Tony Miller is in his 12th season at SMU, arriving on the Hilltop during the 2006-07 academic year. Miller has built a tradition of sprint achievement for the Mustangs.
Last season, Miller continued to elevate the sprint program at SMU with the addition of Chelsea Francis, India Simmons and Alexis Center. The trio along with Latessa Johnson ran the third-fastest time in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 45.48. Miller guided a young sprint crew to two conference championships and four all-conference performances. Individually, Miller coached Francis to the American Athletic Conference record in the 100-meter dash as the freshman claimed her first conference title in a personal-best time of 11.34, which is the second-fastest time in program history. Francis also picked up the bronze at the outdoor championship in the 200m in a personal-best time of 23.24, which is also the second-fastest time in school history behind Johnson. During the indoor season, Francis ran the third-fastest time in the 60-meter dash (7.46), while Center ran the fifth-fastest time in school history (7.56) and sixth-fastest in the 100m (11.68). Miller coached Simmons to a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the conference championships in a personal-best time of 1:00.66, which is the third-fastest time in school history. Francis and Johnson both qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary Round in the the 100m and 200m, respectively.
Miller continued to improve the sprint program in 2016 on the Hilltop with the addition of Latessa Johnson. Miller coached the freshman to school records in both the indoor and outdoor 200-meter dash. Under Miller's tutelage, Johnson earned All-American honors after finishing ninth overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Johnson broke the school record in the 200m with a time of 22.80 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. She placed second in the 200m at the AAC Outdoor Championship and sixth in the 100-meter dash. During the indoor season, Johnson won the 200m at the AAC Indoor Championship in a school and meet record time of 23.48 and she also placed sixth in the 60-meter dash.
In 2015, Miller and the sprint program made SMU history as the Mustangs advanced their first ever 4x100 relay to the NCAA Championship. The team of Shahira Ehiemua, Stephanie Kalu, Rachel Scruggs and Craishia Washington finished 10th at the NCAA West Preliminary to qualify for nationals. The same squad also won the bronze at The American Championship, helping the Mustangs repeat as outdoor conference champions.
In 2014, Miller coached Stephanie Kalu to two individual conference championships and a second team USTFCCA All-American indoor honor as she placed ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 60-meter dash. In addition, SMU won the inaugural American Athletic Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2014. The titles were the first women's conference crowns in program history. In addition, former head coach Dave Wollman and his staff were named the Coaching Staff of the Year at both championships.
In 2013, Miller coached the foursome of Craisha Washington, Rachel Scruggs, Isis Wilson and Kalu to an indoor school record in the 4x400m relay as the group placed third at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Kalu finished fourth in the 60-meter dash at the same meet. In the spring, Washington, Scruggs, Wilson and Kalu combined to set SMU outdoor records in both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays. The foursome placed second in the 4x100 and was fourth in the 4x400. Kaluwas alsothird in the 100-meter dash. The Mustangs finished second at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. Kalu then went on to finish 22nd at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which led to an invitation to the IAAF World Championships in Moscow to compete in the 100a nd the 4x100relay.
In 2012, Washington finished fifth in the 400 and the Mustang 4x400 relay team with Wilson, Amber Evans and Lakeisha James finished fourth and set a school record in the event at the time. Evans highlighted the Mustangs seventh-place finish at the C-USA outdoor championships by winning the 400. Evans set a school record in the 400 as she earned silver at the Outdoor Championships.
Prior to 2011, Miller and former head coach Dave Wollman built the foundation for the accomplishments of the sprinters on the current roster today.
"When I got here, our focus was on recruiting. We had to build a roster with more depth. Now, we have that depth and we expect to contend for a team conference title each year as well as an NCAA Championship," said Miller.
Before coming to SMU, Miller spent two years developing the University of North Texas 400, 800 and 4x400 relay runners.
At UNT, Miller contributed to the women's first Indoor Sun Belt Conference Championship and a fifth-place finish on the men's side by leading nine athletes to indoor All-Conference honors in five events. The highlight of his outdoor campaign at UNT was the men's Sun Belt conference championship 4x400 meter relay, which ran the second fastest time in school history, placing fourth. The mark at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet just missed a berth to the NCAA Nationals. The women's 4x400 relay set a school record and qualified for the NCAA Regional, where it placed 10th. Miller led eight athletes to all-conference honors in five events and several athletes to personal bests individually.
Miller had a stellar collegiate track & field career at Baylor, competing in the 400,and the 4x400 and 4x100relays. In addition to three NCAA national titles in the 4x400, Miller earned seven Southwest Conference Championship titles. A 15-time All-American, Miller still tops Baylor's list for highest number of combined All-America honors. He was a member of the 1995 US Pan-American 4x400 relay, competed in two U.S. Olympic Trials and was a semi-finalist in the 400 at the 1996 trials.
A 1996 graduate of Baylor, Miller earned a bachelor's in business administration in marketing and is certified in USATF Level II.
Miller and his wife, Toinette, reside in Frisco and have a son, Cameron, and daughter, Candace.
