Meet Ryan Miller, SPFHS's New Athletic Director

Ryan Miller didn't grow up too far from Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. A 1992 graduate of Colonia High School, Miller did hear a lot about the success the Raiders produced on the playing fields and in the classroom.

Miller will soon be a major part of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood community.

Last Thursday, the 36-year-old father of three was hired by the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education as the high school's new athletic director and vice principal. As of Monday Miller was waiting to see when he could leave his current position at Parsippany High School and start his new one. He may start sometime in August, but is hoping to be around the school before.

"I think the biggest thing I offer is my experience and a lot of knowledge of coaching and the science of it,'' Miller said, adding that his commute will be cut from 40 minutes to 10. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of working at a bigger school.

"It was a very quick process and the people I encountered there have been fantastic,'' he added. "I really don't know a soul in the school, but I'm looking forward to meeting everybody and starting.''

His path to Scotch Plains-Fanwood is an interesting one. After graduating from high school, he spent two years at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa. After that he went to The College of New Jersey and also served as a reservist in the Army. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1994 and was medically discharged because of asthma in 1998, the same year he graduated from TCNJ.

He received a master's degree from Kean University.  He's worked as an assistant varsity football coach (Colonia), an assistant basketball coach ( Woodbridge) and an assistant softball coach (Colonia). He also taught high school English at both schools. Most recently, he worked the assistant principal and athletic director at Parsippany the past four years.

"You can make somebody great with the right support and community support,'' he said. ""I'm coming in willing to give it a fresh look. I'm hoping to make it better. I'll be a little bit different from the last guy. But it's not about me, not about the coaches. It's about the young athletes coming into the program.''