University of North Carolina Athletics
Senior Associate AD/SWA Dr. Beth Miller To Retire From UNC
March 23, 2015 | General
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - University of North Carolina Senior Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator Dr. Beth Miller has announced that she will retire from the University on July 1, 2015.
“I've been fortunate to be part of the University and the North Carolina athletic department for 40 years and it's been a wonderful experience,” says Miller. “I've enjoyed the challenge and opportunity to work with so many outstanding coaches, student-athletes and administrators throughout my career. I will miss the daily interaction and the relationships I've developed with those people the most. I want to thank the University of North Carolina and the athletic directors for whom I've worked – Bill Cobey, John Swofford, Dick Baddour and Bubba Cunningham – for allowing me to serve at such an outstanding institution. It has been my honor.”
“Beth has had an incredible career at the University of North Carolina,” says UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. “Beginning as a coach and transitioning into an administrative role, Beth has always worked tirelessly to support all of our student-athletes and coaches. She has been a pioneer for women's college athletics both nationally and at UNC. Because of her leadership and guidance, Carolina's Olympic Sports have achieved incredible success with more than 30 national championships in the sports of women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, field hockey, men's and women's lacrosse and women's tennis. It has been my pleasure and honor to work with Beth for the last three years.”
Miller has spent the majority of her career in college athletics, serving in various roles including head volleyball coach, softball coach, business manager, assistant and associate athletic director and senior woman administrator. She is in her 31st year supervising North Carolina's highly successful Olympic Sports program and has been the department's senior woman administrator since 1981, and the senior associate director of athletics since 1995.
Miller worked with the administration to transition Carolina's women's sports programs to NCAA status in 1981-82, a move that created increased scholarship opportunities for female student-athletes at UNC. She also helped develop a policy for creating an intercollegiate varsity sport at UNC, which resulted in the addition of women's lacrosse in 1995 and rowing in 1997.
The Tar Heels' Olympic Sports program has long been considered one of the best in the country because of her leadership. Carolina currently ranks 11th in the nation in NCAA team championships.
In February 2015, Miller was recognized by CollegeAD.com as one of the top 10 senior woman administrators in the country.
Miller is currently the primary administrator for 13 Tar Heel programs: men's and women's cross country, men's and women's fencing, women's golf, gymnastics, rowing, men's soccer, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball. She assists Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham as secondary administrator for women's basketball, as well as focusing on oversight of Carmichael Arena, special projects and campus and community relations.
A native of Landis, N.C., Miller is a 1968 alumna of Appalachian State University with a B.S. degree in health and physical education. She has a master's from ASU and earned a Doctor of Arts degree in physical education at Middle Tennessee State in 1974.
From 1969-72, Miller served as the head volleyball and basketball coach at Appalachian State. She then came to UNC where she served as assistant professor of health and physical education. She became head volleyball coach at UNC in 1975 and led the Tar Heels to four consecutive ACC titles from 1980-83 and five postseason tournament appearances. She also coached softball at Carolina from 1978-79.
In 1979, Miller was named UNC's Athletic Business Manager. She retired from coaching volleyball after 1983, but continued to handle all financial affairs for the department through 1987. She has overseen UNC's Olympic Sports program since 1985.
Miller serves on a number of Atlantic Coast Conference committees, including those for women's basketball and women's golf. She also serves on the ACC Awards Committee, Committee on Committees and Officiating Committee.
In recognition of her outstanding service to Carolina, Miller was honored in April of 2008 as a recipient of the 2008 C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the University of North Carolina.