The Montana winter makes Matt Miller’s ankle ache a bit more but that’s about the only thing Montana State’s new wide receivers coach can think of that he doesn’t like about being back in the Treasure State.
That surgically repaired ankle cost Miller his NFL dreams. It also likely opened up the door for his return to his home state. Miller, a Helena Capital native, earned multiple all-state honors in football, basketball and track as a Bruin. He capped his football career with Montana’s Gatorade Player of the Year before taking his talents to Boise State.
As a four-year starter, Miller set a school record with 244 catches. His 3,049 receiving yards were 15 yards shy of the school record before he underwent season-ending surgery on his ankle in October of 2014.
Last summer, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder signed with the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent. But the ailing extremity was too much to overcome. He spent last fall as a graduate assistant at his alma mater.
In December, Jeff Choate was hired as the 32nd head football coach at Montana State. Choate, a former Boise State assistant, added Miller and fellow former Bronco Byron Hout to his staff almost right away. The 24-year-old will make the quick transition from player to graduate assistant to full-time coach all while still just a few years older than the Bobcat wide receivers he will now be expected to lead.
Miller’s group will include junior Mitchell Herbert, a third-team All-Big Sky selection in 2015. The Bobcat pass catchers will have to replace captain Mitch Griebel and two other seniors, but return experience in juniors Justin Paige and Jayshawn Gates along with seniors Brandon Brown and Will Krolick. Promising young players like third-year sophomores Connor Sullivan, John D’Agostino and Hunter Mahlum along with second-year freshmen Cam Sutton and Keon Stephens fill out the group.
On Tuesday, Montana State continued its series of introductory press conferences with Choate’s new staff. Miller and Hout sat down with the local media for the first time.
Ted Dawson, KBZK: From what you’ve seen from the MSU receivers, what do you think you can do with them?
Miller: “I hope I can bring what I did from my time down at Boise State I learned coaching last year and try to incorporate some of the stuff we did there and incorporate it up here and hopefully be an explosive unit that is tough, physical and involved in the run game.”
Dawson: Like what? Things like what would you bring?
Miller: “Certain drills. A mentality mostly. I was used to winning football games in Boise and in high school so try to carry that over to my unit and hopefully they follow my lead.”
Skyline Sports: This opportunity in general, did you expect to be a full-time coach so soon after just one year as a graduate assistant?
Miller: “No I didn’t. It kind of caught me off guard a little bit but I’m very thankful for the opportunity to work for such a great guy like Coach Choate and to be in such a great spot like Montana State.”
Skyline: What do you think of Coach Choate in general and how do you think he’ll translate into a head coach?
Miller: “He’s high energy, very passionate about the game of football. He’ll be a great guy for the community of Bozeman and he’s going to produce on the field.”
Greg Rachac, Billings Gazette: What interested you in getting into coaching? And maybe talk about that transition when things didn’t work out professionally with the NFL.
Miller: “I”ve always wanted to do two things: Coach college football or coach football in general or ranch. Once I was done playing football, I got a tryout with the Denver Broncos, hurt my ankle again, had another surgery. I was pretty upset with the game all in itself, needed to take a step back, ended up taking a job working on a ranch, started missing the game of football a little bit, was fortunate enough to receive a phone call from Boise State for a GA spot, a quality control GA and I hopped right on it. I got back into it. Then another good thing happened, Coach Choate got this job and he gave me the opportunity to hop on board.”
Rachac: Everything that happened with the Broncos, talk about your mentality after that.
Miller: “I learned a lot about life. Everything didn’t go perfect. Of course, I would’ve loved to play in the NFL for 10 years, make lots of money and play the game I love. But to me, this is the next best thing. I’m involved with it every day. I still love the game. I just see it from a different spot now.”
Skyline: The Bozeman connection, I know your brother (Drew Miller) lives in town, so was that a selling point as well for you?
Miller: “I think it’s an added bonus. He has an eight-month-old boy who I hardly ever got to see so I can see him on a more regular basis, see my brother and his wife. And even to have my parents an hour and a half down the road in Helena, it’s been nice since I’ve been gone for so long.”
Rob Jesselson, ABC/Fox Montana: Being at a young age, how do you think that will help you relate to the guys here?
