Rod Miller joins Head Coach Jonathan Bane's coaching staff as the defensive coordinator for the San Antonio Gunslingers. With over 20 years of experience, Miller holds an extensive coaching background and is a great asset to our team.
A native of Omaha, Nebraska, and Drake University graduate, Miller began his arena and indoor coaching career in 2000 as a part of the AF2 league with the Carolina Rhinos in Greenville, South Carolina. During his time in the AF2 in addition to his three years with Carolina, Miller spent three more years with the Green Bay Blizzard from (2003-2006).
He went on to serve as the wide receiver coach at Simpson College (Iowa) in 2006 and then as special team coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League. During his start in coaching, he also spent time with the Omaha Beef, Kentucky State University, and Tyler Junior College in Texas.
Miller continued his career in the AFL from 2007 to 2009 as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapid Rampage and as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Gladiators before eventually joining the Trenton Steel of the Southern Indoor Football League in 2011 and then the Laredo Rattlesnakes. From there, he spent time with the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul, the Wichita Force of the Champions Indoor Football League, and Wichita Falls (TX).
From 2019 to 2022, Rod served as the head coach of the IFL’s Bismarck Bucks where he turned the franchise around and curated a championship caliber team. He was also the head coach in the China Arena League with the Qingdao Clippers. In 2023, he served as the defensive coordinator for the Vegas Knight Hawks, who had the number one pass defense, before joining the Massachusetts Pirates as head coach and defensive coordinator leading them to an IFL championship birth. In the off season last fall, Rod joined the coaching staff at Midland University as the Defensive Back and Corners coach. Miller then joined the San Diego Strike Force in 2025 as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, helping lead them to a western conference championship birth.Â
