Miller steps aside as Washington head baseball coach

WASHINGTON — Coaching is the closest thing to competing as an athlete. The same competitive juices flow during the intensity of the game, mentally and physically especially when it is late and a win or loss is on the line.

But there is something more on the line for Nathan Miller, who has stepped aside as the Washington Demon head baseball coach.

Currently his coaching goals are getting in the way of his family.

Miller took the Washington job after winning a state title at Iowa Mennonite School in 2007. Having graduated from Washington, he saw himself coaching the Demons until he was in his late 50s. The job was what he was meant to do, in charge of a 3A team, organize it, pilot it to success, take care of and improve the facility and all it entails.

While some coaches can sacrifice certain aspects of family life, it is not a sacrifice Miller is willing to make. Family is No. 1. Miller‘s parents, Lynn and Kaylene Miller, have seen most of the games he has played and coached. He and his brothers all work the family farm together.

“Grandpa Alan and Grandma Fran Derbyshire came to as many of my games as they could,” Miller said. “When I was an athlete looking into the stands I would see those four people, and I know how much that meant to me as an athlete.”

Miller and his wife, Brandy, have three children. Daughters Addison Miller will be in eighth grade, and Reagan will be in sixth grade. Son Easton starts third grade.

“I wish there was a way I could navigate being both a dad and being a head coach,” he said.

This spring Miller missed the most important athletic moment for Addison when her 3200-meter relay team won a state title. He wasn’t witness to the joy, just heard about it second hand on a phone call after the fact.

“Addison’s greatest athletic accomplishments so far I missed,” he lamented. “I wasn’t there to celebrate with her and that hurt. I’m not going to lie, that hurt a lot.”

With Reagan loving softball, an epiphany occurred for Miller coaching the Demons in Keokuk where he could see the softball field from the third base coach’s box.

“You can hear the crowd, and you can see the players, but you can’t really tell exactly what’s going on, and I thought to myself, ‘Am I really going to stand here and be able to be locked in on what’s happening with my guys on my mind when my eyes are going to be trying to see if I can watch and tell what my daughter is doing,’” Miller said.

Miller had to research and compare his baseball schedules to the softball schedules and found 70-75 percent of the games overlap. To miss that much was not a sacrifice he was willing to make. “

Some coaches can do that and I respect that, but I decided I couldn’t.”

Miller had a family sit-down, and they all supported him and wanted him to keep coaching, but they wanted Dad at their events.

Having Dad and family at one’s games is invaluable in so many ways.

The talks after games with his parents and particularly with his father were irreplaceable. Dad always had pointers to give the athlete which helped his talent progress. Miller played baseball in college and spent time in semipro leagues.

“The reflecting on things that happen in a game, and I’m not able to do that with my kids, and I’m starting to miss a lot of their things that before this year I was able to navigate that but now they’re all extremely active.”

So much activity that Miller will not be able to see all of their events even with the available time because usually two of the three have something going on at the same time. But now there will be the flexibility to help his wife shuttle the young athletes.

“When my kid does something well, I want them to be able to look in the stands and see me and hear me and not see an empty seat next to my wife. To hear my voice encouraging them is extremely important.”

Miller knows that from hearing his family’s voices through the years as well as seeing the effect it has on his players when they hear a voice they know from the stands. “I see an energy or refocus happen.”

It is something that helped him become an all-state pitcher for Washington when it made its first appearance in the state tournament in 1998. The Demons returned to state in 2011 and 2012 under Miller’s guidance. Current coaches Jared Henry and TJ Rausch played for Miller on the state tournament teams.

Miller was adamant about how much help his assistant coaches have been over the years. Those coaches taught the game well as 33 players went on to play in college. Miller’s record is 335-203.

He had to tell his current team of Demons it’s about priorities right now and his priority is his children.

Miller wasn’t planning to tell the team of his decision until the season-ending banquet but realized not every player would be there. The information was shared in the huddle on the field after the postseason loss to Clear Creek-Amana.

“I just told them that I had decided to step aside, and it wasn’t because I didn’t want to coach them, in fact it’s just the opposite. I’m not in it for the wins. I want to see kids develop as athletes and baseball players and gentlemen,” Miller said.

A good coach is a great leader, and Miller’s job at Washington is the middle school instructional coach. He works with teachers to help support them. Miller has an administrative degree from Wayne State.

“I gather observations and data then we discuss the impact and what their goals are, to support them in working toward professional goals,” Miller said. “When I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be in education.”

His life choices are an education to others as to one man’s priorities in life.

“Whatever role my kids play, a reserve or starter, I want to be there for my kids.”