Miller: “I think it will help a whole lot just because it wasn’t too long ago that I was right there in their shoes. I know what they have to go through with academics and trying to take care of football at the same time. There’s a lot on these kids’ plates. I can relate and I can give them some tips that I did when I was in college with what helped me be successful and be organized and hopefully make them into better humans and hopefully be successful later on in life.”
Jesselson: The other side of that is how do you grow up quickly and become a good coach?
Miller: “I think it just goes along with building the guys’ trust in that room and the guys’ trust in the staff room. If I can get that and show them I’m a little more experienced above my age, I can get their respect.”
Dawson: Matt, what do you think of the receivers you’ve seen so far?
Miller: “I like them. We have some tall guys, we have some fast guys, very dynamic group with a lot of different personalities from what I can tell. I’m excited to meet them all face to face. I’ve talked to them all on the phone. They seem like great guys. I’m excited to get them here and get to work.”
Skyline: Growing up in Helena, did you have any allegiance on either side of the Cat-Griz rivalry?
Miller: “Not really. Being from Helena, we watched Carroll College a whole lot. I’ve had family members go to both schools (former MSU women’s basketball player Jackie Elliott is his cousin.) You can say we are a split family but I can say they are all ‘Cats now so I’m pretty happy about it.”
Russ Reed, NBC Montana: How exciting is it being a former high school player in Montana seeing the kind of athletes and kids that come through this state and having a head coach that wants to win this state in recruiting and wants to get the best kids from this state into this program?
Miller: “I’ve always been a great ambassador for the state of Montana football because I think the football up here is some of the best in the country in terms of the tradition, the pride and how much the kids care about the game. I always had to fight off guys from Texas and California in Boise because they didn’t think the football was any good. The football here is great. Being part of it in high school and growing up in it can carry a whole lot of weight in recruiting and seeing the kids that we have on the team right now.”
Skyline: Do you know where you will be recruiting?
Miller: “I’ll be in-state a little bit and in some other areas too.”
Skyline: Right now, just three Capital guys (Caleb Kidder at Montana, Gunnar Brekke and Walker Cozzie at Montana State) for the Griz and Cats. Do you hope to reopen that pipeline from Helena?
Miller: “Oh sure. I would love to get more kids here. We want to get all the best players in the state here. If they come from Helena, that’s great. If they come from Missoula, great, Billings, that’s awesome. But we want the best players in the state to come to Montana State.”
Skyline: A strong Boise State connection here on the staff with Coach Choate and Byron (Hout). What do you hope you can carry over from the success you had there to try to duplicate here?
Miller: “I think we take bits and pieces of what we thought was successful at Boise State and try to carry it over here and bring what other members of the staff have to the table too. We have to find the formula that fits best for this program, best for this staff and our players.”
Skyline: Do you expect any speed bumps with being a young guy being that you are just a few years removed from being a player?
Miller: “Oh year, I think with any new job, you have a few speed bumps, a few problems with your job. That’s why I’m very thankful to be in a room with a lot of guys with a lot of experience who can help me through the battle and struggle pains of having a new job and being so young at it.”
Skyline: Have you got a chance to look at film from last year?
Miller: “Not a lot of film yet. We talked quite a bit about personnel today so I got a better feel. But I’m looking forward to watching some tape and really getting the full picture.”
Skyline: As a staff, do you have a primary thing you think needs to change about this program?
Miller: “We have a few things that we might want to change but there’s a lot of stuff we like and we are going to keep doing. The pride and tradition of this place is something that is very important. We are going to keep building on that and be a tough football team.”
Rachac: Were you close with Coach Choate at Boise? Did you work under him much?
Miller: “I played special teams when he was there. Other than that, I didn’t see him a whole lot since I was on offense and he was on the defensive side of the ball. But he was through my recruiting process, coming to Montana, recruited me to Boise and we have a great connection there. He’s been a mentor for me the last few years even when he left for other jobs.”
Reed: “What did it mean to you to get the call from him for this job?
Miller: “It was a great opportunity. That’s how I saw it. Him having a lot of faith in a young guy to do a good job and come in here and get to work. I’m very thankful for the opportunity and I’m excited to start it.”
