Jim Miller (r) with co-head coach Eric Keller exhorts a Wartburg wrestler during the 2012 NCAA Division III wrestling tournament.

By Craig Sesker ’88

When Jim Miller took the reins as the wrestling coach of the Wartburg Knights in 1991, they hadn’t won a conference championship in 15 years.

“When I came here,” Miller said, “I just wanted to win one.”

More than two decades later, Miller is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. His teams have won an amazing 20 consecutive Iowa Conference titles. The Knights won their ninth Division III national title in March.

Miller, 58, not only is the architect of a wrestling dynasty; his impact extends well beyond what he has accomplished in Waverly.

During the season, Miller’s cell phone constantly blows up with calls and texts from former wrestlers.

That’s what happens when nearly 100 of his former wrestlers are serving as coaches at the high school and college levels.

“A lot of the guys that call say, ‘I know you’re busy, but…’ I love those calls,” said Miller, who coached seven years at the high school level and the last 29 at the collegiate level. “I love being able to help my guys and talk to them. It’s great to see them have success as coaches. It’s so gratifying. One of the highlights of my career is seeing all the guys that wrestled for me that are coaching.”

When Miller travels to the state tournament each February, he can scan the sea of mats at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and see his former wrestlers coaching in every corner of the arena.

“I love seeing all those guys out there making an impact,” Miller said. “They are in it for the right reasons. They are in it for the kids. They are experiencing what I have as a coach. They are helping kids grow and develop and realize their dreams. They love the sport and they are giving back.”

Among the Miller disciples excelling in coaching is Nick Mitchell, a three-time All-American for Wartburg who led Grand View University in Des Moines to the NAIA title this year. Mitchell’s entire coaching staff is comprised of former Wartburg wrestlers.

“I can’t tell you how proud I was of Nick and his staff,” Miller said. “To start with nothing and win a national title in just four years is a great accomplishment. I’m not surprised it happened so fast because I know all the work they put into that.”

Miller was there when Grand View won the national title.

“For Coach Miller to come down there and support us, it was awesome,” Mitchell said. “He was texting me and giving me advice. We had clinched the team title, but he texted me before the finals to keep the pressure on. It was a good reminder to finish with a bang. He gave me a big hug after we won. It was a special moment.”

Mitchell was an assistant under Miller before becoming the head coach at Grand View.

“Everything we do is based on what I learned from Coach Miller,” Mitchell said. “I run our program real similar to the way he runs the Wartburg program. On a daily basis, I think, ‘What would Coach Miller do in this situation?’

“I have a similar mentality for what I expect out of our athletes. At Wartburg, we didn’t talk a lot about winning. We talked about performance, the work that it takes and the lifestyle it takes to be successful. It takes a total commitment in wrestling and in the classroom. It’s so much more than just wrestling.”

So how does Miller develop his athletes?

“He’s pretty intense,” Mitchell said. “I love the way he coaches. He’s tough on you, and if you don’t give a maximum effort he will call you out. At the same time, if you need advice or guidance he is always there for you.”

Miller disciple Kevin Bratland is the head coach at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. His teams have placed in the top 10 nationally three times in Division III.

“The way I coach is directly influenced by Coach Miller. He changed my life and gave me direction,” said Bratland, a two-time All-American at Wartburg. “I understand there are a lot of different philosophies, but there is one philosophy that he has proven to work, and I’m going to continue to use it.

“A lot of it doesn’t directly have to do with technique, but more about mental toughness and beating people you aren’t supposed to beat. He can bring guys to a higher level than they even think is possible.”

Joel Greenlee, the head coach at Division I Ohio, wrestled for Miller when he was an assistant at the University of Northern Iowa. Miller protégés Tom Hogan (Don Bosco) and Chris Ortner (Waterloo Columbus) led their teams to state titles.

Miller’s son, T.J., now coaches at the high-school level at Holy Cross School in New Orleans. His teams have finished first and second in the state.

“When I call him and ask him about something — and he doesn’t know this — I start taking notes,” T.J. said. “What he says works. He’s usually 100-percent right.”

T.J. Miller, a national champion for Wartburg, spent two years as an assistant under his father.

“When we went to see recruits, the first thing he talked to them about was academics,” T.J. said. “He has a 100-percent graduation rate for everyone that has wrestled four years for him. That’s an unreal statistic. He has had multiple Academic All-Americans. That’s something I really try to emphasize with our kids.”

Cory Connell, another Miller disciple, built a strong program at Eddyville-Blakesburg before recently becoming the head coach at Iowa City High.

“Coach Miller is awesome at communicating with kids,” said Connell, an NCAA runner-up for Wartburg. “He can relate to them and motivate them and hit those buttons to get them going. … Nobody cares how much you know, but they know how much you care. He really does care about every kid on his team, and I think that’s why he gets so much out of his athletes. It’s something I really try to do with my athletes.”

Miller also puts plenty of trust in his own staff, while working closely with co-head coach Eric Keller.

“He has a great system in place,” Connell said, “with great assistant coaches.”

Miller continues to be a valuable resource for his former wrestlers who are now coaching.

“You know the bracelets that say, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’” Bratland said. “You need a bracelet that says, ‘What Would Jim Miller Do?’ When I’m coaching, I always think about how he would handle certain situations.”

T.J. Miller said the number of Miller wrestlers who will follow him into coaching will continue to grow.

“There are probably five to 10 guys on the current team who will become coaches,” he said. “Guys realize what he did for them, and they want to do the same thing for other kids.”

Mitchell is grateful for what Miller has done for him.

“Nobody other than my parents has had as much of an impact on my life as Coach Miller has,” Mitchell said. “He’s an amazing guy. I can’t imagine where I would’ve ended up if I had gone somewhere else.”
Craig Sesker is the communications manager for USA Wrestling and editor of USA Wrestler, its member magazine.