Vince Miller's 27-Year Coaching Career at Frankford High (1972-98)
This page includes stories, special lists, record breakdown,
recaps of wins in championship games and (at the bottom) the
names of all varsity players during Coach Miller's 27 seasons. . . .
To provide additions/corrections:
.
Thanks!
In January 2015, Frankford's gym was renamed to honor Coach Vince Miller.
These are some of his former players.
Coach
Miller's All-Stars
and 1,000-Point Scorers ALL- PUBLIC HONOREES 19 72-98 FIRST TEAM 1974 Phil Andrews 1976 Daryl Wilson 1977 Jeffery "Monk" Clark 1980 Kevin "Cat" Compton 1981 Anthony Chennault 1982 Rico Washington 1987 Darryl Oliver 1988 Carlin Warley 1988 Jamie Ross 1989 Carlin Warley 1989 Jason Warley 1994 Duane Johnson 1995 Petrick Sanders 1996 Arthur "Yah" Davis 1996 Petrick Sanders SECOND TEAM 1975 Daryl Wilson 1976 Jeffery "Monk" Clark 1981 Rico Washington 1982 Austin Wilder 1983 Guy Thomas 1986 Adrian Burke 1987 Jamie Ross 1988 Jason Warley 1996 Ronnie Conway 1997 Earl Foreman 1998 Phillip Alston THIRD TEAM 1984 Tony Crawford 1985 Joe Easley 1990 Alvin "Brother" Abner 1993 Duane Johnson 1993 Anthony Mitchell 1996 John Walker ALL-CITY HONOREES (Bulletin, 1972-77, DN 1978-98) FIRST TEAM 1977 Jeffery "Monk" Clark 1981 Anthony Chennault 1982 Rico Washington 1989 Carlin Warley 1996 Arthur "Yah" Davis 1996 Petrick Sanders SECOND TEAM 1976 Daryl Wilson 1988 Carlin Warley 1988 Jamie Ross 1989 Jason Warley 1995 Petrick Sanders THIRD TEAM 1974 Phil Andrews 1980 Kevin "Cat" Compton 1994 Duane Johnson 1996 Ronnie Conway 1,000-POINT SCORERS (All or Part of Career) 1,240 -- Rico Washington 1,071 -- Carlin Warley 1,026 -- Anthony Chennault transferred elsewhere | FIRST TEAM | 1974 | Phil Andrews | 1976 | Daryl Wilson | 1977 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1980 | Kevin "Cat" Compton | 1981 | Anthony Chennault | 1982 | Rico Washington | 1987 | Darryl Oliver | 1988 | Carlin Warley | 1988 | Jamie Ross | 1989 | Carlin Warley | 1989 | Jason Warley | 1994 | Duane Johnson | 1995 | Petrick Sanders | 1996 | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1996 | Petrick Sanders | SECOND TEAM | 1975 | Daryl Wilson | 1976 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1981 | Rico Washington | 1982 | Austin Wilder | 1983 | Guy Thomas | 1986 | Adrian Burke | 1987 | Jamie Ross | 1988 | Jason Warley | 1996 | Ronnie Conway | 1997 | Earl Foreman | 1998 | Phillip Alston | THIRD TEAM | 1984 | Tony Crawford | 1985 | Joe Easley | 1990 | Alvin "Brother" Abner | 1993 | Duane Johnson | 1993 | Anthony Mitchell | 1996 | John Walker | FIRST TEAM | 1977 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1981 | Anthony Chennault | 1982 | Rico Washington | 1989 | Carlin Warley | 1996 | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1996 | Petrick Sanders | SECOND TEAM | 1976 | Daryl Wilson | 1988 | Carlin Warley | 1988 | Jamie Ross | 1989 | Jason Warley | 1995 | Petrick Sanders | THIRD TEAM | 1974 | Phil Andrews | 1980 | Kevin "Cat" Compton | 1994 | Duane Johnson | 1996 | Ronnie Conway | | 1,000-POINT SCORERS | (All or Part of Career) | 1,240 -- Rico Washington | 1,071 -- Carlin Warley | 1,026 -- Anthony Chennault | transferred elsewhere | | Vince Miller Tribute Page Vinson "Vince" Miller coached basketball at Frankford for 27 seasons (1972-98), winning
351 games and two Public League championships. The Pioneers claimed their
1988 crown in a classic, four-overtime war of attrition against West
Philadelphia. Here is that story . . . By Ted
Silary First, Vince Miller's team won the game. Then, the veteran coach lost his
composure. It happened first in a corridor, deep in the bowels of Temple's McGonigle
Hall. It also happened about three minutes later in Frankford High's locker
room, as shrieks of joy bounced off the walls. On both occasions, words that tried to travel up Miller's throat were
blocked by lumps the size of basketballs. Each time, beads of perspiration
that trickled down his cheeks gave way to tears. They cascaded. Approximately 4,000 people yesterday saw Miller steer Frankford (24-1)
past West Philadelphia (24-2), 71-64, in four - yes, four - overtimes for
its first-ever Public League hoop championship. Funny, but when the drain-all-emotion-from-ya marathon finally ended - as
the years go by, 10,000 undoubtedly will claim they were there - the look in
the coach's eyes gave away one fact: He felt somewhat alone. Vince Miller was so visibly distressed because one of the 4,000 was not
Reuben Miller Sr., his father. Mr. Miller passed away Feb. 13 at age 85,
after having been in failing health for almost two years. "To lose my father this year, then to win a championship - it means a
lot," Miller said, haltingly. "He was my fan when I didn't have anyone else.
