FC Edmonton Re-Signs Head Coach Colin Miller To Multiyear Extension

FC Edmonton announced Friday that the club has re-signed head coach Colin Miller to a multi-year contract extension. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“In each of the four years since his arrival, Colin and his technical staff have continued to improve our club both on and off the pitch,” FC Edmonton co-owner Tom Fath said. “Our club is well-respected throughout the NASL and Colin and his team are a major reason for that. We look forward to Colin’s continued work with our club and are positive that the best is yet to come.”

In his fourth season as head coach, Miller led FC Edmonton to the club’s most successful season in 2016, qualifying for the NASL postseason for the first time since 2011. The Eddies finished the 2016 season with conceding just 21 goals against in 32 games, which was the best defensive record in league play.

“I’m clearly thrilled to bits with the contract extension,” Miller said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at FC Edmonton and working with such fantastic owners as Tom and Dave Fath, who have been so supportive throughout my time as the head coach. I have seen nothing but progress being made year-after-year with our club and the quality of players that we’re managing to sign and are in the process of signing at the moment.”

Miller carries a wealth of experience from the Canadian national program - both as a player and as a manager. In addition to his time as both assistant and interim head coach of Canada’s men’s senior team, Miller’s coaching resume includes Derby County, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Victoria Highlanders FC. He also competed for over two decades as a professional player, most notably with Glasgow Rangers FC, Hamilton Academical, Heart of Midlothian, Dunfermline, and Toronto Blizzard. He was announced as FC Edmonton’s head coach on November 27, 2012.

“The word stability comes to mind quite a bit when the manager and his staff have proven themselves and they get rewarded,” Miller said. “This is a by-product of everyone's hard work at our club, including the front office, our medical and administration teams. This is an example of everyone pulling together to make FC Edmonton one of the best clubs in the NASL.”

FC Edmonton’s standout season under Miller did not go unnoticed. Matt VanOekel earned the league’s Golden Glove award as the league’s top goalkeeper and defender Papé Diakité was awarded the NASL Young Player of the Year. VanOekel and teammate Albert Watson were also named to the NASL Best XI.

“I’m very proud to be the head coach of FC Edmonton,” Miller added. “I think this is a real compliment to the work that myself and our staff have done.”