Sherman J. Miller Jr.

1940 - 2023

Sherman J. Miller Jr.
October 16, 1940 - September 2, 2023
Sherman J. Miller Jr. Obituary
Coach Sherman J. Miller Jr.
October 16, 1940 - Sept 2, 2023
Sherman J. Miller Jr, (Jerry), 82, of Walnut Creek, passed peacefully on Saturday Sept. 2, 2023. "Coach Miller" as he was known to most, was born in San Francisco in 1940 to Sherman Miller Sr. and Helen Miller (Bogle). After spending his childhood in Hillsborough CA, he went on to be a 3-sport athlete at Orland High School, in Orland CA. Coach then attended college at Chico State University where he was again a 3-sport star, eventually earning All Far Western Conference Honors in all 3 sports. After graduating from Chico, he signed a pro baseball contract with the San Francisco Giants and played one season for the Salem Giants in the Appalachian League. In 1963 with his own athletic career behind him, Jerry decided to pursue a career in teaching and coaching. He somehow discovered an opening at a then small high school in Brentwood California, Liberty Union High School. Two of his Chico teammates mentioned there were a couple of great coaches there in Lou Bronzan and Jack Ferrill that could mentor him. Coach took the leap towards a job and a community that would shape his professional life and provide the foundation for him to build a family. The decision to interview and accept a position at a school and in a community, he had never heard of proved to be a pivotal one for sure.
With his extensive athletic background, coaching and teaching physical education came naturally. After 2-seasons as the JV football, basketball and baseball coach, he was offered the head coaching job for the varsity men's basketball team, a position he would hold from 1966-1985. During this time, he coached countless student athletes, won numerous league titles, North Coat Section appearances and twice was named East Bay Coach of The Year. Additionally, he coached various levels of football and softball at Liberty, winning multiple league titles in both sports. In the classroom, he taught physical education and social studies and for any lives he did not touch through sports, he reached through the classroom.
After 3 years as an assistant coach at University of Pacific and then another two years at Sonoma State University, Coach took over as the head basketball coach at Solano Community College in 1990. Solano had been absent of a basketball program for 8 years and Coach quickly built it into a top program highlighted by winning the school's first ever league title in 1997, earning 8 State Playoff appearances and helping send 30+ players to four-year colleges. In 2003, after 40 years of coaching, Jerry Miller retired with over 600 wins, 10 league titles and thousands of lives impacted. Coach would always claim that he "never worked a day in his life", yet no one poured more into and had more pride in what they did than him.
Jerry was a proud member of multiple athletic Hall of Fame's including, Chico State, Liberty Union High School, Solano College as well as the Northern California Sports Association Hall of Fame.
Outside of coaching, Jerry enjoyed following his Bay Area sports teams - Giants, 49ers and Warriors, playing tennis and golf and working in his yard! A perfect day once he retired would consist of a morning walk, a round of golf and a glass of wine or a margarita and always a cigar, while watching an evening Giants game on TV. Favorite spots for Jerry away from home were Capitola and Half Moon Bay, with golf and enjoying the coastal views being the highlight of both spots.
The most important team for Coach was always his family. There was no "extended" family with him, everyone was immediate. His 2 children, 2 sisters and brother, their families, his grandchildren and all his nieces and nephews were who he enjoyed being with the most. A chance to visit them or watch them play a sport was something he would cherish and never pass up. Jerry is proceeded in death by his father Sherman Miller Sr. and Helen (Bogle) Miller. Jerry is survived by his sisters Helen (Miller) Sperbeck and Barbara (Miller) Harcos (Walt), his brother Bob Miller, his daughter Cori Miller and son Mike Miller (Traci), his grandchildren Maddy, Paige and Nick and his ex-wife Barbara (Norman) Quirico, in addition to numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial Service to Celebrate the Life of Jerry Miller will be held at St. Mary's College (Soda Activity Center), Moraga, CA on Sunday October 29th from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. The family asks that any donations be made to: Liberty High School Basketball Program (mailto:libertybasketball@hotmail.com)