Former Director of Endurance Programs Officially Promoted to Oversee Athletics Department

Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 6, 2009)—After being appointed to the position on an interim basis last February, Jim Miller was named USA Cycling’s Director of Athletics effective Monday, April 6.

Miller, 38, began his tenure at USA Cycling seven years ago and has since served USA Cycling in a variety of capacities. Hired in 2002 to manage the USA Cycling-run T-Mobile Women’s Professional Cycling Team, Miller later became director of the women’s national road team before overseeing all of USA Cycling’s endurance-specific programs, including junior, U23 and women’s.

As Director of Athletics, Miller will oversee athletic programs for all major disciplines of competitive cycling – road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross – with the ultimate goal being the success of American riders at the international level, as well as the development and support of future talent. Miller and his staff of coaches and program managers will work collectively to craft selection procedures, create and implement elite athlete support initiatives, and identify, support and develop emerging athletes through USA Cycling’s various junior and U23 development programs.

“I’m excited at the opportunity to lead USA Cycling’s efforts in its pursuit of athletic excellence,” commented Miller. “Along with the solid coaching staff and support structure that’s already in place, I’m looking forward to the challenge at hand. As an organization, we already have a number of athletic programs that have proven to be tremendously successful. I hope to apply the same principles responsible for that success across all competitive disciplines and convey a sense of stability, confidence and long-term vision that our athletes and supporters can buy into.”

As a former athlete, coach, junior team director and program manager, Miller possesses the skill set necessary to ensure the future success of American cyclists.

“Under Jim’s direction I am confident that USA Cycling’s athletic programs will continue to provide American athletes with the opportunity to achieve and sustain a high level of success,” said USA Cycling Chief Executive Officer Steve Johnson. “Jim is uniquely qualified to assume the helm of our athletic programs at a time of unprecedented success for American cycling. Not only has he played a central role in getting us to this point, he has gained valuable experience along the way that will allow him to move our programs in the right direction going forward. His knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication for the sport of cycling are valuable assets, as is his reputation amongst athletes, coaches and the cycling industry as a passionate and effective administrator. It really is a very exciting time for American cycling with success at the Olympic and world championship levels at an all-time high; and Jim is the ideal candidate to build upon that success long-term.”

A native of Casper, Wyoming, Miller earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from Colorado State University. In 1999, he retired as a professional road and mountain bike racer to pursue a full-time coaching career. He later founded Peak to Peak Training, a Fort Collins-based private coaching business serving amateur and professional cyclists.

Miller was named U.S. Olympic Committee Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004 and was also awarded the Order of Ikkos medallion by the USOC following the 2008 Olympic Games in which Kristin Armstrong won the gold medal in the women’s time trial event. Under Jim’s leadership as director of endurance programs since 2005, American athletes have won 2 Olympic medals and 13 elite world championship medals in endurance-specific events on the road and track.