Former Moon Football Coach Says Resignation 'Wasn't Easy'

Jonathan Miller, former Moon Area High School varsity football coach, said he won't sit out for a season.

"I'll end up coaching somewhere," Miller said. "Not as a head coach right away, but I'll find something."

Miller, 35, resigned as the district's head football coach on March 28. He said the lengthy commute from his Waynesburg home and inability to find a teaching job in the district prompted him to leave his position.

Miller, who teaches English at Canon-McMillan High School, said he applied for an English teaching position at Moon Area High School late last summer, which he did not get. Miller said he believed that as head coach of the football team it was important for him to have a daily presence in the high school.

He said he was unsure of the reasons why he did not secure the teaching position.

"It's really important that the kids see a role model in the school everyday," Miller said. "It's important that I'm there in the school working with the guys on the team. It's important as a role model, and it's also important for recruiting -- you need to be in the building each day to get those bodies on the field."

Miller, who was hired as coach in December 2008, said he has met with several of his former players and parents to discuss his departure.

"It was sad," said Miller, who previously was an assistant football coach at Canon-McMillan. "There's nothing underhanded about the way I resigned. The kids have been great; the parents have been great. It wasn't easy."

The high school's athletic department began advertising to fill the position last month. District spokeswoman Megan Gallagher said the district is in the process of hiring Miller's replacement, but that school officials have not yet begun the interview process for candidates.