Conrad Weiser boys basketball coach Rich Miller out after two seasons
With two of the Berks Conference’s top scorers returning, each for their junior season, Rich Miller was looking forward to coaching Conrad Weiser’s boys basketball team again next year.
He won’t get that chance after being forced out just two years into his tenure.
Miller has yet to officially resign but the position is already being advertised by the Conrad Weiser School District.
“I’m very disappointed because we have a great group of kids and the potential to be very good next year and the year after that,” said Miller.
The Scouts, facing a brutal schedule that included six games against district champions, finished 7-15 overall and 3-9 in Berks II. They went 8-14 in Miller’s first season.
With the return of their top six scorers, including sophomores Donovan Gingrich and Brad McKee, the Scouts are expected to close the gap on Berks II champ Exeter and runner-up Berks Catholic. Gingrich averaged 14.3 points per game and made 60 3-pointers, more than any underclassmen in the league. McKee averaged 12.3 points and made 57 3’s.
Miller, 48 and a former college coach, said his exit stems from parent complaints. He said he wasn’t told much by school administrators but gathered that there was dissatisfaction from some parents regarding his coaching.
“I heard things (about me) that were very disturbing and disappointing, but there’s not much I can do about it,” Miller said. “I didn’t do anything inappropriate.”
Miller said he was told that athletic director Chris Kline would not recommend the school board to bring Miller back as coach.
“I coach the kids hard,” Miller said, “but so does Snip Esterly (at Berks Catholic), so does (Matt Ashcroft) at Exeter, so does Matt Coldren (at Wilson). That’s where we want to be (as a program). My goal is to compete with Exeter and Wilson and Muhlenberg. The only way you do that is to push them hard and that was my goal.”
Miller was looking forward to again coaching his sons, Josh, who will be a senior, and Evan, who will be a junior.
“I really thought next year we could be successful,” he said. “Whoever takes the job, that’s going to happen. It’s a great opportunity because they’re going to win but it’s going to be a challenge (because of parental involvement).”
Miller’s not sure what his next step is, other than to continue to support his sons and their teammates, in both football and basketball.
“I’ve soured on coaching right now,” he said. “I got to coach my kids, I got to coach a great group of young kids, but it’s a little bit disappointing now.”
Miller relocated to the area in 2017 to be closer to family and for a new work opportunity; he coached men’s basketball for three seasons at Penn State-Berks.
Miller’s father, Rich Sr., coached Mansfield to a PIAA championship in 1969; that team was led by one of the greatest players in Pennsylvania history, Tom McMillen. Rich Sr. later coached at Lower Dauphin, where his son was an all-conference pick in basketball, baseball and football; he graduated in 1993 as the second-leading scorer in Falcons basketball history.
Miller replaced Billy Harrison, who coached the Scouts for five seasons, taking them to the Berks Conference playoffs four times and the District 3 playoffs twice.