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Coach Ron Miller came to Carolina in 1967 as a physical education instructor. The Kentucky native, who grew up in Florida, brought knowledge of a sport virtually unknown to a southern campus bred on basketball and football. Not only did Miller impart that knowledge to countless students in physical education classes, he established and maintained the South's dominant fencing program. Miller's encouragement and charismatic coaching style were enough to lure athletes to the fledgling program that offered no scholarships or campus fanfare. The requisite hard work and dedicated effort that Miller demanded, however, gave rise to a unique skill in athletes drawn to the speed and discipline of fencing. More than fencing lessons have been learned from the 62-year-old Miller through the years at Carolina. His teams' 40 year record, 1112-503, proves that many acquired the skills that helped them learn about winning. Thirteen of Miller's students achieved All-American status. Four Carolina fencers were U.S. National Fencing Team members while two were Olympians. Yet Miller, the Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1986, has never been one to track his teams' win-loss totals. Members of past and present Carolina fencing teams say they have learned through Coach Miller about what it takes to be a winner in life, not just about thrusts and ripostes. Fencing is a sport that is inherently individual, but Miller's teams are close-knit crews. Drills and practice matches are expressly team-oriented. Carolina's fencers are schooled in a manner that encourages support among teammates who square off against each other during training. Special friendships invariably develop throughout Miller's squads during weeks of practice and hours of travel to distant matches. Entering his 41th season as Carolina's fencing coach, Miller's inspirational dedication to his school, his sport and his teams has come to be recognized as impressive as that of another longtime Carolina icon. Miller's influence on his fencing squads parallels that of legendary basketball coach Dean Smith's impact on former basketball players and coaches. Smith's October 9. 1997, retirement left Miller as the most tenured coach at Carolina. The scene at Smith's retirement announcement, which featured former and current players overflowing with veneration, appreciation and gratitude, was repeated just nine days later in the same building at a tribute for Miller. More than 140 former fencers, whose numbers included team members from nearly every squad since 1968, gathered at the Dean E. Smith Center on October 18, 1997, to celebrate and honor Miller's tenure. Words like commitment, dedication and integrity, all uttered in same building for another coach so recently, were spoken in homage of Ron Miller. NCAA champion fencer, 1992 Olympic fencer and 1983 Carolina alumnus John Friedberg, in thanking Miller, called the Carolina program a "unique, special environment to learn in." Friedberg and the other assembled alumni used the occasion to announce the formation of a new fencing association that will support Miller's fencing teams in the future. A fencing endowment fund will be used to improve Carolina's fencing facilities and equipment in the coming years. Former fencers have not only contributed money to Miller's program, but many are still active in a sport that most had not encountered before they met Miller. Eight of Miller's former fencers have at one time led their own college fencing programs. More than just a Tar Heel hero, fencers from across the region and the nation have benefited from Miller's talents through his involvement with the United States Fencing Association (USFA), the NCAA, the U.S. Olympic and World Fencing Teams and regional fencing clubs. Miller served as a coach for the U.S. Junior World Team in 1981 and was also the coach for the Senior World Championship Team in 1983. The 1987 Junior Pan American Team was also coached by Miller. From 1985-95, he served as the director of the USFA's National Coaches College and from 1983-91 he was the director of the USFA's National Junior Elite Summer Programs. He is a two-time member of the NCAA's Fencing Committee and is a three-time NCAA Regional Committee Chair. Miller has been a USFA National Coaching Staff member since 1977. Miller received his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Psychology from Florida State University in 1966. He received his Master's in Physical Education from Eastern Kentucky University in 1967. Miller earned his Doctorate in Phys. Ed, Higher Ed., Guidance and Psychology from Carolina in 1974. Coach Miller was also awarded a "Maitre d' Armes," in 1975. Coach Miller lives in Chapel Hill and has three chrildren: Caroline, Joe and Kurt.
The University of North Carolina fencing team completed the 2006-07 season with a combined record of 36 victories and 28 defeats. The men's team finished the season with 17 victories and 13 loses while the women's team managed 19 wins and 15 loses. Notable highlights of the season came when 40 year head coach Ron Miller won his 1100th victory. The 1100th win occurred during the team's final series of dual meets at Northwestern University. After the match Miller stated, "the main significance of it is a culmination of, shall we say, the hard work of all our athletes from 1967 to the present. So it is an end result of their combined efforts. I have been associated with it all and I have seen it all since the beginning but it is not my record it is their record, the student-athletes.
THE MILLER BIO Education:
-Florida State University 66' (B.S. in Physical Eduation and Psychology).
-Eastern Kentucky University 67' (Master's in Phys. Ed.) · Miller is entering his 41st year of coaching at Carolina, making him the longest tenured coach at Carolina.
· Miller was named the Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1983 & 1986. · 13 of Miller's fencers in his 39 years of coaching at Carolina received All-America honors. · Four members of Miller's teams were named to the U.S. National Fencing Team. · Two members of Miller's teams, John Friedberg-men's Sabre and Nhi Lan Le-women's Epee were Olympians. · Miller was awarded the "Maitre d' Armes," a fencing masters diploma in 1975. · Miller's 2004-05 team broke the 1000th win mark on December 5, 2004.
67-68, Men 8-1
68-69, Men 21-0
69-70, Men 9-1
70-71, Men 10-1
71-72, Men 9-1, Women 2-1
72-73, Men 11-2, Women 2-2
73-74, Men 12-1, Women 5-3
74-75, Men 14-1, Women 7-2
75-76, Men 8-1, Women 13-1
76-77, Men 10-2, Women 8-3
77-78, Men 10-5, Women 6-3
78-79, Men 12-5, Women 11-3
79-80, Men 7-8, Women 11-2
80-81, Men 10-4, Women 10-2
81-82, Men 12-2, Women 7-4
82-83, Men 11-3, Women 9-5
83-84, Men 13-4, Women 10-6
84-85, Men 14-13, Women 16-3
85-86, Men 18-2, Women 14-5
86-87, Men 18-7, Women 17-5
87-88, Men 17-5, Women 14-5
88-89, Men 18-7, Women 22-4
89-90, Men 18-6, Women 17-12
90-91, Men 22-4, Women 24-5
91-92, Men 10-5, Women 11-10
92-93, Men 25-4, Women 11-18
93-94, Men 17-9, Women 27-9
94-95, Men 12-12, Women 26-2
95-96, Men 16-9, Women 18-7
96-97, Men 18-11, Women 23-7
97-98, Men 16-9, Women 15-9
98-99, Men 9-19, Women 20-9
99-00, Men 23-8, Women 24-4
00-01, Men 22-9, Women 16-11
01-02, Men 16-17, Women 16-14
02-03, Men 18-16, Women 13-18
03-04, Men 22-12, Women 22-11
04-05, Men 23-14, Women 14-17
05-06, Men 24-11, Women 21-15
06-07, Men 17-13, Women 19-15
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