Bradenton’s IMG Academy begins search for new football coach amid Bill Belichick rumors
IMG Academy’s head football coach has resigned amid reports that Bill Belichick wants him on his staff for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
The private sports academy in Bradenton confirmed Wednesday that it is searching for a new person to lead the football program.
“Billy Miller has resigned from his position as IMG Academy National Football Team Head Coach to pursue other opportunities,” said Kyle Brey, IMG Academy’s football director, in a statement.
Brey’s statement did not provide additional details about Miller’s reason for departure or whether he had already found a new job. But a report in early January suggested Belichick was attempting to lure Miller into joining his staff.
Miller had served in various coaching roles with the Ascenders since he was hired at the school in 2014, including two seasons as the national team’s head coach.
Belichick was introduced as UNC’s head coach in December. After leading the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2023, including six Super Bowl wins, Belichick is in his first season leading the Tar Heels. He also won two Super Bowls as an assistant coach with the New York Giants.
IMG praises departing head coach Billy Miller
Miller was an assistant head coach and special teams coordinator at IMG Academy for eight seasons before his ascension to head coach of the school’s national team for the last two seasons.
His tenure included a high school national championship.
“Since 2014, Coach Miller has been an integral part of our football program, serving in various roles,” Brey’s statement said. “In his tenure as head coach, he led our national team to a 25-3 record, including a national championship last season. While we will greatly miss his leadership and the impact he has made on our student-athletes, we remain confident in our program’s strong foundation of leadership, coaches and support staff, who will continue to uphold the highest standards of student-athlete development.”
“The national football team head coach position at IMG Academy is the premier high school football coaching job in the nation, and we expect significant interest from top candidates as we work to have a new head coach in place by this spring,” Brey added.
IMG Academy’s online job portal shows that the vacant head coaching position was posted Friday.
In 2024, the Ascenders went 7-2 with a No. 17 national ranking, according to MaxPreps.
This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 5:50 AM.
