Kevin Miller named new head coach for Wallenpaupack Area boys varsity basketball team

Former Honesdale High School multi-sport standout Kevin Miller has been named the new boys varsity basketball coach at Wallenpaupack Area.

HAWLEY — The Wallenpaupack Area boys basketball program has officially embarked on a new era.

At the regularly scheduled school board meeting on June 9, the announcement was made that Kevin Miller has been hired as the new varsity coach.

Miller succeeds Jim McGinnis who had a successful seven year tenure at Paupack, highlighted by a trip to the PIAA state tournament back in 2019.

A former multi-sport star at Honesdale, Miller went on to play Division III college hoops at Muhlenberg. After graduation, he was hired at Paupack as a teacher and coach.

“I'm incredibly honored and excited to lead this program,” Miller said. “There's a strong foundation here and I see so much potential in our players and this community.

“My goal is to continue building upon that potential, bringing great energy every day, and helping these players grow both on and off the court."

Impressive résumé

A 2014 Honesdale graduate who dazzled on the high school hardwood, Miller piled up 1,252 points during his varsity hoops career.

He was every bit as impressive on the gridiron.

Kevin Miller (at right, February 2025) is the newest boys varsity basketball coach at Wallenpaupack Area.

Miller was Honesdale’s starting varsity quarterback for three years. Over the course of that time he terrorized enemy defenses both on the ground and through the air. He finished up his Hornet career with 3,300 yards passing and 31 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,609 yards and 16 more scores.

Miller then took his talents to the NCAA level, playing four years of basketball at Muhlenberg before eventually returning home and landing a job at Paupack.

Kevin Miller, a standout multi-sport star at Honesdale (shown here in January of 2104) has been named head boys basketball coach at Wallenpaupack Area.

One of the most attractive aspects of this opportunity was being able to learn from his parents: longtime coaches Mike and Maria Miller. His first assignment was to serve as his mom’s top assistant for the girls varsity basketball team.

Miller then moved over to the boys basketball staff this past year, stepping in as a varsity assistant and head JV coach alongside veteran skipper Jim McGinnis. Less than six months later, Miller was tapped to lead the boys varsity squad.

“We are excited to have Kevin Miller take the reins of the boys basketball program,” said athletic director Travis Ey. “He brings a lot of knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy to the court. We can't wait to see where he brings our program.”

Plans in place

Paupack is coming off an up and down season in 2024-25, posting an overall record of 12–12. 

The Buckhorns struggled a bit in Lackawanna League action, going just 4-10 and winding up sixth in the Division I standings.

Graduation took a serious bite out of the Paupack varsity roster as standout players like Justin Blanding, Frankie Church and Drew Kiesendahl have all moved on.

Honesdale multi-sport standout Kevin Miller (pictured here in August 2013) has been named the head boys varsity basketball coach at Wallenpaupack Area.

Nevertheless, Miller believes a talented group of returning players form a solid core around which he can build.

“I’m really excited about the kids we have coming back,” he said. “Diego Adames and Nick VanBuskirk are two returning starters and great leaders for us.

“Add into the mix rising seniors like JP Yeo, Jaymison Ostrowski, Landon Shanaberger, and younger guys like Eddy Kiesendahl, Grady Liddy and Gavin Kincade. I think we can have a great combination of talent.”

Miller plans to focus on work ethic, communication and team chemistry throughout his rookie season.

“During my first year, we’re really going to focus on the process,” he said. "And that’s continuing to build upon our current culture of hard work, accountability, and pride in representing our school and community.”

He’s hoping to develop an athletic, tenacious team that can challenge the opposition both offensively and defensively.

“I want us to be tough and disciplined at both ends of the floor,” Miller said. “Whether we’re playing fast or slow, we have to be smart, tough, and disciplined to execute the gameplan. We’ll be hyper-focused on that.”

Miller realizes that the Lackawanna League can be a brutal place for a young coach to earn his stripes. He also knows that Paupack’s non-conference schedule is very challenging. However, he’s confident that his Buckhorns have what it takes to compete night-in and night-out.

“Anybody can beat anybody in our league on a given night,” Miller said. “If we play to the best of our abilities as a team, I wholeheartedly believe we can compete with anybody. And that’s our goal every time we step on the court.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wallenpaupack boys basketball hires Kevin Miller as new varsity coach

Category: General Sports