SLIPPERY ROCK — Christin (Cunningham) Miller saw her college basketball career cut short by a series of strange injuries during her freshman season at Slippery Rock University.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Miller is back on the court in Slippery Rock with a new team and with new aspirations.

Miller, a 1996 SRU graduate, was hired as the Slippery Rock High School girls basketball coach at a school board meeting Monday night.

“I just went in with the thought that I would lay all my cards on the table,” Miller said. “I didn't have anything to lose. I knew they had a very, very strong pool of applicants, so I feel very honored.”

Miller, 36, replaces Adrienne Orris, who compiled an 87-41 record and won two District 10 Class AAA championships in her five seasons as the Rockets coach.

The position was opened by the school board in April.

It was posted for a second time in late June.

Orris, who said she will remain as a teacher at the school, reapplied for the job both times.

Miller didn't find out the position was available until the second posting. While at a tennis camp for her 6-year-old daughter Eve, another parent told her about the opening.

“It was something I always wanted to do,” said Miller, who had prior coaching experience as an assistant girls basketball coach at South Park High School from 1999 to 2003. “High school is one of the more fun levels to coach. It's a great age, a great time for girls. They are all willing to learn and excel and many want to move on to the next level.”

Miller started at shooting guard all four years during her high school career. She spent her first two seasons at Saint Francis Academy, which closed after her sophomore year.

She went to Keystone Oaks High School for her junior and senior seasons.

But a series of stress fractures in her feet and toes ended her college career at SRU as a freshman.

She couldn't play again.

“I can't run or do anything hardcore athletically,” she said.

She filled the void with coaching.

Miller also spent time as as private basketball coach for girls of all ages, focusing on fundamentals.

That's one thing she plans to do with the Rockets.

“I think what you're going to find is that I'm a strong fundamental coach,” Miller said.

She's also not going to pigeonhole her team or her players into a specific system.

“I've played in every system there is,” Miller said. “I'm going to adjust to the girls' strengths. I'm going to adjust to what is given to me.”

Miller takes over a team that went 10-12 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Morgan Siebka, who shared the Butler Eagle Girls Basketball Player of the Year award last season with Tina Lipps of Union, returns as does post player Bre Northcott, who missed the seven games and most of five others with a knee injury.

Miller plans on meeting her team soon.

“I want to meet with the girls first and then meet the girls and their parents,” Miller said. “The girls are part of the team and so are their parents.”

Miller is a stay-at-home mom. Her husband, Dave, works for General Electric and they have two daughters, Eve and 16-month-old Lily. The family lives in Slippery Rock.

“I think that was important — the fact we have local ties,” Miller said. “We have a strong home base. We plan on being here for awhile.”