This is for him." Without prodding from the coach, the Pioneers called a team meeting
shortly after Mr. Miller's death and opted to mourn his passing by wrapping
black electrical tape around the top left strap of their jerseys. The current Pioneers did not know Mr. Miller at all, because only once
this season - Dec. 22, when Frankford won its league opener over Ben
Franklin - had he felt up to attending a game. But in Vince Miller's first
15 seasons, beginning in 1971-72, his father was a constant. "You'd see me on the bench," Vince said, "and you'd see him right behind
me." If Mr. Miller had been perched behind Vince yesterday, he might have been
called upon to play. Almost everyone else was. The Pioneers assuredly won the game, but more than that, they managed to
shake off that punch-drunk feeling and remain standing the longest. Four Frankford starters fouled out - one in regulation (wing guard Nate
Emons, with 0:43 left), two in the second OT (swingman Jamie Ross, with 2:03
left; center Carlin Warley, with 1:59 left) and one in the third OT (lead
guard Rodney Roach, with 0:52 left). In total, they were forced to miss 22
minutes, 37 seconds. West also lost four starters to fouls, but they missed much less total
time (13 minutes, 15 seconds). "All you can do is throw them (little-used subs) out there and pray that
somebody does something positive," said West coach Joe Goldenberg. "Those
were not combinations that we practice with regularly." Roach, who had been pulled in favor of junior forward Cori Lewis earlier
in the quarter, replaced Emons. But the names of the guys Ross, C. Warley
and Roach yielded to, in terms of familiarity, did not rival Manny, Moe and
Jack. In order, we're talking Kevin "Sleepy" Newton, Aaron Cottman and Jeffrey
Mack. We're also talking, cross your fingers and hope. "I did have confidence in them, honest," Miller said. "Hey, I had to put
somebody in." Newton's big moment came with 0:37 left in OT No. 2, when he shocked
everyone by launching, and burying, a "three." (The basket gave Frankford a
53-51 lead. Roach made the front half of a one-and-one at 0:24 to make it
54-51, but West franchise Mik Kilgore, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds, 2
assists and 3 steals, nailed a "three" of his own at 0:10). continued right below . . . | Coach Vince Miller SEASON BY SEASON League / Overall 1972:
2-12 1973: 0-2 1974: 5-9 1975: 8-5 1976: 12-1 1977: 11-4 1978: 7-7 1979: 12-3 1980: 6-9 1981: 14-1 / 19-4 1982: 10-3 1983: 8-1 / 14-3 1984: 7-5 1985: 6-7 1986: 8-5 / 9-9 1987: 11-2 / 17-4 1988: 13-0 / 24-1 1989: 13-0 / 24-1 1990: 7-7 / 9-10 Overall record determined to be 247-121 through 1990 1991: 5-5 / 6-10 1992: 5-6 / 7-11 1993: 7-4 / 11-7 1994: 8-3 / 14-4 1995: 8-3 / 15-6 1996: 14-1 / 23-2 1997: 12-4 / 14-6 1998: 10-3 / 14-4 TOTAL RECORD 27 Seasons, 1972-1998 League - 230-112 Overall -
351-171 PLAYOFF BREAKDOWN Appearances
Ended in . . . Quarterfinals (5) 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1987 Semifinals (2) 1995,
1996 Finals (3) 1981, 1988, 1989 Note: 1973 team reached quarterfinals in Sonny Hill Winter League after teachers' trike ended PL season TOP 15 PL SCORERS Arthur "Yah" Davis 1996 25.6 Rico Washington 1982 24.3 Phillip Alston 1998 23.5 Carlin Warley 1989 22.4 Adrian Burke 1986 22.4 Jeffery "Monk" Clark 1977 21.6 Kevin "Cat" Compton 1980 21.1 Petrick Sanders 1995 20.8 Anthony Chennault 1981 20.3 Phil Andrews 1974 19.4 Carlin Warley 1988 19.4 Daryl Wilson 1975 18.6 Jeffery "Monk" Clark 1976 18.0 Jamie Ross 1987 17.8 Jason Warley 1989 17.5 Alvin Abner 1990 17.5 - STARTERS FOR CHAMPS 1988 Carlin Warley Jason Warley Jamie Ross Nate Emons Rodney Roach 1989 Carlin Warley Jason Warley Cori Lewis Johnny Davis Alvin "Brother" Abner | TOP 15 PL SCORERS | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1996 | 25.6 | Rico Washington | 1982 | 24.3 | Phillip Alston | 1998 | 23.5 | Carlin Warley | 1989 | 