Langston University names Calvin Miller as interim head football coach

Langston University has turned to a familiar face to lead its historic football program, naming Calvin Miller as interim head coach.

The announcement was made by Langston Director of Athletics Donnita Rogers as the Lions enter the 103rd year of their program. Miller, who has spent the past 15 years on the Langston coaching staff, steps into the role with more than four decades of collegiate coaching experience.

“We are excited to announce Calvin Miller as our new interim head football coach at Langston University,” Rogers said. “Sometimes you’re blessed to be able to find treasure hidden in plain sight, and we have exactly that in Coach Miller. He brings decades of experience at the NAIA and NCAA Division I level.”

Miller said the opportunity comes at the right time in his career.

“I am very excited for this opportunity, and this has presented itself to me for such a time as this,” Miller said. “I’ve been around the game for nearly 40 years, I’ve served in various capacities as an associate head coach, assistant head coach, and I feel like I’m ready and capable to be able to lead Langston University football forward.”

Miller most recently completed his 15th season with the Lions, serving as defensive line coach since 2010 and adding duties as assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2017. During that time, he helped build a defense that produced numerous all-conference and All-American selections.

Langston University President Ruth Ray Jackson praised Miller’s leadership and long-standing commitment to the program.

“Coach Calvin Miller’s appointment as interim head football coach reflects both his deep understanding of the game and the respect he has earned at every level—as a player, a coach, and a leader of young men,” Jackson said. “I have every confidence that he will lead with integrity and purpose during this transition.”

Prior to his return to Langston, Miller coached at several programs, including the University of Central Oklahoma, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Kentucky. Over the years, he has coached multiple players who advanced to the National Football League.

A former standout player himself, Miller earned All-American honors at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before playing at Oklahoma State, where he was part of the Cowboys’ 1974 Fiesta Bowl team. He later had professional stops with teams in both the NFL and the Canadian Football League.