Lansing Ignite soccer's first coach, Nate Miller, ready to bring championships to the city

Lansing State Journal

There was one game in particular that convinced general manager Jeremy Sampson that Nate Miller was ready to be Lansing Ignite's first head coach.

It came last summer when Miller was coaching the club Sampson owned at the time, Lansing United. With United going against a Des Moines squad full of professional players in the Premier Development League playoffs, United played to a 0-0 draw in regulation and extra time before they lost in penalties.

“We did not have any professional players,” Sampson said. “We outplayed them that day. The reason we were in that game was because of the way Nate got the guys ready to play and the game plan he put together. That game showed me he was ready to take this next step.”

And now, Miller will get his shot at coaching professional players on a full-time basis, as he was named the Ignite's first coach Wednesday afternoon in advance of the club's first season in USL League One, which begins play in the spring of 2019.

"It's a real honor for me to stand here today, I've learned to be really passionate about this city and the people of this city," newly- announced Lansing Ignite coach Nate Miller said, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, during a press conference at The View at Cooley Law School Stadium in downtown Lansing "I'm ready to lead this team, this organization, and this club in the direction of championships," Miller said.

"I've been preparing for this moment for quite a while," Miller said. "And I'm ready to lead this team and this club. I'm ready to lead it in the direction of championships. We're going to build this club to be a winning club. And we want this city to be a winner."

The familiarity Sampson and Miller have with each other certainly helped pave the way for Wednesday's announcement. They first met in the fall of 2015 at City Limits in Mason to discuss the United head coach and general manager positions, jobs Miller held the past three seasons while also being the men's soccer coach at Spring Arbor University, an NAIA school that plays in the Crossroads League.

"The relationship that we've built over the last three years has been a very good one," Sampson said. "We work well together and know what it takes to build a successful franchise, and we'll use the blueprint we already have and do it all over again."

Miller coached at Spring Arbor the past six seasons, going 86-32-15 and winning two regular-season league championships, one conference tournament title and earning two NAIA national tournament berths. SAU is currently 16-4-1 and plays Olivet Nazarene in the opening round of the national tournament Saturday.

“It is a leap, certainly,” Miller said. “You can never know how the timing works out in your life. Over the course of the years, you better yourself, grow as a coach, and make more connections around the pro and college game, so that when these opportunities arise, you’re not regretting anything."

In three seasons as Lansing United's head coach and general manager, Nate Miller went 20-13-12.

Lansing United was 20-13-12 in Miller’s three seasons.

“People believed in me for this opportunity,” Miller said. “I do have a track record of winning that has certainly helped. ... But I think you have to prepare so when the opportunity is there, you’ve done everything possible to take it. And I’m taking it with open arms.”

BUILDING THE ROSTER

Miller said there are four or five contract offers out to players right now, so the team’s first signing could be coming very soon.

Miller has been part of the USL scouting network for the past year. Combining that with his experience at recruiting at both the NAIA level and for United, Miller has a wide range of connections to college programs and professional clubs around the country.

One thing is certain when it comes to building this roster: Miller wants exciting players who are on the upswing of their careers.

“(I want) younger players who want to be future MLS players,” Miller said. “We’re not looking to have guys, who’ve had long USL careers, to come here and die. We want the young guys coming here to explode onto the scene."

Miller didn’t rule out the possibility of a few former United players making their way onto the team.

“There’s a lot that needs to happen,” Miller said. “But it’s not like I’m going to bring the old band back together. There’s a lot of new fresh names, guys who are really exciting prospects and some international players I’m looking to bring over from other leagues. It’s a big world with a lot of areas where you can find the right players.”

TACTICAL STRATEGY

With both his Spring Arbor and Lansing United teams, Miller has played a lot of 4-3-3 with three attackers at the top. He has also dabbled in what is now a more traditional 4-2-3-1.

But in the last few years, Miller has experimented with playing three defenders at the back, a strategy that came back to prominence two years ago when Antonio Conte and Chelsea waltzed to the Premier League title.

With what tends to be traditionally narrower fields in USL, Miller said playing three defenders at the back in either a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 (the latter which Miller prefers to call his formation) may be the way to go.

Miller’s teams are also adept at counter-pressing and retrieving the ball back as quickly as possible, similar to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham teams, which can lead to a dazzling style of play.

“We have a real opportunity here to do something a little bit different, a style of play that’s attacking and inspiring to the supporters and to the people in this community,” Miller said.

Contact digital sports reporter Phil Friend at 517-377-1220 or pfriend@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Phil_Friend.

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