22.4 | Adrian Burke | 1986 | 22.4 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1977 | 21.6 | Kevin "Cat" Compton | 1980 | 21.1 | Petrick Sanders | 1995 | 20.8 | Anthony Chennault | 1981 | 20.3 | Phil Andrews | 1974 | 19.4 | Carlin Warley | 1988 | 19.4 | Daryl Wilson | 1975 | 18.6 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1976 | 18.0 | Jamie Ross | 1987 | 17.8 | Jason Warley | 1989 | 17.5 | Alvin Abner | 1990 | 17.5 | STARTERS FOR CHAMPS | 1988 | Carlin Warley | Jason Warley | Jamie Ross | Nate Emons | Rodney Roach | 1989 | Carlin Warley | Jason Warley | Cori Lewis | Johnny Davis | Alvin "Brother" Abner | | | | |
FIRST TEAM
1974 | Phil Andrews
1976 | Daryl Wilson
1977 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark
1980 | Kevin "Cat" Compton
1981 | Anthony Chennault
1982 | Rico Washington
1987 | Darryl Oliver
1988 | Carlin Warley
1988 | Jamie Ross
1989 | Carlin Warley
1989 | Jason Warley
1994 | Duane Johnson
1995 | Petrick Sanders
1996 | Arthur "Yah" Davis
1996 | Petrick Sanders
SECOND TEAM
1975 | Daryl Wilson
1976 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark
1981 | Rico Washington
1982 | Austin Wilder
1983 | Guy Thomas
1986 | Adrian Burke
1987 | Jamie Ross
1988 | Jason Warley
1996 | Ronnie Conway
1997 | Earl Foreman
1998 | Phillip Alston
THIRD TEAM
1984 | Tony Crawford
1985 | Joe Easley
1990 | Alvin "Brother" Abner
1993 | Duane Johnson
1993 | Anthony Mitchell
1996 | John Walker
FIRST TEAM
1977 | Jeffery "Monk" Clark
1981 | Anthony Chennault
1982 | Rico Washington
1989 | Carlin Warley
1996 | Arthur "Yah" Davis
1996 | Petrick Sanders
SECOND TEAM
1976 | Daryl Wilson
1988 | Carlin Warley
1988 | Jamie Ross
1989 | Jason Warley
1995 | Petrick Sanders
THIRD TEAM
1974 | Phil Andrews
1980 | Kevin "Cat" Compton
1994 | Duane Johnson
1996 | Ronnie Conway
1,000-POINT SCORERS
(All or Part of Career)
*1,240 -- Rico Washington
*1,071 -- Carlin Warley
1,026 -- Anthony Chennault
*transferred elsewhere
TOP 15 PL SCORERS
Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1996 | 25.6
Rico Washington | 1982 | 24.3
Phillip Alston | 1998 | 23.5
Carlin Warley | 1989 | 22.4
Adrian Burke | 1986 | 22.4
Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1977 | 21.6
Kevin "Cat" Compton | 1980 | 21.1
Petrick Sanders | 1995 | 20.8
Anthony Chennault | 1981 | 20.3
Phil Andrews | 1974 | 19.4
Carlin Warley | 1988 | 19.4
Daryl Wilson | 1975 | 18.6
Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1976 | 18.0
Jamie Ross | 1987 | 17.8
Jason Warley | 1989 | 17.5
Alvin Abner | 1990 | 17.5
STARTERS FOR CHAMPS
1988
Carlin Warley
Jason Warley
Jamie Ross
Nate Emons
Rodney Roach
1989
Carlin Warley
Jason Warley
Cori Lewis
Johnny Davis
Alvin "Brother" Abner
"Coach Miller always says, when
I'm open I can shoot. He has confidence in me," Newton said. "Of course, if
I'd missed, he might have been mad. I didn't know where I was, actually. I
didn't know I was behind the three-point line until the ref put his hands up." Cottman made no major contributions, but at least he didn't mess up. Mack's play, in a word, was vital. With 0:43 left in the third OT, and Frankford trailing, 60-56, the 5-9
senior guard alley-ooped an inbound pass to 6-4 junior forward Jason Warley (22 points, 23 rebounds), and a three-point play
resulted. Then, as Eric Williams, West's senior lead guard, dribbled upcourt, Mack stripped him and raced in for a
layup. Just like that, the Pioneers went from down four to up one. The session ended at 62-62 as Williams made two free throws for West at
0:26, then J. Warley, fouled on a follow attempt, made one of two at 0:05. In OT No. 4, Frankford seized a 64-62 lead at 2:34 as J. Warley scored on
a rebound basket. At 1:11, several misses from the floor and line later, Mack hustled for his second gigantic steal,
tipping the ball out of Williams's hands and into Warley's. Thereafter, Frankford shot 7-for-9 from the line while West shot 1-for-6
