April 7, 2026
Two-time National Coach of the Year Brooks Miller to lead Ferris State men’s basketball team
Two-time National Coach of the Year and national champion Brooks Miller has been selected as the new Ferris State University's men's basketball coach.
Miller, who served this past season as the associate head coach at NCAA Division I Central Michigan University, previously led Trine University to the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship and was twice selected as DIII's top coach in the country while building one of the nation's top programs.
He brings experience at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels along with the junior college ranks and has also worked under four coaches who have won national championships.
"I am thrilled to bring Coach Miller to Ferris State and believe he is the right person at this time to lead our men's basketball program," Ferris State Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank said.
"Brooks has a tremendous resume and been highly successful as a head coach. His experience at nearly every level of college basketball along with his connections and familiarity with our league and program will be extremely beneficial. We look forward to continuing the proud tradition of Bulldog basketball under his leadership."
Miller has strong ties to the Ferris State program, having coached with or played for former head coaches Bill Sall and Andy Bronkema in addition to Ed Douma, who served on the Bulldog staff as an assistant coach under Sall.
One of Miller's assistant coaches at Trine was Drew Lehman, also a former Bulldog All-American who led Ferris State to a GLIAC championship sand NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior.
"I'm extremely grateful to Dr. Bill Pink, Steve Brockelbank and the hiring committee for choosing me to be the next head basketball coach at Ferris State University," Miller said. "I am honored to be a part of the championship tradition that began many years ago under Coach Jim Wink and was continued by two of my closest colleagues and mentors in Bill Sall and Andy Bronkema. My family and I couldn't be happier to be joining the Big Rapids community and representing Ferris State."
Miller last season served as the top assistant coach at Central Michigan under Bronkema, who guided Ferris State to the 2018 DII National Championship.
Miller has more than 22 years of collegiate coaching experience, including serving as Trine's head coach from 2011 to 2025. The Ohio native guided the Thunder to the 2023-2024 NCAA Division III national championship, three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season titles (2019, 2021, and 2024), one MIAA tournament title (2021), one undefeated season (17-0), and a combined 247-121 record and 142-73 MIAA mark.
He was named the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2020-2021 and 2023-2024 and also honored as the 2020-2021 Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.
Miller brings decades of experience as the new skipper for Ferris State men's basketball, as the two-time National Coach of the Year had his hand in all levels of the NCAA, coached JUCO programs, and worked for coaches with national championship titles.
Regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the country, Miller's career at Trine culminated with a national title in 2024 when he was named NCAA DIII National Coach of the Year for the second time, receiving accolades from D3Hoops.com, the National Association of Basketball Coaches as well as being named the Glenn Robinson CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year.
He previously was chosen as the 2020-21 NCAA DIII National Coach of the Year by both Hoopdirt.com/Just Play Sports Solutions and Basketball Times Magazine.
During Miller's tenure, Trine was the only MIAA program to finish in the top four in the conference in each of his 14 seasons. Within the MIAA, the Thunder had three Most Valuable Players, four Defensive Players of the Year and 35 honored as all-conference choices under Miller's leadership. Five players received All-American recognition under Miller's guidance.
Trine student-athletes also flourished in the classroom under his leadership. One was named Academic All-America Player of the Year in 2015-2016 and the Trine men's basketball team received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards in 2014-2015, 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
Miller led Trine to both MIAA regular season and tournament championships in 2020-21, climbing as high as No. 2 in the D3Hoops.com national poll which earned them a postseason contest against top-ranked Randolph Macon College in Virginia for the D3Hoops.com poll championship during the COVID campaign. The squad finished the year with a 17-1 overall record and climbed as high as No. 7 nationally the following season in the national poll in 2021-22.
His final team at Trine in 2024-25 squad finished with a 21-5 record, marking the third consecutive season that the program surpassed the 20-win mark, fifth-straight year where the Thunder made an appearance in the D3Hoops.com top 25 and four consecutive years ranked in the top 10 nationally.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Trine, Miller worked as an assistant men's basketball coach under three Hall of Fame coaches that amassed seven combined national championships.
His first collegiate coaching stop was working for his college coach, Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame coach Ed Douma (one national title), who he previously played for at Hillsdale College.
In 2007, his career took him to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for Naismith Hall of Famer Bobby Knight (three national titles) and was involved with on-campus recruiting and player development.
In 2009, he became the head assistant men's basketball coach and national recruiting coordinator at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, where he worked for Junior College Hall of Famer Steve Green (three national titles). While at South Plains, Miller coached and/or recruited nine players that would transfer on to NCAA DI universities.
Miller's collegiate basketball career began as a player at NCAA DI Toledo and later at later in the GLIAC at Hillsdale College. While at Hillsdale, as a senior in 2003, Miller was selected team captain, academic all-conference, and the team's Defensive Player of the Year. Hillsdale reached the NCAA Division II national tournament in back-to-back years for the first time in school history during Miller's sophomore and junior seasons in 2001 and 2002.
Miller and his wife, Gretchen, have two children, Champ and Jordan.
An introductory press conference is planned for Wednesday, April 15, at 2 p.m. in the Gold Room at the Ewigleben Sports Complex, 210 Sports Drive. The event is open to the media and public.