Gus Miller

William Augustus Miller (August 3, 1900 – February 16, 1992) was an American football and basketball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Texas Wesleyan College—now known as Texas Wesleyan University—in Fort Worth, Texas from 1937 to 1941 and West Texas State Teachers College—now known as West Texas A&M University—in Canyon, Texas–from 1942 to 1946, compiling a career college football coaching record of 41–32–3. Miller was also the head basketball coach at Texas Wesleyan from 1947 to 1942 and West Texas State from 1942 to 1957, tallying a career college basketball coaching mark of 283–154. His basketball teams won three Border Conference championships and made an appearance in the 1955 NCAA basketball tournament.[1]

For the Australian politician, see Gus Miller (politician).
Gus Miller
Biographical details
Born(1900-08-03)August 3, 1900
Pine Grove, Texas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 16, 1992(1992-02-16) (aged 91)
Denton, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1919West Texas State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1923–1926Slaton HS (TX)
1927–1936Trinidad HS (CO)
1937–1941Texas Wesleyan
1942–1946West Texas State
Basketball
1937–1942Texas Wesleyan
1942–1957West Texas State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1946–1957West Texas State
Head coaching record
Overall41–32–3 (college football)
283–154 (college basketball)
TournamentsBasketball
4–3 (NAIA)
0–1 (NCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
1 Texas Conference (1940)

Basketball
4 Texas Conference (1938, 1940–1942)
3 Border (1943, 1952, 1955)

Miller coached at Trinidad High School in Trinidad, Colorado for 10 years before he was hired at Texas Wesleyan in 1937.[2][3][4][5]

Miller was born in Pine Grove, Texas. He received a bachelor's degree from West Texas State and a master's degree from Texas Tech University. He died on February 16, 1992, at a hospital in Denton, Texas.[6]

Head coaching record

College football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Texas Wesleyan Rams (Texas Conference) (1937–1941)
1937 Texas Wesleyan 6–33–24th
1938 Texas Wesleyan 3–4–12–36th
1939 Texas Wesleyan 4–5–22–2–1T–5th
1940 Texas Wesleyan 7–25–1T–1st
1941 Texas Wesleyan 5–35–1T–2nd
Texas Wesleyan: 25–17–317–9–1
West Texas State Buffaloes (Border Conference) (1942–1946)
1942 West Texas State 7–25–23rd
1943 No team—World War II
1944 West Texas State 4–31–12nd
1945 West Texas State 2–60–23rd
1946 West Texas State 3–4[n 1]2–3[n 1][n 1]
West Texas State: 16–158–8
Total:41–32–3

College basketball
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Texas Wesleyan Rams (Texas Conference) (1937–1941)
1937–38 Texas Wesleyan 13–112–01st
1938–39 Texas Wesleyan 19–79–23rd
1939–40 Texas Wesleyan 20–312–01stNAIA Elite Eight
1940–41 Texas Wesleyan 21–212–01stNAIA Elite Eight
1941–42 Texas Wesleyan 13–412–01stNAIA First Round
Texas Wesleyan: 86–17 (.835)57–2 (.966)
West Texas State Buffaloes (Border Conference) (1942–1957)
1942–43 West Texas State 16–712–01st
1943–44 No team—World War II
1944–45 West Texas State 16–105–3
1945–46 West Texas State 19–89–3
1946–47 West Texas State 13–118–8
1947–48 West Texas State 11–137–9
1948–49 West Texas State 16–77–7
1949–50 West Texas State 19–109–5
1950–51 West Texas State 14–129–7
1951–52 West Texas State 19–812–21st
1952–53 West Texas State 8–135–9
1953–54 West Texas State 13–79–3
1954–55 West Texas State 15–79–31stNCAA first round
1955–56 West Texas State 12–106–6
1956–57 West Texas State 6–143–7
West Texas A&M: 197–137 (.590)110–72 (.604)
Total:283–154 (.648)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Notes
  1. Miller resigned after the first seven games of the 1946 season. Windy Nicklaus replaced Miller as head coach and led West Texas State to a record of 2–1 over the final three games of the season. The team finished 5–5 overall and 4–5 in Border Conference play, placing fifth.

References
  1. "2012-13 Men's Basketball Record Book".
  2. King, Dub (July 2, 1937). "Miller Appointed Rams' Head Coach". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. 12. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  3. "West Texas Buffaloes Add Miller to Coaching Staff". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. February 13, 1942. p. 11. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  4. Gilstrap, Harry (October 23, 1946). "Miller Takes Over WTS Athletic Director Duties". Amarillo Daily News. Amarillo, Texas. p. 8. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  5. "College Announces Changes In Coaching Staff, PE Department". The Canyon News. Canyon, Texas. April 10, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  6. "William A. Miller". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. February 18, 1992. p. 15. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
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