Longtime Air Force Assistant Ben Miller Returns to Illini Coaching Staff as TE Coach

Ben Miller has agreed to return to the Illinois football program as the tight ends coach after 14 seasons at Air Force.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Ben Miller has agreed to return to the Illinois football program as the tight ends coach.

Miller’s move back to Champaign as a part of Bret Bielema’s new Illini staff after 14 seasons as an assistant coach at Air Force.

“Ben is very unique blend here at the University of Illinois.” Bielema said in a university statement. “He returns after a stint here as a graduate assistant and will work with our offensive staff as well as in special teams. He is from the state of Ohio and will represent us in the recruiting efforts from coast-to-coast and continue to build championship young men for us at the University of Illinois.”

A 2002 Air Force Academy graduate, Miller spent the 2006 season as the offensive graduate assistant at Illinois under Ron Zook before returning to Air Force. He spent nine seasons as the running backs coach and 13 years coaching the specialists, including the last 10 as the special teams coordinator.

“I’m beyond excited to be at Illinois and part of Coach Bielema’s staff,” Miller said in a university statement. “This is an exciting time for Illini football. I am impressed with Coach Bielema’s philosophy and vision. Illinois has definitely hired the right head football coach with a proven track record in the Big Ten. My family and I are thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of one of America’s top academic universities and the Illini Football program.”

His nine years working with Air Force running backs was highly successful. He oversaw the progress of first-year starter Cody Getz, who rushed for 1,248 yards in 2012. Miller also coached Jacobi Owens, who posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2014 and 2015, while topping 3,000 yards in his career.

Former #Illini GA @coachbenmiller is coming back to Champaign.

Welcome back, Coach Miller!

📝 » https://t.co/dpphYzNgJm pic.twitter.com/e264HicKgI

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) January 10, 2021

Miller’s first four years saw the development of Travis Dekker as one of the best tight ends in school history and one of the best in the Mountain West Conference. Dekker caught 25 passes for 382 yards and two scores, while averaging 15.3 yards per catch, in 2007. His 25 catches were the most by an Air Force tight end since Trent Van Hulzen in 1989. Dekker would later attend training camp with the Green Bay Packers. 

Miller was an all-conference offensive lineman for the Falcons, starting at left tackle as a junior and senior. After completing his collegiate career, Miller signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns, where he was used as a fullback/tight end/long snapper. In the fall of 2005, he joined the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Miller served as an Air Force graduate assistant coach from 2002-03. He also spent one year in the ManTech Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, before transitioning to the Air Force Reserve in May of 2004. During the NFL offseason, he worked as a public affairs officer doing recruiting and public relations activities for the Air Force.