Don Miller

Member of last national tournament basketball team to be inducted into Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame

It’s hard to believe it has been 50 years since the Cowley College men’s basketball team last advanced to the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament. However, the Tiger faithful have not forgotten about the contributions former Tiger great Don Miller made to that 1956-57 basketball team as he will be inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 10, 2007.

Prior to coming to what was then Arkansas City Junior College, Miller starred at Inman High School. As a junior, he was named Honorable Mention All-State as he helped Inman tie for first place in the Mid-Kansas League and finish second in the State Class B Tournament.

As a senior, he was named First-Team All-State as he guided Inman to an undefeated season in the Mid-Kansas League and a state title.
Miller played at ACJC during the 1956-57 and 1957-58 seasons. That 1956-57 team won the Western Conference, Region VI Tournament, and placed eighth at the national tournament.

The 1957-58 team won the Big Springs (Texas) Invitation Tournament at Howard County College, tied for first in the Western Conference, and placed third in the Region VI Tournament.

The teams Miller was on at ACJC combined to go 52-14. As a sophomore, he was named to the Region VI All-Tournament Team and was named to the All-Star team at the Big Springs Invitation Tournament.

He has fond memories of his time at the school.

“The community and college was really impressive, the community supported the college very well,” Miller said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
He especially enjoyed learning from Tiger head coach Dan Kahler.

“I could not have asked for a better person as coach,” Miller said. “He was an inspiration to me, the guys on the team believed in him. Dan was a great motivator and had a way of getting the team motivated to play hard every game.”

Along with coach Kahler, Miller still stays in touch with former teammates Sonny Maynard, Dave Dunbar and Del Heidebrecht.
He later returned to Emporia State University and graduated in Dec., 1962 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree. He received his Master of Science degree from the school in August, 1969.

He served as the acting principal at Turkey Creek Grade School in McPherson County from 1963-1967. He then returned to the game of basketball as he coached Inman High School from 1967-71.

In the fall of 1971 he began working for Hutchinson Public Schools in the Special Needs area. In 1975 he worked for the five Reno County School districts for all Special Education Services. This was known as the Reno County Education Cooperative #610, where Miller was employed as Transition Coordinator until he retired in June, 2000. He and his wife Sue farmed 375 acres.

In 1974 he was President-Elect for the Hutchinson Junior College Quarterback Club and was President in 1975. He has served as President for two terms for the Kansas Association Vocational Education Special Needs Personnel (KAVESNP) and is presently serving as the President-Elect for the 2006-07 school-year.
Miller and his wife, Sue, have five children, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He enjoys gardening, golfing, hunting, fishing, and traveling. He also has been getting together with a group of coffee buddies for the past 35 years.

Despite retiring in 2000, Miller has gone back to work part time at his old job since 2003, working two days a week. 
Miller has not been back to Cowley College since the basketball court was dedicated in coach Kahler’s honor. He is looking forward to coming back to be inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

“I am pretty excited about it,” Miller said. “I am very grateful to even be considered for it, it is quite an honor.