from the floor. Then the buzzer sounded and a sea of people wearing red, blue and gold
surged onto the court. By now, Frankford's fans have perfected the art of storming the playing surface. The Pioneers
have accomplished a first-ever ''Pub" triple this school year, winning titles in football, soccer and basketball. Holy Mack-erel! "That kid Mack is always bugging me to play. Well, he sure got his chance
today," Miller cackled. "I also get it from his girlfriend (Samantha Hawkins). She gives me a hard time. She's always
saying, 'I came to see Jeff play and you didn't even put him in.' " "Friday, coach Miller had me practice with the first team a little," Mack
said. "But when the third quarter came and I hadn't played yet, I said, 'Shoot, he's not going to use me. ' I was kind of
mad. I didn't want to show anybody, but I was kind of sulking at the Franklin game (semifinals), too. That could have been
the last game in my career. It hurt not to get in. Thankfully, we got to today. "I was just trying to keep Williams in the middle of the court. I wanted
to 'turn' him again and again, so he'd have to switch hands. Hopefully, he'd lose it on one of those switches. "Playing defense is what I do better than anything else." Way back in regulation, when nine starters were still around, Ross
created a 46-46 tie at 0:28 by sticking an 8-foot, left-baseline jumper. The Speedboys decided to hold for a last shot, but
after they waited a bit too long to swing into a pattern, senior swingman Benny Ball missed a hurried 22-footer. As the first OT wound down, Lewis calmly converted a one-and-one at 0:10
for a 49-47 lead, but Williams varoomed upcourt and took the ball to the hole for an in-yo-face layup at 0:06.
Williams also drew a foul from 6-6 sophomore Carlin Warley (16 points, 15 rebounds), but was unable to convert the free
throw. Lewis, who routinely played less than 10 minutes in games that weren't
blowouts, had 8 points and 5 rebounds in 27. "I never thought I'd play that kind of role in a championship game," he
said. "Especially one that went three overtimes." Uh, Cori, there were four OTs. "Four?" he said. "Guess I forgot one. "Mr. Miller told me and Jason, 'Every time you get the ball, go to the
hole. Don't forget, they're in foul trouble, too.' I'm a good foul shooter. I had some jitters when I came in the game the
first time (late first quarter), but touching the ball a few times cleaned that situation right up." "I knew the guys on the bench could do the job," J. Warley enthused.
''Just by hitting the 'three,' Newton showed he could step into Jamie's spot. And Mack - he always does a good job in
practice and makes the most of the minutes he gets in the games. "This was Carlin and Jamie's year. They got a lot of (media) attention.
It didn't really bother me. I just tried to score the garbage points and hit the boards. But once Carlin fouled out, I knew I
had to dig in. I had to play as hard as I could for as long as I could. " Ultimately, the other Pioneers felt as though they had to win. "When we'd talk," Cori Lewis, "we kept saying that, of course, we wanted
to win for ourselves. But we also said, 'Let's win this for Mr. Miller, and his dad.' " TITLE TIDBITS: In the first and second OTs, West was 1-for-9 from
the line. Three were front ends . . . Frankford's lone loss was 77-61 to West in a non- league game in December.
West lost only to Bishop McNamara (Md.), in a semifinal in the McCorristin holiday tournament . . . Vince
Miller, on how old he felt by game's end: "About 65. " He's 51 . . . Probably half of West's 16 free throw misses were
of the it's-in, no-it's-not variety . . . In the past 14 seasons, all but one "Pub" champion has exited the title game
with two or fewer losses. In '83, Overbrook was 21-5 overall . . . In '55, when both were seniors in high school,
Miller's 'Brook team (with Wilt; no last name needed) defeated Joe Goldenberg's West team in the final.
