Myra Miles has made plenty of moves throughout her last four years as the Vestavia Hills City Schools athletics director, whether it be a long list of facility and program improvements or staff hires.
She has made it her mission to move the proverbial ball forward every day since she was hired in the summer of 2021, and the handprints of her impact can be seen at every turn.
But the time has come for a change for her. She announced last week that the conclusion of this school year will mark the end of this career chapter, marked by progress in many facets of the school-based athletics programs.
“I can’t believe four years have gone by so quickly,” she said.
Miles said she is planning to move back to Florence, primarily to be closer to her mother, who is 91 years old.
Miles was the athletic director at Hoover High School from 2007 to 2014 and worked at the University of Tennessee as the executive assistant to former Volunteers head football coach Jeremy Pruitt prior to arriving at Vestavia.
She had high school coaching stops at Haleyville, Saint James and Coffee as well, in a coaching and administrative career that has spanned over 30 years. She is also in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the Lauderdale County Sports Hall of Fame.
When she was originally hired at Vestavia, she stated a goal of being there for three to five years. She delivered on that promise she gave Vestavia Hills schools Superintendent Todd Freeman, former high school Principal Tonya Capps and former Assistant Superintendent Patrick Martin (now the Superintendent at Trussville City Schools) during the hiring process.
“I kind of hate that I didn’t get to go through that fifth year because we’ve got some really cool things on the horizon, but this is the right thing for Myra and, more so, for my mom," Miles said. "I’m looking forward to being able to spend more time with her.”
Freeman said Miles has led the Vestavia Hills City Schools athletic program with integrity for the past four years. “She believes in the value of athletics as an integral part of our mission to provide our students opportunities to learn without limits," he said. "Her professionalism and commitment to the success of our student athletes are a trademark of her exceptional leadership.”
There are plenty of things of which Miles is proud from her time at Vestavia, most of all what she’s seen from the people she’s had the opportunity to lead.
“What I’m most proud of is being able to see this entire coaching staff blossom because we’ve been able to get so many good people in place and accomplish some really good things,” she said.
Among the hires Miles has made in her tenure, varsity coaches John Simmons (softball), Robert Evans (football), Richard Anderson (track and field), Todd Evans (golf) and Connor Campbell (swim and dive) have had success leading their respective teams.
Evans was an assistant coach at Hoover while Miles was the athletic director there. He said he had no choice but to accept her offer at Vestavia.
“She called to tell me I was going to be the next head football coach,” Evans recalls. “We literally had two meetings in person to discuss the job. One was in my dining room, the other in her living room. It seems apropos looking back. She has a homely nature that puts people at ease in her presence, while at the same time being fiercely competitive.”
Miles is also proud of the fact that each of the high school’s feeder middle schools, Pizitz and Liberty Park, have multiple athletics directors now. David MacKenzie and Michaela Spence at Pizitz, and Brent Brizendine and Tonnie Glover at Liberty Park are all in leadership positions at their respective schools.
The list of projects Miles has overseen is a lengthy one as well. At Thompson Reynolds Stadium, a new video scoreboard has been a notable addition. The field turf has been replaced, and a classroom has been transformed into a hospitality room right next to the playing surface.
There is also a new video board in the gym, and there have been facility improvements at the tennis courts and softball field. A significant renovation to the baseball facility is set to begin at the conclusion of the spring season as well. Miles is hopeful the wrestling program will soon get something of its own.
The athletics student intern program has flourished under the leadership of Assistant Principal Laura Casey and Aby Jaillet, director of the Vestavia News Network program.
“I have countless stories from my time with her, including a file of her ‘nuggets of wisdom’ on my phone,” Casey said. “She has a way of seeing greatness in people and pushing — sometimes dragging — them to pursue it without the person even knowing it.”
One of Miles’ goals when she arrived at Vestavia was to give the athletics programs across the board the tools to compete at the highest level.
“I think what sets Vestavia apart — we walk on a football field, baseball, basketball, whatever — we look like we should not match up with anybody in [Class] 7A, but our kids are so intelligent and our coaches are so intelligent that they can take that and figure out a way. We might not win them all, but I can promise you we’re in it,” Miles said.
She stressed that the last four years have been fulfilling for her, both personally and professionally.
“It’s meant more to me than I even thought it would,” she said. “I am completely thankful and blessed."
Andy Urban worked with Miles at Hoover before succeeding her as the athletic director there. He now serves as the athletic director at Mountain Brook and lauds her ability to “bring out the best in people.”
“Instilling confidence in someone doesn’t come without hurdles. She would create those relationships, then absolutely pour into people so they would be the best for the student-athletes,” he said.
Miles said there are some opportunities on the horizon for her in her move back to Florence, but nothing has been finalized as of now.
“If you think I’m going to quit working, that ain’t happening,” she said.
Former AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese knows that to be true, having worked alongside her in several facets of high school sports over the years.
“Working together while she served on the AHSAA Central Board of Control, I witnessed firsthand her expertise, care for our schools and student-athletes, as well as providing schools with the championship venues they deserved, especially in women’s sports," Savarese said. “A tireless worker — trendsetter in her profession — she was instrumental with the tremendous growth that has occurred in women’s sports, not only in Alabama, but nationally.”
