After more than 11 years at University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia, Senior Deputy Athletics Director (AD) Chance Miller made the move to Conway on July 16.
Miller began his journey at USC as an assistant AD in compliance, working his way up the ladder. His successes lead to him becoming the new vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation at Coastal Carolina University (CCU).
He said since his official start at CCU, he has been working to meet with the entire athletics department, including each team’s head coach. He said this was important in forming these relationships and identifying areas for improvement within the department.
More recently, Miller met with the football team, including head coach Tim Beck. He spoke with the team about his visions and what it meant to him to be working with them this year. He said he heard about the pattern of students leaving the games early, and he’s coming into this season with a plan.
“I want the students to be energized. I want them to be part of the production of the football game. Not only once the game starts, I want them in there beforehand, and I know that’s been a problem in the past, that people come in right as the game hits and a lot of people that leave during halftime or the third quarter,” Miller said.
He said they are in the works of adding things like pyrotechnics, fire towers, teal smoke, new entrance songs, chants and even a DJ booth in the student section for students to interact with. He said he wishes he had more time before the football season starts but anticipates some of these newer aspects to be implemented by the first game of the season, Thursday, Aug. 29.
Miller said he hadn’t expected to be at USC for as long as he was, but was grateful to have worked under an AD that was extremely good to him. However, when the position opened up at CCU, he jumped at the opportunity.
“[I] wasn’t looking to jump, so to speak, unless a really good AD job came open,” he said. “And Coastal is one that I got to watch from 2 ½ hours down the road. I always thought it was a great place with a lot of opportunity.”
He said he was encouraged by the recent successes and growth in sports like football and baseball. When he first heard the job at CCU had opened up, old friend and former Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation Matt Hogue was the first person he called.
“He spoke very highly of his time here and how he really enjoyed it. You know, kind of gave me the good and gave me things that needed to be improved upon. I just thought my skill set, my background, would fit in really well here,” Miller said.
Hogue has been in various roles within the athletics department at CCU for around 12 years. His newest role, director of the Center for Sports Broadcasting, embodies Hogue’s passion for both sports and journalism.
He said although he was not included in Miller’s hiring process, he believes he is a good fit for the role.
“If you look through his background, where he’s worked, you know, he’s an attorney, which I think in this climate today, especially with where college athletics is headed, is a huge plus,” he said. “It’s a skillset that probably just about any AD may want to consider these days, with the complexity of things.”
