ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke, in particular the William Fleming community, is grieving the loss of beloved coach and mentor George “Kila” Miller.
Known for his no nonsense personality, Miller was passionate about athletics and was dedicated to helping everyone around him succeed. That started from his days as a standout athlete at William Fleming High School where he was an All-State letterman in track, football and wrestling. Miller would go on to attend Elizabeth City State University where he continued to excelled.
He was a standout football player and wrestler, a team captain and champion in both. The graduate was later inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in each sport after receiving his degree in Health and Physical Education.
With that, Miller returned to Roanoke where he worked in Roanoke City School for 35 years. During that time he served as a football, wrestling and track coach during his tenure. Miller earned district Coach of the Year honors three times in football and was a nine-time district Coach of the Year and Virginia State Coach of the Year for Fleming wrestling.
In 2010, “Kila” was part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class at William Fleming and in 2018, the school dedicated the field in his honor as Miller Field. That same night, the track at the newly renovated school was dedicated to another legendary coach and Hall of Famer, Sherley Stuart.
Whether it was former players, colleagues or other school personnel--Miller was known for being tough but it was all out of love for everyone around him.