Ralph Miller

Ralph H. Miller (March 9, 1919 – May 15, 2001) was an American college basketball coach, a head coach for 38 years at three universities: Wichita (now known as Wichita State), Iowa, and Oregon State. With an overall record of , his teams had losing records only three times. Prior to his final season, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame on Miller played college football and basketball at the University of Kansas. His performance on the football team led to him being selected in the 1942 NFL draft, but he chose to serve in the military instead of playing in the NFL.

Early life Born and raised in Chanute, Kansas, Miller was a standout athlete in high school and college. At Chanute High School, he won letters in football, track, basketball, golf and tennis. Miller was an all-state basketball player for three years and set the state record in the low hurdles in 1937. He was all-state three consecutive years in football and basketball.

College career In college at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Miller won three letters as a football quarterback and three in basketball. By 1940, he was beating the 1932 gold medalist in the decathlon Jim Bausch in seven of ten events.

As an undergraduate, he was coached by Phog Allen. In one of Miller's classes, a guest lecturer was Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Miller was also a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity

He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1942. He also drafted in the 18th round (167th overall selection) of the 1942 NFL draft by the Brooklyn Dodgers. He declined playing in the NFL and instead took a personnel department job with the Aero Parts Manufacturing Company. When the company formed the Wichita Aero Commandos football team in 1942, Miller became the starting quarterback.

The "flashy passer" Miller saw his 1942 season come to an abrupt end at the hands of the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL, who played an exhibition game against the Aero Commandos in Wichita's Lawrence Stadium on November 15, during what would otherwise have been a bye week. Midway through the first half Miller suffered an unspecified injury that forced his removal and ended his year. The Hawkeyes averaged more than 100 points a game in Big Ten play in 1970 and went undefeated (14–0) in the Big Ten with a regular season record. Entering the NCAA tournament, Iowa was on a sixteen-game winning streak and played their first game in the Sweet Sixteen, but were upset by independent the eventual national runner-up. After a consolation win over Notre Dame, the Hawkeyes finished at overall.

Oregon State A month later in April 1970, Miller was offered the job at Oregon State. Miller had only two losing seasons in 19 years at OSU, and retired as the second winningest head coach in Oregon State history with 359 victories, behind Slats Gill.

Retirement Miller retired at age 70 in 1989, his final regular season win was a comfortable one, over rival Oregon at a sold-out Gill Coliseum on Sunday, The Beavers lost to top-ranked Arizona in the semifinals of the Pac-10 tourney, then fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Evansville

Legacy Miller's career record was ; the 657 victories were the most by an active coach and ranked him seventh among major college coaches, trailing only Adolph Rupp (876), Hank Iba (767), Ed Diddle (759), Phog Allen (746), Ray Meyer (724), and John Wooden (664). Miller's teams actually won 674 games, but the total was reduced by forfeits because one of his players, Lonnie Shelton, had signed with an agent while still in college in 1976.

The floor of Gill Coliseum is named Ralph Miller Court, and the street in front of the venue was renamed Ralph Miller Drive shortly upon his retirement.

Personal life In the fall of 1937 at the University of Kansas, Miller took a physiology class where the students were seated alphabetically. Next to him was an attractive student from Topeka named Emily Jean Milam; five years later they were married. The couple had two sons, Ralph Jr. and Paul, and two daughters, Susan Langer and

The gymnasium at Chanute High School is named after Miller, and is home to the Ralph Miller Classic, an eight-team tournament.

Miller had an unequaled addiction to cigarettes, and chain-smoked More brand cigarettes during practices, on team buses, and in

A dozen years after his retirement, Miller died in his sleep at age 82 at his home at Black Butte Ranch, northwest He had suffered from congestive heart failure and complications His wife Jean died at age 93 in 2014

Head coaching record

15 wins were forfeited and official record for that season is 3–24 1 NCAA Tournament loss was vacated 2 NCAA Tournament wins and 1 loss were vacated Official record with vacated and forfeited wins and losses