Rod Miller joins the organization as Head Coach. He will also be the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach.
Miller becomes the sixth coach in the history of the franchise. He joins the Pirates after serving as the Defensive Coordinator for the Vegas Knight Hawks last season. The Knight Hawks had the number one pass defense and were third ranked in total defense. His last stint as head coach was in Bismarck from 2019 through 2022 before the Bucks suspended operations. Miller was also a head coach in the China Arena Football League with the Qingdao Clipper. Prior to that, he led the Omaha Beef, the Trenton Steel and the Laredo Rattlesnakes.
Miller has extensive experience having served in several roles throughout his career. He was the Defensive Coordinator with the Wichita Force, which won the Champions Indoor Football title in 2016. He has also been an assistant coach in the Arena Football League with Philadelphia, Cleveland, Grand Rapids and Kansas City and in the AF2 with Green Bay and Carolina. He has had other indoor stops in Wichita and Wichita Falls.
His collegiate resume includes working as a wide receivers coach with Kentucky State University, at Simpson College in Iowa and at Tyler Junior College in Texas. At Tyler JC, Miller coached wide receiver Robert Ferguson who went on to become a second round draft pick who played with the Houston Texans and Derrick Armstrong who would become an All-Canadian Football League wideout.
A native of Omaha, NE, Miller played college football at Drake University. At Drake his teammates included current North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren, former Florida Atlantic Head Coach and current University of Pittsburgh Assistant Head Coach Charlie Patridge and current University of Minnesota Athletic Director Mark Coyle.