Don Cantrell, Sidelines: Remembering Miller, a Newport-Mesa pillar

Don Cantrell

The late Les Miller never would have expected his name to be

erected on any school building in the harbor area, but it finally

happened six years after he passed away in 1995.

After serving 14 years as coach and teacher at Newport Harbor High,

Miller was named to serve as the first principal at Costa Mesa High and

carried out that appointment for five years.

His many friends in education were elated to find the administration

building at Costa Mesa High named to honor its first principal.

Another lofty honor came his way years ago, when Orange Coast College

named him its Citizen of the Year.

With amusement, Miller told this corner at the time that he was

pleased, “but these things only happen when you’ve grown old enough.”

Numerous friends and relatives attended the Costa Mesa ceremony, Nov.

7, 2000 at the school.

Although he maintained many harbor area friendships over the years,

another circle turned against him in the early 1960s, after his intense

battle with Newport Harbor High district chief Max Russell.

Miller said Russell had asked him to fire the late football coach Don

Burns and Miller refused. In fact, he finally wrote a letter to Russell

threatening to resign. He hoped that would prompt Russell to drop the

issue. It didn’t. He accepted the resignation. Miller later linked up

with Davis Intermediate School in Costa Mesa for three years, before

retiring.

Miller retained other Costa Mesa civic and community activities and

kept building a long list of friends and supporters. His role for many

years in the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club Fish Fry was always

considered one of his top achievements, since it raised thousands of

dollars for community charities.

Possibly, Miller could have stayed in his native Kansas or Iowa and

achieved similar high marks in that region, since he established two high

coaching marks early on in his career.

However, one day he chose to visit his parents, who were vacationing

in San Pedro. The view of the coast near Long Beach and beautiful weather

prompted him to consider a move to the West.

One of the major questions was where to seek information for the most

valued high schools. He was told to check with the education secretary at

USC.

She told him one of the five most outstanding high schools in Southern

California was Newport Harbor High. He lost little time driving to

Principal Sid Davidson’s office in Newport Beach.

The timing was right since Harbor football coach Wendell Pickens was

leaving to assume a physical education post with the Navy during World

War II.

Miller had football, basketball and baseball coaching experience and

could teach several basic subjects after graduating from Baker College in

Kansas.

He did consider military duty first as a naval aviator, but Navy

doctors rejected his bid, since he had a serious eye problem.

Varsity coaching duties were turned back to Pickens when he returned

from World War II. Miller then focused mostly on inside roles, such as

teaching civics and government.

Miller’s three years of coaching varsity football ran from high to

low. His ’43 team only won two games, while the ’45 team lost six and

tied one, without a victory.

His optimism ran high in ‘44, with great talent and some experience.

But World War II was still drafting young men and he would lose three top

players to the Navy.

The ’44 team won four games in a row, then got nipped, 7-6, by Santa

Ana High, knocking the Tars out of the Sunset League title chase.

Unfortunately, Miller’s team also lost a bid for a fifth victory, when

it was tied by Orange in the last moments, 7-7, in a driving rain storm.

Miller had his grand opportunity Oct. 20, 1989, to visit with his old

players at the 25th anniversary of Harbor High football at Davidson

Field.