after joining Speedy's staff, I found out that I didn't know anything about basketball."

Miller did not go back to the seminary, remaining at Roman for 41/2 years. Three of those were as the freshman coach. One year, the freshman team was 29-0.

Eventually, Morris urged Miller to start applying for head-coaching jobs.

"He kept telling me I was ready, but I was totally happy at Roman," said Miller, supporting himself by teaching at Archbishop Prendergast and later Hallahan. A Roxborough resident, he now teaches religion at Roman.

Bypassed for a coaching job at the now-closed St. James in Chester, Miller ended up at Ryan for nine years. His next stop was Bonner, where the team went 20-8 in his first season.

While at Bonner, he received a call from Morris, who was moving from the La Salle women's team to the men's team. Morris urged him to apply for the women's job.

Initially, Miller wasn't interested.

"It was a blow to my ego. I talked myself into it and spent 18 years there. I loved it there," said Miller, who was a perfect 3-0 against Connecticut and coach Geno Auriemma in his tenure at La Salle. Miller was 317-203 at the university.

A scandal involving the men's team resulted in the resignation of men's coach Billy Hahn as well as Miller.

An investigation by the university led to rape charges (later dismissed) against two former members of the men's team, Then, a former member of the women's team came forward claiming that she was sexually assaulted by a men's team player but was discouraged from telling police by La Salle coaches.

Miller said he urged the player to seek help at the university. He said that she did not want the matter to become public and that he respected her wishes. La Salle found Miller and Hahn in violation of the Clery Act regarding reporting crimes on campus, and asked them to resign.

"When I left La Salle, I got calls from all over," said Miller, obviously shaken by what transpired. "But when one door closes, a window often opens."

Kathy Biecker, athletic director at St. Basil, opened that window. The Panthers' assistant coach, Dennis Fiandra, had taken over the head-coaching job from John DiLetto. DiLetto, a player for Miller at Ryan, had died after a battle with colon cancer.

"I remembered John Miller from a fundraiser we had for John [DiLetto]. John [Miller] showed up with gear he had collected for us to auction off," Biecker said. "I asked him if he was interested in helping Dennis."

Miller assisted Fiandra for two years before the Mount St. Joseph post opened.

Like Biecker, Mount athletic director Janet Columbro had no hesitation making Miller the coach.

"I've known John a long time," Columbro said. "He's a man who wears God on his sleeve, and that's what we were looking for. He's a gentleman and a gentle man."

Miller's wife, Emily, would agree with that. She has seen him in some big wins, like the one over Council Rock North, and in some big losses.

"He's very calm, not a yeller," she said. "I'm the crazy one in the family."

Family is how Miller thinks of his Magic team and the school where, as far as Columbro is concerned, he can coach forever.

"We're one big family. I believe because of my nature, I'm more suited to coaching females," Miller said. "A pick and roll is a pick and roll in any game, men's or women's, but I think the secret to coaching women is building up their confidence."

The 24-3 Magic seem to have plenty of that.