Feb 20, 2005 By Jennifer Braum For The 4 min read

As high school basketball teams focus on playoff action, one local graduate of Laurel Highlands is seeing the game on a different side of the court. Jacob Miller is currently a student-assistant coach for the Bethany College Bison men’s basketball team. The job is a terrific opportunity for Miller, who is only a sophomore in college.

Miller graduated in 2003 from Laurel Highlands, where he played for the Mustangs basketball team for three years. His senior year he then played basketball in the Fayette County Church Basketball League (FFCBL) for St. Therese’s Parish. While looking for colleges, another former Laurel Highlands graduate, and Bethany College alumni, Pat Lion, suggested Bethany to Miller.

After hearing good things about the Physical Education department, Miller made his decision to go to the small campus in the hills of West Virginia.

“Ever since I have fallen in love with it,” Miller said. He truly appreciates the college’s unique atmosphere with a small student-to-teacher ratio and interactive learning techniques.

Last year, Miller approached the head coach of the men’s basketball team, Aaron Huffman, about participating in open gyms with the team and keeping the scorebook for the games. Highly impressed with Miller’s respectful attitude and good work ethic, Huffman asked Miller this year to be the student-assistant coach, a new position created with Miller in mind.

With Bethany College’s emphasize on hands-on experience and community learning, Huffman had been looking to find a student who would be dedicated and interested in staying with the team during his years at Bethany.

“Since Jake is only a sophomore assisting for the first time, the best part is that he will be even more of an asset during his junior and senior years here, after he gets even more experience,” Huffman said.

Since the beginning of the season, Miller has been assisting the team in practices, meetings and games.

“Jake has learned a lot about basketball, particularly college basketball, seeing it from an inside point of view, being a part of practices, meetings and film sessions,” Huffman said.

This experience has been a steppingstone for Miller’s plans of one day being a head basketball coach.

“I learned it’s just as important to be involved with the players off the court as I am on the court,” Miller said.

“Coach Huffman really took me under his wing and showed me the ropes.”

In this position, Miller has faced the challenge of being a coach to his peers, and players older then him. However, Miller conquers this misconception by treating each player with respect and letting the players know that he is just trying to help.

The team has embraced Miller for the hard work he puts into the program. He often serves as a counselor to the players while Huffman is busy coaching, according to former Uniontown player and Bethany sophomore guard Brandon Duncan.

“Jake is a great motivator,” Duncan said. “Whenever coach takes us out of the game, Jake will come over and let us know what we did wrong and how to fix the problem. He does a great job of building our confidence, too. If he sees someone hanging their head, he will come over and give some encouraging words to pick them up.”

When asked about experiences from his past that have helped him throughout this experience, Miller immediately answered that his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Terry Miller of North Union Township, and his older brother, Terry, have been very influential.

“They were always very supportive and very motivational and without that it would have been very hard to get where I am now,” Miler said.

Miller also credits the years of experience he had playing basketball since the third grade which allowed him to realize a player’s view of the game. The knowledge he has gained coaching will only enhance Miller’s chances of fulfilling his dream of someday becoming a head coach.

With Bethany’s record at 21-3 overall, and 8-1 in the Presidents Athletic Conference, Miller is just as ecstatic as any player and looks forward to going far in post-season action.

Miller plans to graduate from Bethany with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, then go into teaching – and, of course, coaching the game he holds dear in his heart.

“I just love to be around the game,” Miller said.