Piedmont, AL – One state’s most successful high school football programs turns to proven head coach with Ginn pedigree to replace legendary Smith
By Joe Medley
Jonathan Miller’s Saks teams had their successes against Steve Smith’s Piedmont teams, and Miller will be Smith’s successor at Piedmont. The Piedmont City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to approve Miller’s hiring as head football coach and athletics director Monday morning, and Miller informed his Saks players shortly thereafter. Smith announced in December plans to become Westbrook Christian’s head football coach and athletics director. He will remain at Piedmont as athletics director through the end of the school year.
Miller was chosen over 46 applicants and was one of three finalists, Piedmont principal Dr. Adam Clemons said. “Coach Miller had an impressive resume as a head football coach that stood out to us,” Clemons said. “His record since 2012 of 100-32, his numerous awards as ‘Football Coach of the Year,’ and his multiple playoff appearances, including three semifinal appearances, were key factors. “Additionally, we have watched Coach Miller for numerous years from across the field and always have been impressed by his coaching ability. He is very familiar with Piedmont, and has a good plan to take us forward to conquer and prevail.”
Miller, one of the most highly regarded coaches on the Calhoun County scene, will take over what Smith turned into one of the state’s most highly regarded and best supported programs. Smith’s Piedmont teams won 3A state titles in 2009, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 and reached the 3A semifinals each of the past eight seasons. Miller, 44, will also extended branches of late hall-of-fame coach Larry Ginn’s coaching tree to Piedmont. A 1996 Alexandria graduate who was a senior on Ginn’s 1995 state-championship team, Miller has coached at Saks his entire 22-year career … first as an assistant under Joe Thornton, then defensive coordinator under Clint Smith and then as head coach, after Cllint Smith left for Jacksonville in 2012.
Miller’s Saks teams went 100-32 in 11 seasons. He has five seasons with double-digit wins and one losing season. Saks won region championships and reached the semifinal round of the Alabama playoffs in 2013, 2017 and 2021. The Wildcats did it in Class 3A in 2013 and 2021 and in Class 4A in 2017. During Miller’s tenure at Saks, the Wildcats became one of Calhoun County’s top challengers for Steve Smith’s Piedmont teams, going 2-5 against the Bulldogs. Ohatchee is the only other team from Calhoun County with two victories over Piedmont teams coached by Steve Smith. Ohatchee, Pleasant Valley, Weaver and Wellborn have been regular region opponents for Piedmont over that span. [read more…]
