NEWS: Gee-Gees football welcomes Miller and Piché to staff
Miller joins the Gee-Gees as Linebackers Coach, while Piché returns to the program as Recruiting Coordinator.
The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees football program announced the additions of Brad Miller and Denis Piché to their coaching and support staff on Wednesday. Miller joins the Gee-Gees as Linebackers Coach, while Piché returns to the program as Recruiting Coordinator.
Both additions to the Gee-Gees staff are well-established figures in the football community, each bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience from all levels of the game.
"I am very excited to announce the additions of Brad and Denis to our football program," said Gee-Gees head coach Marcel Bellefeuille. "Coach Miller is an outstanding coach that brings experience from the NFL and CFL which will elevate the level of coaching in our program."
"As our recruiting coordinator, Denis has been extremely successful in bringing talented student-athletes to our program throughout his illustrious coaching career here. I am very excited to work with him again to build the next generation of our program."
Miller is a 30-plus-year coaching veteran with five years' experience in NFL with the Green Bay Packers (2001-2006), and over 15 years of experience in the CFL with various franchises.
A native of Los Angeles, Miller played at Oregon State prior to transitioning to the coaching side of the game. With CFL stops in Birmingham, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, and Saskatchewan, Miller has dedicated his career to helping players realize their potential on and off of the field.
With the addition of Miller to the Gee-Gees' staff, he will also be reunited with Bellefeuille, whom he previously worked alongside with the Alouettes, as well as while Bellefeuille was the head coach of the Tiger-Cats. Miller served as Assistant Head Coach to Bellefeuille in Hamilton for the 2011 season.
"I am very excited to join the Gee-Gees and I am looking forward to a great deal of success both on the field and in the classroom," said Miller. "It is great to be working with Coach Bellefeuille once again in a program that is pursuing excellence on daily basis."
The Gee-Gees will also welcome back a familiar face in Denis Piché, whose history with the program spans over the course of four decades.
Piché most notably spent eight seasons as the team's head coach from 2002-2009. Piché and the Gee-Gees won the 2006 Yates Cup, the same season he won the Frank Tindall Trophy for national coach of the year.
From Montréal-Nord, Piché began his time with the Gee-Gees as a receiver from 1987-1990, afterwards, beginning his coaching career in Europe. He returned to the Gee-Gees in 1994, serving in a number of roles with the team as Assistant Head Coach, coordinating receivers, the run-game, and recruiting. In 2002, one season removed from winning the Vanier Cup in 2000, Piché was named head coach of the program.
Since stepping away from coaching, Piché has remained presently active in the football and sports community in the National Capital Region, notably serving as the on-air analyst for Ottawa REDBLACKS broadcasts in French on 107.4 FM. In 2015, Piché was inducted into the Gee-Gees Football Hall of Fame for his contributions as a builder of the program.
"In a way this has been a long time coming for me, now with Marcel coming back, it's the right situation and a different challenge," said Piché. "In this case, overseeing our recruiting efforts, working with the younger coaches, and developing the approach and culture is very exciting."
"Being a part of the atmosphere and the camaraderie of the team is something that I missed. This program has been a big part of my life, it always has been and always will be. I'm very excited and happy to be back."
Both Miller and Piché have already begun their functions as a part of the team's extended support staff.