This story was written
in 1989 after Vince guided the Pioneers to
a second consecutive crown . . .
By Ted Silary A "T," some "threes" and much tougher "D." Not to be overly simplistic, but those are the three main reasons
Frankford High is the Public League basketball champion for the second consecutive season. Yesterday, as a capacity crowd at Temple's McGonigle Hall rocked, rolled,
swayed and gyrated, the Pioneers (25-1) tripped Simon Gratz, 75-66, in a much-closer-than-that final. The "T," as in technical foul, came early. The "threes," as in three-point field goals, were a late-third-quarter
staple. The much tougher "D," as in defense, was evident in the final eight
minutes. Looking at the factors in reverse order . . . Through the first three quarters, Gratz (24-2) shot 22-for-37 (59.5
percent) from the floor. In the last quarter, Frankford, not being in foul trouble, became more aggressive and the
Bulldogs went (ouch!) 4-for-20. As the third quarter wound down, Frankford got a pair of three-pointers
from swingman Cori Lewis and another from lead guard Johnny Davis. Lewis's second ("I didn't know I was behind
the line until I saw the scoreboard ringing up three points") not only provided a 53-50 lead to end the session, it
whipped Frankford's rooters into a frenzy. Now, we backtrack, barely into the second quarter. Gratz owns an 18-12
lead and Frankford has a disinterested, dispirited look. Davis drives to the basket and flips up a layup. Harry Moore, Gratz's
impressive 6-7 junior, spikes the shot above rim level. Frankford's Carlin Warley scores on a put-back basket, and as the
teams head upcourt, a whistle sounds. Referee Caesar Williams has slapped Vince Miller, Frankford's coach, with a "T." A sought-after T, as Miller, who had squawked for a goaltending call,
later admitted. "I thought it might spark us," Miller said. "Things weren't going right.
They were dictating the tempo. They were the ggressor. They were taking it to us. "Maybe the 'T' did help somewhat. It woke us up. The kids saw that I was
starting to get intense. We turned it around a little." Said Lewis: "Whenever Mr. Miller gets mad, everybody plays harder. I
didn't know he got a 'T' until I saw the Gratz kid (Aaron McKie) going to the line. But it created a lot of emotion for us.
After that, we were intense." Actually, Cori Lewis, a 6-3 senior, played like a man possessed
throughout the four-game playoffs. By now, the fans' perception of Frankford has to have been altered from
''The Warley Brothers and Three Other Nothing-Special Guys" to "The Warley Brothers, a Pretty Talented Guy Named
Lewis and Two Other Guys Who Also Contribute." Lewis yesterday totaled 19 points (6-for-11, 5-for-8), 5 rebounds, 7
assists and 3 steals. His playoff averages in those respective categories merely were 20.8, 6.8, 5.8 and 3.8. Cori, cousin of the Charlotte Hornets Ralph Lewis ('81 Frankford
graduate), perhaps made his biggest play with 1:17 left, after Carlin Warley missed a one-and-one to fail to expand a 65-61
Frankford lead. Lewis made an off- balance leap into the lane, tipped the rebound to Davis on the left wing and Frankford
scored at 1:05, as Davis hit Jason Warley for a short banker. Then, after Gratz's Steve Patterson missed a one-and-one at 0:58, Lewis
again grabbed the rebound and hit Jason Warley for a breakaway layup. "I don't see why there aren't more colleges interested in Cori," Miller
said. "He has to be a strong Division I prospect. He plays great defense, he handles the ball (Lewis mixed in lead-guard
duties late in the season), he's strong, goes to the hoop, gets up in the air. I don't know what they're looking for." Said Carlin Warley: "Ever since the playoffs started, Cori has been
outstanding. He came through in true fashion, like a senior should." A year ago, when Frankford topped West Philadelphia, 71-64, in a
legendary, four-overtime championship game, Lewis was Miller's first substitute. He had 8 points and 5 rebounds in 27
minutes, then noted: "I never thought I'd play that kind of role in a championship game. Especially one that went three
overtimes." After being informed that the game had gone four overtimes, he said
sheepishly, "Guess I forgot one. " Luckily for Frankford, Cori Lewis remembered the feeling, and what it had
taken to achieve it. "When you lose in the playoffs, you go home for the year. No
championship," Lewis said. "I wanted another one. No way I was going home without one. "The way Gratz was doubling down on Carlin, I just tried to stay on his
side and work a two-man game. Jason would ome high. Most teams' plans were to keep the ball away from Carlin and
Jason. Earlier in the year, we weren't knocking down the easy shots teams were giving us. The second half of the year, we
did." Frankford began the season with only four varsity returnees - Lewis, the
Warleys and Aaron Cottman, a substitute forward who was not used in yesterday's game. For that reason, Miller said
he would derive more satisfaction from Title II than Title I. "I think I did a better coaching job this year," Miller said. "Check to
see how many teams won (a second consecutive championship) with only four guys returning. We had no guards with any
experience. We had to mold a backcourt out of guys who had never played a varsity game. "All year, our guards (Alvin "Brother" Abner and Davis, after supplanting
