The Blue Devils are proud to announce our newest member of the Blue Devil team, Bruce Miller.  Bruce will be coaching the Blue Devil boys varsity soccer team.  If the name sounds familiar and you were an avid NPLS soccer fan, you would remember that Bruce was the head coach of the Cleveland Crunch from 1995 – 1999.  

Player Profile:

 The Canadian citizen started his soccer career in 1974 as a member of his country's National Youth Team. In that same year, at the age of 17, Bruce made the jump to the Canadian National Team. He became the youngest player to play for the Canadian Nation Team, (17 years, 6 months). In the following two years, Bruce made appearances on the Canadian Olympic Team (1975) and the team at Simon Fraser University (1975-76). The SFU Team went to the NAIA finals in 1975 and won in 1976. He then returned home to play for the Canadian National Team.

 1974 – Province of British Columbia U-19 Select Team Player1974 – Sent by Canadian National Team Management to train in Cologne, Germany

1974 – Canadian National Youth Team Player

1974 – Canadian Men’s National Team Player (Youngest player ever – 17 Yrs. and 6 mos.)

1975 – Finalist – British Columbia High School Athlete of the Year

1975 – Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)

1975 – Simon Fraser University (NAIA), Burnaby, British Columbia – NAIA Finalist

1975 – Member of Canadian 1976 Olympic Soccer Team Pool (withdrew due to injury)

1976 – Simon Fraser University – Captain – NAIA Champions1977 – Canadian National Team  

His professional career began in 1978 as a member of the Seattle Sounders of the old NASL. During those three years he made a brief stop in Cleveland as a loan player to the Cleveland Force in the MISL, (1979). He returned to the Canadian National Team for the 1980-81 season.

The next stop in Bruce's pro career was with the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in the NASL, (1982-83). He was named an honorable mention all-star in 1983. He then played for the Minnesota Strikers of the NASL/MISL, (1984-86).

1978 - 1980 – Seattle Sounders (North American Soccer League)

1981 - 1984 - Canada’s World Cup Qualifying team

1982 – 1986 – Ft. Lauderdale/Minnesota Strikers (NASL/MISL)     

 Coaching Profile: 

Bruce's playing career was abruptly interrupted when he contracted a staph infection in his knee joint after a minor operation. Although he remained on the roster through 1986, he only played in three games that season. It was that incident that sent him on the path to coaching. His first and only coaching position prior to the Crunch was as an assistant for the Minnesota Strikers, where Hector Marinaro played for him, during the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons. Bruce became the fourth Head Coach in the Crunch history on September 11, 1995.

1986 – United States Soccer Federation National “B” License Coach – Minneapolis, MN

1986 – 1988 – Minnesota Strikers (MISL) Assistant Coach and Director of Community Relations

1987 – United States Soccer Federation National “A” License Coach – Tampa, FL

1987 – North Regional Women’s Coach at the US Olympic Sports Festival – Houston, TX

1988 – 1989 – Head Coach at Prior Lake High School – Prior Lake, MN

1990 – 1991 – Minnesota Olympic Development Program (Boys) Staff Coach

1992 – United States Youth Soccer Association Region II (Boys) Staff Coach

1993 – 1994 – Coaching Consultant – Anoka High School Boys and Girls Soccer Teams – Anoka, MN

1995 – 2001 – Head Coach – Cleveland Crunch Indoor Professional Soccer Team (2 time champions)  

Presently, Bruce resides in Brunswick with his wife Wendy. They have two sons, Cole and Justin. Bruce is the owner of Pro Soccer Services Inc., and the Director of all Sports Programming at UXL Sports and Fitness in Brunswick, Ohio.

Our very own Coach Miller was interviewed byTodd Stumpf of the Blue Devil Blitz, weekly newspaper.    His article was in the September 13th issue. Just another reason we are very proud to have him as a          BLUE DEVIL COACH!