May 8, 2007 – COVINGTON
The Covington Buccaneers have a rich tradition in football, tremendous support from the community and top notch facilities. Those qualities is what made Covington the perfect situation for the new Buccaneers’ head football coach, Dave Miller.
“This is what I was looking for,” said the newly selected head football coach in a decision that was unanimously approved by the school board, Tuesday. “I’m ecstatic about being the head football coach at Covington High School.”
Miller has had first-hand experience in watching the Buccaneers from the opposing sidelines.
He was once the head coach at Twin Valley South and is the last Panther coach to defeat Covington – a 33-0 shellacking in 1999. That year the Panthers reached the regional finals, only to fall to St. Henry.
“I coached at South for six years, so I was on the other side of the field,” Miller described. “I’ve always admired Covington and how hard the kids played the game.”
Since his days in West Alexandria, Miller has been an assistant coach at Kettering Alter and more recently, Centerville.
“The tradition at Centerville is the same as it is here (at Covington),” Miller explained. “Here, the expectations are just as high as it is in Centerville. The only difference is this (Covington) is more of a close nit community.”
The closeness of the community was evident to Miller as he drove into town and toured the facilities.
“These facilities are the best around,” said Miller. “Covington takes great pride in its image and you can tell that just by the care taken with the facilities. Also, you can see that when you drive around town and look at the houses throughout the community. The up-keep, the cleanliness, everything is taken care of with pride.”
Miller has a close attention to detail, which is obvious by his observation of the community and the school in which he will represent as the Buccaneers’ fifteenth head football coach. Combine that with his passion for the game, the future of the Buccaneers looks as bright as the past.
“I want to continue the tradition that has been established here,” Miller said. “Our goals will be to win the league, make the playoffs and ultimately win a state title. The expectations will continue to be high and I don’t think the kids will want it any other way.”
The kids Miller will be working with will not only be the kids on his football team. Miller plans to be visible at the junior high level and even the youth level.
“The success of the program starts with the younger kids,” Miller emphasized. “I want to get as many of the younger kids involved as I can. I’m going to be available at the junior high level and the youth level.”
Coach Miller’s strong feelings about getting youngsters involved can be traced back to his own childhood as he is the son of a former football coach.
“I’ve been around football my entire life,” explained Miller. “My father coached at Centerville, Beavercreek and Piqua. Football has been a passion of mine since I can remember.”
Combine that passion with the tradition the Buccs have established, the future of Covington football looks as bright as ever.