Josh Miller joined the Coastal football coaching staff as the outside linebackers coach in January 2020. Entering 2025, he will work with the special teams and assist with coaching the safeties.
Miller came to CCU after three seasons as the defensive line coach at Furman from 2017-19.
Coastal blocked a pair of kicks and two punts on the 2024 season while the defense tallied five scores on its own. The Chants were among the Sun Belt leaders in net punting and punt return defense while sitting fifth in turnover margin.
In 2023, Coastal ranked 23rd nationally in turnover margin and 24th in red zone defense. The Chanticleers also registered 44 touchbacks as Liam Gray allowed just 13 kickoff returns all season.
In 2022, the Chanticleers went 9-4 overall and won the Sun Belt Conference East Division title for the second time in the three years (2020 and 2022). CCU went 6-2 overall in conference play and represented the East Division in the 2022 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Football Championship game on Dec. 3, 2022.
The Chants started the season off at 6-0 for the third-straight year, the only team in all of FBS football to start the season at 6-0 in each of the last three years (2020, 2021, and 2022), and was the first Group of 5 program to become bowl eligible in week six.
Miller worked with two All-Sun Belt honorees in second-team selection Josaiah Stewart and honorable mention honoree Adrian Hope in 2022, as well as first-year spur linebackers Jahmar Brown and Jairan Parker.
Parker (39 tackles), Hope (36), and Stewart (36) all ranked in the top 10 on the team in total tackles for the season, while Hope led the team with 11.0 tackles-for-loss, just one more than Stewart and his 10.0 tackles-for-loss. Hope also led the team with 6.5 sacks on the season from his bandit end position.
In 2021, Miller helped the defense again sit atop of the Sun Belt Conference in several statistic categories and worked directly with Jeffrey Gunter, who earned All-Sun Belt second-team honors, and Enock Makonzo with honorable mention honors.
Gunter was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round (252nd overall pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft and wrapped up his career at CCU with recorded 174 total tackles, 40.0 tackles-for-loss, 18.0 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, nine forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and two blocked kicks. His 18.0 career sacks rank second all-time in CCU history, while his 40.0 tackles-for-loss also rank second in CCU’s career annals.
With a veteran-led defense in 2021, the Chanticleers outscored all their opponents 532-281 on the season. Coastal was one of only four teams in ALL of FBS to rank in the top-25 in both total offense (5th) and total defense (25th), one of only seven teams in ALL of FBS to rank in the top 30 in both first downs made on offense (25th) and fewest first downs allowed on defense (27th), and one of only eight teams in ALL of FBS to rank in the top 25 in both scoring offense (5th) and scoring defense (25th).
The 2021 defense ranked in the top 35 nationally in several categories, placing 16th in passing defense (190.3 ypg), 25th in scoring defense (21.6 ppg), 25th in total defense (339.5 ypg), and 32nd in red zone defense (77.5 percent).
In 2020, his first season at CCU, the “Black Swarm” defense swarmed the Sun Belt Conference in playing a pivotal part in the Chanticleers winning the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference title. CCU posted an 11-1 overall mark, including an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference record, and played in the program’s first-ever FBS postseason bowl game.
The 2020 season also marked Coastal Carolina’s first-ever undefeated regular season and the first time that the Chanticleers were ranked in either the Associated Press Top 25 Poll or the Amway Coaches Poll presented by USA Today Sports.
The Chanticleers posted two wins over FBS top 25 nationally-ranked opponents, the first two such victories in program history, four wins over top 50 opponents, and was ranked as high as No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 11 in the Amway Coaches Poll, both Sun Belt Conference records. The Chanticleers were also ranked as high as No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, also a Sun Belt record.
In 2020, the Chants’ defense led the Sun Belt in fumble recoveries (9) and was second in interceptions (16), which also ranked third nationally. CCU led the Sun Belt in turnovers forced (25) and was second in turnover margin (+13), which both ranked among the nation’s best at the end of the 2020 season.
The defense was also second in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (20.2 points per game), second in sacks per game (2.83), second in fourth-down conversion percent defense (44.4 percent), third in first downs defense (223), third in fewest passing yards allowed (204.2 yards per game), third in fewest rushing yards allowed (147.7 yards per game), third in tackles-for-loss per game (6.4), third in total defense (351.9 yards per game), and fourth in third-down conversion percentage defense (38.0 percent).
Individually, Miller mentored bandit end Jeffrey Gunter who led the nation with six forced fumbles and was one of three different Chants ranked in the top-five of the Sun Belt Conference in total sacks with 6.5 along with defensive linemen Tarron Jackson (8.0) and C.J. Brewer (6.5).
Along with his 6.5 sacks, Gunter finished the season with 58 tackles, a team-high 12.5 tackles-for-loss, an interception, one pass breakup, six forced fumbles, and 12 quarterback hurries to earn All-Sun Belt first-team honors. Fellow outside linebacker Enock Makonzo was named All-Sun Belt honorable mention after recording 76 tackles, which was tied for second on the team, 10.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and three quarterback hurries from his spur position.
In his three years at Furman, Miller coached two-time All-SoCon performer Jaylan Reid (2017 and 2018) and All-SoCon selection Adrian Hope (2019).
While at Furman, the Paladins made two NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff appearances – 2017 and 2019 – and won a share of the 2018 Southern Conference championship, the program’s league-best 14th title, going 6-2 in league play and winning six of their final seven games.
Miller went to Furman following four seasons at Charleston Southern from 2013-16 where he served as the special teams’ coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
While at CSU, Miller oversaw impressive special teams play and played a key role in some of the top defensive units in the FCS. From 2013-16, the Buccaneers posted a 35-14 record, won two conference championships, and earned a pair of invitations to the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
In 2016 one of Miller’s pupils, Darius Hammond, earned All-Big South Conference honors for a third consecutive season and took home special teams’ player of the year honors. In addition, long snapper Joseph Smith collected all-conference honors for a second-straight year to go along with second-team STATS All-America honors.
Among Miller’s group of outside linebackers, Solomon Brown garnered first-team all-conference laurels in 2016 after registering 70 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, and 4.5 sacks, helping the Bucs rank seventh nationally in total defense (294.1 ypg) while also contributing significantly to CSU’s third-place ranking in passing defense.
CSU finished the 2016 season ranked 14th in the final FCS poll, extending its streak of top 25 rankings to a school record of 22 weeks.
The turnaround that paved the way for Charleston Southern’s impressive four-year run began in 2013, when Miller helped the Bucs win their first seven games, highlighted by a 27-24 win over FBS transition Appalachian State, en route to a 10-3 record and No. 22 final national ranking.
Miller joined the staff at CSU following one season at Delta State University in 2012, where he served in the same position.
Prior to Delta State, Miller spent the 2007-11 seasons as an assistant coach at Brevard College where he served as defensive line, strength and conditioning, and special teams coach.
Miller served as a student assistant coach at his alma mater, Appalachian State University, in 2007. He began his career as an assistant coach at West Alamance High School.
The Burlington, N.C., native graduated from Appalachian State in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. From 2002-06, Miller played on the offensive and defensive lines and served as a long snapper. He was a four-time Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll recipient and in 2006 and 2007 he received the Southern Conference Commissioner’s Medal.
Josh Miller's Coaching History
2007: Appalachian State (Student Assistant)
2007-11: Brevard College (Defensive Line/Special Teams/Strength and Conditioning)
2012: Delta State (Outside Linebackers)
2013-16: Charleston Southern (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams)
2017-19: Furman (Defensive Line)
2020-present: Coastal Carolina (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams)
