Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina University head women's soccer coach Chad Miller was signed to a multi-year contract announced today by Director of Athletics Alex Gary. Miller inked a five-year agreement that WCU's Board of Trustees approved at its regularly scheduled meeting back on Friday, Dec. 13.
 
Miller has guided Western Carolina to a pair of Southern Conference women's soccer regular-season championships in consecutive years in 2023 and 2024. His teams have made three appearances in the SoCon Tournament championship match under his guidance, finishing as the runner-up twice in 2017 and 2024 and winning the tournament title in 2023 to advance to the NCAA tournament for just the third time in program history.
 
"The success of women's soccer at Western Carolina University is a model for all programs," said Director of Athletics Alex Gary. "When you combine the championship-level competitive success with the program's elite academic culture, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better two-year run for any WCU athletic team. We are excited to show this commitment to Coach Miller and are fortunate to have him leading our program."
 
Originally an assistant coach at Western Carolina from 2006-08, Miller returned to Cullowhee as the program's third head coach all-time, guiding the Catamount women's soccer program since 2010. He is currently the third-longest tenured coach in the SoCon. Miller has twice been dubbed the Southern Conference Coach of the Year, garnering plaudits in consecutive years in 2023 and 2024.
 
Western Carolina has eight seasonal finishes of .500 or better under Miller, scoring double-digit wins five times including in three of the last four years – and four of the most recent six seasons overall. In 15 seasons, Miller has posted a 131-113-29 record at Western Carolina to improve his career record to 224-168-40 over 23 total seasons between three coaching stops including Catawba, his alma mater at Pfeiffer, and WCU. He currently ranks fifth in the SoCon record books with 131 overall victories at a conference school and 67 total league wins.
 
"I'm incredibly grateful for the trust of Director of Athletics Alex Gary and the leadership at Western Carolina University. This commitment is a tremendous honor, and I'm excited for the future of our program," said Miller. "The women on this team are an exceptional group—hardworking, driven, talented, and passionate—and I'm thrilled to continue working alongside them. I look forward to building on our progress and achieving even greater success together in the years ahead."
 
Under Miller's tutelage in Cullowhee, the Catamounts have garnered 20 All-Southern Conference nods including 12 on the first team and eight second team selections. WCU has also rostered the SoCon's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in consecutive seasons in 2023 and 2024. WCU has landed two players on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I All-District team those same two years, a first for the program.
 
Over the past six years, WCU has earned 20 Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators (CSC) with Emily Zipay collecting second-team Academic All-America plaudits in 2019. The Catamounts have earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for 19 consecutive seasons including all 15 under Miller, also and earned the organization's 2023 College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award.
 
The Catamounts start preparations for the 2025 season – the 16th under Chad Miller – this spring with workouts and several competitions as part of its non-traditional season. WCU opens its quest for a third-straight SoCon regular-season crown with its 2025 schedule in early August.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's soccer and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @Catamountsoccer).