Jan Miller has been hired as the head coach of West Ranch football.

Miller, 47,  has been the Wildcats’s JV head coach for the last two years.  Before that he headed up the freshman program at West Ranch.

“I’m ecstatic,” the 23-year Marine veteran said.  “I can’t wait to start.  I’d start up tomorrow if I could.”

Miller calls himself an “approachable disciplinarian” and will be an off-campus coach.  He is currently a tactics officer with the LAPD.

Along with a stronger emphasis on discipline, the Wildcats coach promises a new offense as well.

“We have become known as a running school,” he said.  “We’re going to balance out to more passing.  We’ll work out of the shotgun and the spread more.”

The same staff Miller had with him on the JV level will move up to the varsity.  Andy Markel will be the offensive coordinator and Dan Bigelow the defensive coordinator.

Twenty one people applied for the Wildcats’s varsity football head coaching job, which was narrowed down to the top three.  According to West Ranch principal Bob Vincent, Miller was “head and shoulders the right guy for the job.”

Miller will replace Sean O’Brien who stepped down last month after four years on the job.