Indiana State names Trent Miles as head coach
By Scott Monson
After a few months of uncertainty, the Indiana State Sycamores hired Trent Miles, a longtime assistant of Tyrone Willingham to succeed Dennis Raetz, who led the final seven games after Lou West was fired as head coach.
Former ISU assistant coach Shannon Jackson, whose experience helped in the development of Tennessee Titans player Richard Harris, has been hired as defensive coordinator for the Sycamores.
Miles is a native of Terre Haute and played at Indiana State as a wide receiver, where former Sycamore coach Dennis Raetz 1983 and 1984 teams successfully advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs. He served as the Washington running back coach last season and helped rushing back Louis Rankin to tally 1,294 yards rushing in a season.
One of the 12 candidates interviewed by Indiana State officials after West was dismissed, Miles was top on the list and set the standard high with 17 years of experience at the collegiate level.
“It is with great pride and anticipation that we have named Trent Miles as head coach of the Sycamore Football program,” Prettyman said. “Coach Miles brings a wealth of experience having worked in some of the most respected programs in the nation, alongside some of the most respected coaches in the nation. Coach Miles started his coaching career at ISU and has now returned as head coach. Please join me as we welcome coach Miles and his family, wife Bridget, and daughters Kaylee and Anna back home to Indiana State University.”
In Terre Haute, he will inherit a below par Sycamore squad going 1-32 overall and 1-19 conference games starting in 2005. Miles will also be responsible for the continued task of pulling the Sycamores out of the bottom of the Gateway conference. The Sycamores most recent winning season was 6-5 under Reatz in 1996.
“It is a privilege and honor to come home. I am very thrilled about this opportunity and I want you know while we’re here we’re going to develop young men that are extremely dedicated to the best they can be,” said Miles. “Not just on the football field but in the classroom, in the community. And definitely on the football field.”
Miles said he is dedicated to developing young athletic men into positions where they will succeed in life. “It is not about winning some games. It is about doing things the right way.”
“We expect to win from this moment right now,” said Miles. “Because I get tired sitting around watching SportsCenter and seeing the yellow tickertape at the bottom and always seeing Indiana State in white. That has to change. We got to get in yellow.”
Miles has a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Indiana State in 1987. He was born July 29, 1963, in Terre Haute, Indiana.