Jamol Simpson) were our weakest part. We didn't hide it. They worked hard to change my criticism of them being bad,
and stepped up and won a championship." Said Carlin Warley: "The second time around is sweeter, because this
year's team is not as talented. This team had a lot of togetherness. That helped us pull through." That, along with a "T," some "threes" and much tougher "D." TITLE TIDBITS Harry Moore had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Gratz. He was 2-for-7 in the
last quarter because, according to Frankford coach Vince Miller, "We had Carlin (Warley) front him more,
instead of just letting him catch the ball" . . . Other recent back-to-back champions were Southern ('86, '87), Overbrook
('79, '80), West Philadelphia ('74-'78) and Overbrook ('70, '71) . . . To answer Miller's question: Southern returned
three varsity players in '87, only one of whom had started in '86 . . . Gratz's Aaron McKie, a 6-4 junior, played with a
broken (non-shooting) wrist. He had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and said, "Athletes have to play in pain" . . .
Gratz's other loss also was to Frankford (67-65 on Jan. 19) . . . Gratz coach Bill Ellerbee, who wore a red and white letter
sweater dating from his days as a Gratz student: "We had our chances. We were our own worst enemy. We'd beat their press,
then not look to score" . . . The title is Frankford's second. Gratz has won once, in 1939, though the '73 team won the
Sonny Hill Winter League after a teachers' strike wiped out the regular season season.
This story was written
in the fall of 1998, when Vince announced
his retirement . . .
By Ted Silary Vince Miller was being literal and figurative when he said he fell into
coaching. It was one night in the summer of 1958, after his junior year at North
Carolina A & T, when Miller received a phone call from Wilt Chamberlain, his best buddy since third grade, about a pickup
basketball game set for Haddington (now Shepard) Recreation Center, 57th and Haverford. "Willie Naulls, Walter Dukes - some guys like that were coming down from
New York to challenge some of the best guys in Philly,'' Miller said. "I told Wilt I had a date that night, but he
said, `You won't be going out until 9 or 10 anyway. Play first.' '' Soon, Miller was going up for a layup, then down in a heap. "My left knee just locked,'' he said. "I looked at my leg and there was a
big dimple where my kneecap was supposed to be. They cut me from one side to the other. Used wire to get everything
back together. The surgical techniques weren't as good as they are now. It was just about unheard of to come back
from something like that, so . . . '' When school resumed Tuesday at Frankford High, a notice was tacked to the
bulletin board advertising the need for a basketball coach. Vinson "Vince'' Miller, 61, has retired after winning just over
two-thirds of his games (351-171) in 27 seasons along with Public League championships in 1988 and '89. "I still loved the coaching and I still loved being in my classroom,''
Miller said. "I could control the team, control my students. It was the riffraff around the school that made things difficult.
Kids have changed so much. And there was so much other junk you had to put up with. Thirty-six years [including
teaching stints at Thomas Edison and Central] was enough.'' Vince Miller first gained acclaim in 1955 as a forward for Overbrook's PL
and city champions. That was the season in which Chamberlain burned Roxborough for 90 points and averaged 47.2 in PL
play, but the 6-5 Miller was hardly a slouch. He averaged 11.1 points in league play, second on the team, and then
stepped forward with 17 as the Panthers topped West Philadelphia, 78-60, for the PL championship and 31 as they
bombed West Catholic, 83-42, for the City Title. In 1991, the Daily News named that team the best in city scholastic
history. Miller, something of a late bloomer, continued to improve at North
Carolina A & T and spent part of his summers working as a bellhop at Kutsher's Country Club in New York's Catskill
Mountains, as did Chamberlain. "We'd play games against the other resort hotels,'' Miller said. "I'd
anticipated maybe getting a shot at the NBA; [Celtics coach] Red Auerbach always thought I had pro potential. After the
knee injury, I knew I couldn't take that path. I started coaching in the [age-group] New York-Philadelphia series and
then got involved with coaching pros in the Baker League. "The people at A & T were good to me. They gave me an official coaching
start as a graduate assistant.'' Miller's coaching highlight came in 1988, when Frankford defeated West,
71-64, in four overtimes, for its first PL championship. Afterward, a sobbing Miller dedicated the win to his father,
Reuben Miller, who had died three weeks earlier at age 85. Miller's immediate plan is to travel more with his wife, Gloria. "But if something were to become available on the college level,'' he
said, "I'd be more than anxious to listen. It would have to be as a head coach, though. "One thing that amazes me is that more coaching talent hasn't been tapped
out of the Public League. You go , Mark Levin at Overbrook. You still have Kenny
Hamilton at Franklin, Bill Ellerbee at Gratz. Look what John Chaney has done on the college level [at Cheyney and Temple].
