Miller Bugliari Memory Book - Page 11

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Congrats Coach!  I will always carry great memories of our interactions at Pingry and beyond with your emceeing alumni hockey games and devoted theater patronage.  Best Regards, Austin Saypol ‘00

It was the fall of 1969, and I was a senior and on the varsity soccer team.  Of course, this was a time when Pingry was all male and we were still required to wear sports jackets and ties.  It was also a time of revolutionary change and our class was particularly vocal and challenging to authority.  We were constantly pushing the envelope on what we could do to challenge the status quo and make a statement.  Well, one day, I decided to make my statement by following the letter of the law for the dress code, but obviously not the spirit.  Instead of the typical tweed jacket or blue blazer, I wore an elaborately trimmed bellman's jacket from the famous Willard Hotel in Washington, DC that had come into my possession (that's another story). I ran the gauntlet of administrative scorn that day, but somehow was able to continue wearing it throughout the day. 

We had an away game that day at Peddie and, as usual, all team members reported to the front of the school with our athletic bags to load on the bus.  Of course, I'm standing there smirking, fully expecting to get some sort of rise from Miller regarding my bellman's jacket.  Assistant Coach, Dan Phillips, walked by me and just shook his head in disgust, but Miller didn't even acknowledge me.  However, when it came time for us to load our gear and get on the bus, Miller had the entire team get on the bus before me and then turned to me and said, "Hey bellman, load all of these bags and gear on the bus for me."   So, all of my team mates stared out the window at me from the bus as did the coaches, while I proceeded to load all of the athletic and equipment bags on the bus.  

I was both embarrassed and mad at the same time...probably because Miller had clearly out witted me.  In hindsight, it was brilliant on his part and just one of the many laughs we continue to share today.  So much for being a revolutionary...he really put me in my place.

Charlie Cox, 1970

I wrote about Miller’s influence on me in my college and business school application essays.  I now live in Brazil, the soccer capital of the world, and I wrote about him in the American Society newsletter when I wrote monthly articles as the society’s president.  Each time I describe Miller, it is the same: the drive to win through focus and teamwork.  To a great degree I chose my career as a general manager because I believed so strongly in the values that Miller taught us – work together as a loyal team and you can be the best there ever was!  I like to think that in my way I have influenced others similarly to the way Miller did me. 

My vivid memories include:

1. sitting and waiting in Miller’s office among ungraded papers, fantastic photos, trophies and importantly old soccer balls while he talked on the phone to one of an endless number of alumni soccer players and wondering if I would ever be as important to him as they were
2. because of Miller -- playing in the dead of winter in the middle of Newark at 8pm on a Saturday night in a wood-floored gym against some random team with Bartlett, Lovett, Curtis, Welch, Cunningham, McCarthy and others – because, apparently, “playing off-season” makes all the difference!  We did the same thing in the summer with Mr., Charlie and Leo Stillitano.  
3. getting “the list” each year after graduation – that inappropriately small envelope bulging with about 30 mimeographed sheets listing the players with highest number of goals, assists and touches from all the players going back to the beginning of time…and looking to see how many places you had slipped.  (Where is that darn list??)
4. at the Hillside campus, on game day, walking from the entrance (“walk with me, Tommy”) to his office at the opposite end of the building on the third floor far way in science area.  He would talk to others all the way there, and then, at the door of his office, he would simply ask, “how-are-you?”  To which I would reply, “I’m fine, coach”.  Then he would say something like, “Are you ready for the game?  The striker for Westfield, he’s dangerous.  He’s been a senior there for the last 3 years.  Guy has a full beard!  Get ready, Tommy.  See you out there!” 
5. playing away at Livingston, winning, but still being yelled at, having to run and practice for 20 minutes while our parents waited patiently
6. arriving at Waganaki 2 weeks early to set up camp with Hutch and Don Bert.  I loved digging the holes in the murky lake water for the dock pylons.  Even though we were counselors, we played soccer all day, every day, and often until 9pm when the light finally faded. 
7. working with Miller to raise the funds for and then, finally, dedicating the Michaud Memorial scoreboard at the new campus

Tom Trynin ‘79

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