img_0169You would be hard pressed to find a bigger lover of the game of football than Gainesville High football coach Bruce Miller.
Since he arrived in Gainesville in 2002, “he has guided the Red Elephants to a record of 140-29. This includes a State Championship in 2012 and nine region championships with 12 State Playoff appearances. In his 27 years as a head coach in Georgia coach Miller had compiled a record of 208-109-0,” according to gainesvilleredelephantathletics.com.
He’s had the chance to coach hundreds of Gainesville’s young men but most notably, Clemson University’s quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson led the Red Elephants to their first, and only, football state championship in 2012 and this weekend will vie for the Heisman trophy, for the second time.
Miller had the chance to watch the Heisman ceremony last year in New York but will watch this year’s award ceremony from home.
“I can’t go this year because I have another commitment at the Georgia Dome on Saturday,” he said. “I hope the second time is the charm!”
Miller reminisced on the Red Elephant’s first state championship and the parade that followed, which went through downtown Gainesville.
“…The day of the parade that we had through town after we won the state championship was a very special day. It was the first time Gainesville had won a state championship in the history of the school. It almost felt like you were pinching yourself, saying ‘is this really happening?'”
Coach Miller said he keeps in touch with Deshaun as much as possible, typically through text.
“We text back and forth, I text him after most every game and tell him what a good job I thought he did. He’s still the same Deshaun he was in high school,” Miller said. “I tell people all the time he is a special player but he’s more of a special person.”
Next up for Watson and the Clemson Tigers is a berth in the College Football Playoff. Clemson will play Ohio State on New Year’s Eve in the Fiesta Bowl. If the Tigers beat the Buckeyes, they will play for a National Championship for the second year in a row.
We recently caught up with Coach Miller to find out a little more about his love of football and the Hall County community.
Question: What led you to become a football coach?
Answer: “No. 1 the passion for the game and hopefully the passion to make a difference in young people’s lives.”
Q: Who are some of the most interesting people you have met in Hall County?
A: “Boy, oh boy, wow! I guess two of the most interesting people, and both have passed away are, Durwood Pennington (longtime Red Elephant athletics supporter) and Curtis Segars (longtime Gainesville principal). They just had a good perspective of still making a difference in young people’s lives at the age they were. They were willing to send a young person to college and help pay for it…they were always giving.”
Q: How many children and grandchildren do you and your wife Donna have? Is Christmas one of your favorite times of year with your grandchildren?
A: “Four children and four grandchildren…Every day is a favorite day when you have four grandchildren.”
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to a crowd, what would you say?
A: “To always be available to serve your fellow man.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about living in Hall County?
A: “It’s just a neat community. I think it’s one of the best kept secrets…we have Lake Lanier, we are on the edge of the mountains, we have one of the best hospital systems in the nation; it’s just a great place to live.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?   
A: “I see myself right here at Gainesville High School, I want to keep coaching. I don’t have a lot of hobbies (he said jokingly), football is my hobby. I just love football, everything about it. If my health is good, I plan on coaching until they make me quit doing it.”
Q: What is one of your favorite memories about Deshaun Watson playing at Gainesville?
A: “My favorite thing about Deshaun, is that it’s never about Deshaun. He’s always unselfish, Deshaun is the ultimate team player.”
Q: What does home mean to you?
A: “It means coaching where ever they let me coach!! That’s Home!!”
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.