He started out at Gratz. "If nothing more happens for me in coaching, I'm more than happy with my
career. I enjoyed everything and I know I helped kids, which is what it's all about.''
-
Recaps of victories in Public League finals . . . 1988 At Temple's McGonigle Hall Frankford 71, West 64 (4 ot) Frankford, a PL member since the 1916-17 season, won its first
championship in a classic war of attrition. Both teams lost four
starters to personal fouls. Frankford's ninth man, guard Jeffrey
Mack, made a huge steal in the third OT, then made another in the
fourth. The Pioneers took the lead for good, at 64-62, on Jason
Warley's rebound basket with 2:34 left. Warley had 22 points and 23
rebounds. His brother, Carlin, a sophomore, had 16 points and 15
rebounds. For West, Mik Kilgore had 27 points and 10 rebounds. 1989 At Temple's McGonigle Hall Frankford 75, Gratz 66 Carlin Warley collected 16 points and 20 rebounds for Frankford,
which used no subs. Jason Warley had 20 points and nine rebounds.
Cori Lewis totaled 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three
steals. For Gratz, the leaders were Harry Moore (23 points, 10
rebounds) and Aaron McKie (19 points).
--
Below are the players who helped Vince Miller claim 351 wins and two Public League championships in 27 seasons as the coach at Frankford. The year indicates the player's final season. Most
were seniors. Some transferred and some were underclassmen who did not play in the following season.
Allen Brower | 1972 | Austin Wilder | 1982 | Allen Jaynes | 1991
George Sewell | 1972 | Darryl martino | 1982 | Alvin Trumbo | 1991
Glenn Heusser | 1972 | Jerome Leake | 1982 | Doug Beatty | 1991
Kevin Allen | 1972 | Kevin Medley | 1982 | Dwayne Cosby | 1991
Mark Townsell | 1972 | Nick Jenkins | 1982 | Eric Newton | 1991
Terry Parris | 1972 | Rico Washington | 1982 | James Moore | 1991
Al Spangler | 1973 | Milt Scott | 1982 | Jermaine Hutchins | 1991
Cook | 1973 | Mark Sumner | 1982 | Kirk Dodd | 1991
Dave Straub | 1973 | Bermudez | 1983 | Shawn Chambers | 1991
Ed Simpson | 1973 | Fontel Smith | 1983 | Charles "Miles" Lewis | 1992
Eric Cosby | 1973 | Frank Styles | 1983 | Allen Carroll | 1992
Frank Karnes | 1973 | Guy Thomas | 1983 | Derek Santiago | 1992
Fred Brake | 1973 | K. Williams | 1983 | Kevin Kearse | 1992
Fred Payne | 1973 | Rod Smith | 1983 | Mark Leaks | 1992
George Gibson | 1973 | Wayne Young | 1983 | Anthony Mitchell | 1993
J. Smith | 1973 | Wilhelm Wilson | 1983 | Barry Jackson | 1993
Moore | 1973 | Willie Wilson | 1983 | Dezrey Blake | 1993
Charlie Moore | 1974 | Craig Washington | 1984 | Chris Anderson | 1993
Ed Johnson | 1974 | Darwin Dobson | 1984 | Damian Hill | 1993
Guy Lampkin | 1974 | James Butler | 1984 | Marlin Meachem | 1993
Jeff Miller | 1974 | Jerome Easley | 1984 | Rodney Henderson | 1993
Jerry Kittrell | 1974 | Julius Davis | 1984 | Ron Lewis | 1993
Phil Andrews | 1974 | Tony Crawford | 1984 | William "Boo" Minor | 1993
Rich Stewart | 1974 | Anthony Berry | 1985 | Derrick "Wiggles" Lanier | 1994
Richard Cook | 1974 | Bruce McBride | 1985 | Duane Johnson | 1994
Stan Machristie | 1974 | Curtis Smith | 1985 | Dwayne Turner | 1994
