Our Coach
Coach mike miller - furman university head coach
Coach Miller holds a Level 300 USA Rugby certification and is a Board Member on the USA Collegiate Rugby Competitions Committee. As a coach he is incredibly passionate about teaching his players the fundamentals and culture that go along with the sport of rugby.
His 26 year playing career began in Singapore while he was attending the Singapore American School from K-12. Over his career coach Miller played select side rugby for the following territories: Texas Select (college & men’s), West ITT (college), Georgia Select (Men’s 7s & 15s), South ITT (Men’s 15s), and the Clementi Bucks RFC. At the peak of his playing career he was selected for the Singapore National team (7s & 15s) in 2000 & 2001.
Beyond his playing career Coach Miller has previous coaching experience with the following clubs: Saint Andrews Men’s Club, South Greenville High-school, Charlotte Rugby Club 7s, South 7s women’s team, and also with the 2018 USA Collegiate All American Camp. In addition to his playing and coaching experience, in 2012 Mike proudly became only the 33rd player to be inducted into the Sam Houston State University rugby hall of fame.
Outside of rugby Miller is happily married to his best friend, Kristen Poe Miller, whom he met while attending Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. The couple have two children that are involved in a variety of different sports and they have lived in Mauldin, South Carolina since 2001. Miller earned degrees in International Business and Economics from Sam Houston State University and has been a Business Development Executive in the risk management field for the past 17 years.
The Furman Rugby Foundation Board
Chris Helps ‘01
President
Chris Helps lives in Virginia Beach, VA with his wife, Stacey ‘01, and his three sons (William, Zane, and Griffinn). After graduating Furman with a B.S. in biology he moved to south Florida where he began a career in Medical Devices sales. Chris has worked with Nuvasive for over a decade and is currently a sales manager in the southeastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina markets. Chris played eight man for the founding team and also served as captain of the squad. Chris and Stacey have been ardent supporters of the Furman program since leaving the university.
Monty Turner ‘11
Vice President
After graduating from the American International School of Johannesburg, Monty Turner came to the United States to pursue a B.A. degree at Furman University. He was an integral part of the Furman Rugby team, serving his 4 years as a starter between fullback and flyhalf. He was fortunate enough to be part of the team that went to the National Championship Finals in 2008. Monty resides in the Village of West Greenville with his wife, Carrie, and their daughter. He serves as Principal and Vice President of Operations at Global Location Strategies, advising Fortune 500 companies locate their facilities around the world.
Blair Barton ’08
Treasurer
Blair Barton is completing his Medical residency in Otolaryngology in New Orleans. A native of Buckinghamshire, England, Blair moved to Greenville in 2004 to attend Furman University. A 4-year starter, he helped the team to a National Championship in 2004 and to two finals in 2007 and 2008. His other notable rugby achievements include selection to the Palmetto All Stars, captaining the team in 2008 and winning MVP in his final year at Furman University. After completing his B.S. in Health and Exercise Science he moved to Columbia, SC to obtain his medical Degree at the University of South Carolina. During his medical education he was a regular starter for the Columbia Olde Grey men’s team. Highlights include DII South East rugby division championships and advancement to the round of 32 for the Meds DII playoffs. Blair is working toward a fellowship in Head and Neck reconstruction and hopes one day to return to South Carolina.
Ron Clarke
Parent Relations Director
Ron Clarke is the parent of Aidan Clarke, Furman Class of 2019, and an experienced coach of multiple youth sports. After a career of nearly 30 years in the insurance industry, Ron recently earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Fairfield University, where he also earned his BA in 1985. He has been active part of the Westport Youth Rugby program for nearly a decade.The former college baseball player has coached baseball in Westport, CT for over 15 years and serves on the Staples High School football staff.As well as serving on the Board for the Furman Rugby Foundation, Ron is also on the Board for Westport Youth Baseball as well as serving in a variety of roles for the Staples High School Gridiron Club and the Staples High School Wrestling booster club, The Matmen.
Miles Lerner ‘17
Alumni Director
Miles Lerner, a native of Edina, Minnesota, works for Keefe, Bruyette and Woods as an investment banking analyst in the Richmond office. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Furman in 2017 where in addition to rugby he also enjoyed being a member of Sigma Nu fraternity and the University’s Investment Club. Over his four-year span on the team, Miles played in a variety of positions, primarily at winger and flanker. After graduation, Miles took a role in Atlanta at Fortress Group, Inc. and played for Atlanta Old White before starting his current job.
Lucas Ward ‘16
Communications Director
A resident of Greenville since 2008, Lucas followed fellow classmate Turner Morsches '15 to Furman from Culver Military Academy in Indiana, a path twice since repeated now by Culver Military alumni Michael Anthony and Ben Fleschler. At Furman he enjoyed his collegiate playing career with the Forwards as a utility prop, winning a Conference Championship in 2014, before going on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting. After graduation, Lucas began his career as a commercial real estate professional representing and advising Clients in the purchase, sale and lease of industrial property, land and investment properties throughout the Southeast. Presently, Lucas works as an Asset Manager for Gibbs International Inc., a diversified company headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina engaged primarily in Textiles, Energy, Real Estate, Mining, and Demolition worldwide.
Trent Emeneker ‘00
Inaugural President (non-voting)
Trent Emeneker works for GE Aviation in Cincinnati Ohio where he helps bring new jet engines into production. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Furman, a M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. Before working for GE, Trent was on active duty in the Marine Corps where he served as an F/A-18 Aviator with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Japan. He is married to Emily and has two sons: Grey, 3.5 years old, and Clark, 1.5 years old. A hooker, he served as the team Captain his senior year.
John Roberts
Our Founder (non-voting)
Coach John Roberts compiled a career record of 188-64-1 from 1998 to 2017 and guided the Paladins to three national Division III championships, five South championships and two Southern Rugby Conference titles. In 2016, his Paladins were Division II national finalists. He founded the Southern Rugby Conference and served as commissioner for three years. A member of the Greenville Rugby Hall of Fame, Roberts is highly regarded in rugby circles and helped attracted four USA Rugby National rugby events to Greenville. Roberts earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina and a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from Columbia College. Roberts currently serves as Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Piedmont College (Demorest, Georgia). For more than 20 years, he worked in Furman’s Office of Communications, retiring as Director of Communications in 2017. In 2009, the Furman University’s Board of Trustees voted to name the rugby pitch in his honor. Roberts is married to Brandis Timmons Roberts ’91. They have five children, Zach ’17, Maggie ’20, Julianna ’21, Alley, and Max.