“Red” Miller – NFL Champion Coach

Robert “Red” Miller was a professional football coach with the Denver Broncos.

Miller was born and raised in Macomb, Illinois and attended Macomb Public Schools and Western Illinois University, where he was later a star player and coach for the Leathernecks football team. He began his coaching career at high schools in Astoria and Canton, Illinois, and at Carthage College.

Miller was an assistant coach with Lou Saban at Western Illinois in the late 1950s before joining Saban with the AFL‘s Boston Patriots in 1960. He also was an assistant with Buffalo Bills (1962), Denver (1963–65), St. Louis Cardinals (1966–70), Baltimore (1971–72) and New England (1973–76) before rejoining the Broncos as head coach.

Miller was named head coach of the Denver Broncos on January 31, 1977, replacing  John Ralston. Miller took a team led by linebackers Randy Gradishar, Bob Swenson, and Tom Jackson, cornerbacks Louis Wright and Bernard Jackson, safety Billy Thompson, and defensive end Lyle Alzado— mainstays of the Orange Crush Defense— and veteran quarterback Craig Morton (acquired via trade with the New York Giants) to a 12–2 regular season record and an AFC championship and Super Bowl XII.