Ernie Rehr | 1975 | Frank Bowens | 1985 | Eric Dabney | 1994
Joe Prewitt | 1975 | Joe Easley | 1985 | Harold Cade | 1994
Melvin Kilgore | 1975 | Lawrence Miller | 1985 | Jason Leaks | 1994
Rich Kemp | 1975 | Leon McClendon | 1985 | Myron Jeffcoat | 1994
Willie Roberts | 1975 | Maurice Campbell | 1985 | Rasheen Braddock | 1994
Charles Pryor | 1976 | Roland Anderson | 1985 | Tony Jones | 1994
Daryl Wilson | 1976 | Adrian Burke | 1986 | Carl Craig | 1995
Frank Zaccone | 1976 | Calvin Childs | 1986 | Ron Abner | 1995
George Golding | 1976 | Jim Chabot | 1986 | Ward | 1995
Henry Bishop | 1976 | Joe Carretta | 1986 | Willie Cooper | 1995
Jeff Marcial | 1976 | Paul Gripper | 1986 | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1996
Jiles Lee | 1976 | Sean Henderson | 1986 | Bill Void | 1996
John Chaney | 1976 | Sylvester Marner | 1986 | Deon Keel | 1996
Lester Coney | 1976 | Bruce Lorenzo | 1987 | John Hawkins | 1996
Bob Piekielski | 1977 | Darryl Oliver | 1987 | John Walker | 1996
Claude Gross | 1977 | Eric Robinson | 1987 | Petrick Sanders | 1996
Darrell Miller | 1977 | Harry Mobley | 1987 | Robert Woolford | 1996
Eddie Williams | 1977 | Jim Higgins | 1987 | Ronald McCleskey | 1996
Jeffery "Monk" Clark | 1977 | Kevin McCoy | 1987 | Ronnie Conway | 1996
Mike Darcy | 1977 | Mark Benton | 1987 | Sheldon Fitzgerald | 1996
Art Camm | 1978 | Sonny Jones | 1987 | Terrance Scott | 1996
Connie Miller | 1978 | Steve Blaker | 1987 | Derreck Burroughs | 1997
Dave Viscusi | 1978 | Aaron Cottman | 1988 | Earl Foreman | 1997
Derrick Miller | 1978 | Barry Lewis | 1988 | Eddie Gaskins | 1997
Ed Gerety | 1978 | Devin Foreman | 1988 | George White | 1997
Ed Tompkins | 1978 | Jamie Ross | 1988 | James Clay | 1997
Gregory Howard | 1978 | Jeffrey Mack | 1988 | John Crichton | 1997
Tony Williams | 1978 | Kevin "Sleepy" Newton | 1988 | Michael Rothmaller | 1997
Victor Griggs | 1978 | Nate Emons | 1988 | Ricky Watson | 1997
Andrew "Skip" Duren | 1979 | Rodney Roach | 1988 | Ryan Abner | 1997
Greg Williams | 1979 | Tony Davis | 1988 | Durrell Rothwell | 1998
Steve Black | 1979 | Carlin Warley | 1989 | Eric Snipes | 1998
Tony Van Cliff | 1979 | Cori Lewis | 1989 | Gerald "Moosha" Redding | 1998
Adrian Speller | 1980 | Jamol Simpson | 1989 | Jacques Griffin | 1998
Carlton Lanier | 1980 | Jason Carley | 1989 | Kenny Carruth | 1998
Dan Albright | 1980 | Johnny Davis | 1989 | Phillip Alston | 1998
Ken St. George | 1980 | Ramont Reeves | 1989 | Quincy Todd | 1998
Kenny Young | 1980 | Dave Riggins | 1989 | Rakeem Dunston | 1998
Kevin "Cat" Compton | 1980 | Ron O'Neal | 1989 | Rhomer DeLaRosa | 1998
Nick Goggins | 1980 | Toney Snipes | 1989 | Sam Bennett | 1998
Steve Merricks | 1980 | Alvin "Brother" Abner | 1990 | Shamar Laguins | 1998
Anthony Chennault | 1981 | Dwayne Chambers | 1990 | Stephen Jones | 1998
Darryl Williams | 1981 | Frank Dobisch | 1990 | |
Greg Boyd | 1981 | George Weems | 1990 | |
Mickey Carruth | 1981 | Montik Goodwin | 1990 | |
Ralph Lewis | 1981 | Raynarde Reeves | 1990 | |
| | Rhyan Jones | 1990 | |
| | Ricky Dunbar | 1990 | |
| | Wayne Allen | 1990 | |
| | Bill Murray | 1990 | |
Author
Published
March 5, 2026
Updated
March 6, 2026