Rick's Rants: Miller time for USA Softball

Aurora native Jay Miller has been selected as the head coach of the USA Softball women's National Team.

Miller, 52, is in his seventh season as Mississippi State University women's softball coach. Now in his 27th season as a collegiate head coach, Miller has a 932-581 record.

He will serve during the next four years as USA Softball tries to get the sport back on the Summer Olympic Program. Softball won't be an Olympic sport in the 2012 event but could be reinstated in a vote this October, making it part of the 2016 Olympics.

Miller will coach the team this summer in the Canada Cup, the World Cup in Oklahoma City, the Japan cup and Pan Am qualifier in Mexico.

He was on the coaching staff that selected the American team that won the gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. In 2007 he led the USA Junior National Team to the gold medal at the Junior World Championships in the Netherlands.