Defending Ken Miller

If there is one thing that has bothered me about this season, it is the endless criticism of head coach Ken Miller. Do I agree with everything Miller has done this season? No! He has made some decisions that like you have made me wonder what he is doing, but I haven’t resorted to questioning his abilities to coach this football team. A lot of the criticism Miller is getting is his seeming lack of emotion on the sidelines. I ask this to those of you that think Miller is sleeping on the sidelines. Do you really need to see someone getting in the face of players or officials? Do you need to really have someone throw his headset off in disgust or throw his clipboard down in a fit of anger? Is that what makes a good coach in your opinion? I don’t see Marc Trestman getting emotional on the sidelines? I don’t see Marcel Bellefeuille blowing a gasket on the sidelines? The same goes for Bart Andrus and Richie Hall. When Wally Buono walks out on the field to get in the faces of the officials, you all squawk about it, (as do I) so why do you expect Miller to be more animated? Will that really make him a better coach in your mind?

Here’s the one thing about Ken Miller that I think dooms him to failure when it comes to many in the Rider Nation. They want Kent Austin. Austin was the perfect coach to everyone because he had a fiery temper, he got the most out of his players and in the end, they won a championship. Its because of this that fans now want that level of excellence to be achieved every year. There’s nothing wrong with thinking that, but attaining it is another story. Would Kent’s popularity have taken a nose-dive had the Riders lost the Western final to B.C or had they lost the Grey Cup to Winnipeg. While some took some needless potshots at Austin when he left for Ole Miss, one wonders what the reaction would have been had Austin not directed this team to a Grey Cup championship. Dare I say, Austin would not have had the “rock star” image that he still has now.

One can argue that with a weaker football team than what Austin had in 2007, Miller guided the team to a better finish and that much-desired home playoff game in 2008. Sadly for Ken, he didn’t get the team to the championship game and win it again. While he was recognized as a coach of the year finalist, he didn’t win the award and to this day, I say that was a mistake when you look at the smoother road that John Hufnagel and Trestman traveled.

There is nothing wrong with the coaching style or the coaching abilities of Miller. He knows what to do and he knows how to get the best out of his team. Without guys like Smith, Johnson, Makowsky, Fantuz, Cates, Williams and Chick, he has still managed to get this team to a record of 4-4. Those that think the glass is half full might say they could be 6-2 had it not been for that freak touchdown that shouldn’t have counted in B.C and that second half collapse against Edmonton. Those that think the glass is half empty might say the team should be 2-6 as they were lucky to beat the Lions in the season opener and were lucky to beat the Stampeders in Calgary.

Ken Miller knows his football. He spends many hours in the office by himself and with his coaches trying to make this team better. He does not have a glass of warm milk and go to bed at 9 PM. To suggest that is simply insulting. Kent Austin realized that when he brought Miller over from Toronto to become offensive co-ordinator and say what you will, he endorsed Miller to be his replacement. Shouldn’t that be good enough for everyone in the Kent Austin fan club? To expect nothing but championships is fine, but one must be a little realistic and understand it won’t happen every year. He hasn’t been perfect during his season and a half, but he gets more than a passing grade from this individual.