Alumnus Profile: Blake Miller ’92

Fulfilling His Dream

Blake Miller ’92

Blake Miller ’92 played lacrosse since a young age but could have never anticipated the sport being such a huge part of his life to this day. Once an athlete on the fields at Forman, Blake is now in his first season of coaching the Navy men’s lacrosse program.

Blake was a three-sport athlete at Forman School; he played lacrosse, basketball, and soccer. As a senior, he helped the soccer and lacrosse teams clinch state championships, both highlights of his Forman career. Blake was later inducted into Forman’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. He had always found comfort on the field, knowing that he could succeed there.

“Since I was an adolescent, sports were always an outlet for me. I had trouble in school from a young age, and it was just a part of my life. The way I made friends was not through school; it was through athletics,” he says. “When I got Forman, being involved in sports was one of the things that made me most comfortable.” After being diagnosed with a learning difference as a child, it was his academic transformation at Forman that he looks back on the most. “Grammar school was great. Teachers did the best they could with the resources they had,” he says. “But as soon as you got into 7th, 8th grade, and high school, they would separate you, and it was terrible.”

Former Trustee Diane Kessenich P’86 introduced Blake’s family to Forman, which, at the time, he wanted nothing to do with.

“I remember sitting there with my parents for an interview with Ms. Lambert in Admissions, and she asked ‘why do you want to come here?’ and I remember saying, ‘I don’t want to come here,’” he says. “The first couple of years, I was homesick. I wanted no part of it. Turns out, it was the best thing that happened in my life.”

He considered his soccer coach Scott McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05, current Major Gifts Officer and former Athletic Director, and lacrosse coaches Patrick Delehanty ’86 and Don Kaplan mentors. McCarty saw potential in Blake on the soccer field and in the classroom. Once Blake settled in around his junior year, his perspective shifted. He gained confidence through his one-on-one Language Training classes with Dr. Fais and Ms. Scozzafava and started to see his academic performance improve.

“I got mature and started going to class, getting small successes, and the next thing I knew, I fell in love

Blake Miller ’92 coaches the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Lacrosse game against Mercer University in February.

“I would never have achieved what I have in lacrosse if it wasn’t for Forman.”

with the place, I didn’t want to leave. I think it was also a comfort thing, I felt good there,” he says.

Most of all, he credits his parents, nine brothers, and two sisters for their unwavering support during his time at Forman.

“Without Forman, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he says. “I know people say that, but I honestly believe if it wasn’t for Forman, I would never have graduated high school, and I would have never graduated college. I would never have achieved what I have in lacrosse if it wasn’t for Forman.”

Blake went on to Nassau Junior College before fulfilling his dream of playing Division I lacrosse. “I went to Hofstra University for two years, and it was a great experience,” he says. “I got to play against teams like Johns Hopkins University, those powerhouses I read about when I was a kid. It was my dream come true. And I thought that was going to be the end of my lacrosse career.”

However, his lacrosse career was far from over. Blake played in the National Lacrosse League, was a twotime member of the US National Team, and played professionally for the Bridgeport Barrage, Philadelphia Barrage, Long Island Lizards, and Chesapeake Bayhawks. He coached high school lacrosse programs to victories, including serving as the boys’ lacrosse offensive coordinator at New York’s Manhasset High School for nearly ten years.

At Hofstra, Blake met Joe Amplo, current head lacrosse coach at the United States Naval Academy; Amplo was a senior when Blake was a freshman. They kept in touch in recent years and in 2021, it was Amplo who offered Blake the opportunity to join his team.

“From the moment I met Blake in 1995 as a college freshman, I was impressed by his captivating presence and work ethic,” says Amplo. “When the position opened, he was the first person I thought of. He’s developed terrific relationships with our players, he’s really focused on the player-development model, helping guys individually, and learning to be a college coach. He’s made a huge difference with our players individually and we’re excited to see how they transform into the players we want them to be on the field through his tutelage.”

It was a hard decision for Blake, knowing how it would affect his wife, Allison, and their children, Blake and Avery, but it was one he knew he had to make. After accepting the position, he and his family moved from Manhasset, NY, to Annapolis, MD, within one month.

“I felt like if I didn’t do this, I would regret it for the rest of my life,” he says. “It was tough, but I’ve always wanted to coach college lacrosse, and this was my opportunity. I give my wife credit for going along with it. Without her, I can’t imagine my life.”

Since starting his new role in September, Blake has worked hard alongside fellow coaches Joe Amplo, John Orsen, and Brad Ross. “It’s not a job; it’s something I love,” he notes.

“When I need to break down films for lacrosse, I have to look at it a different way than another coach would because my brain works differently,” he adds. “I’m at the Naval Academy, one of the smartest schools in the country, but I still learn in a different way. I maybe have to prepare longer than others do, but it sticks with me that I have the confidence that I can do it, but it might just take a little more time.”

Both of Blake’s children play hockey and lacrosse, and he has coached his son in lacrosse for several years. His goal is for them to play and have fun, a lesson his own parents and coaches taught him growing up. He says the support from his family and lessons learned at Forman encourage him to continue following his dreams.

“You don’t know where life is going to take you. It’s where you come out on the other end that matters. I try to live my life like that,” Blake says. “I look back now at my time at Forman and I can’t believe where I am.”

Blake Miller ’92 with wife, Allison, daughter, Avery, and son, Blake