Coach McMillen started up the Walton-Verona football program, guiding the Bearcats through their first few years of JV football before taking the program through its first year of varsity football in the 2008 season. He handed over the keys to Jeff Barth in 2009, and I believe he remained on the WV coaching staff through the 2014 season before taking the head coaching job at Bellevue in 2015. Coach McMillen headed the Bellevue program from the 2015 season through 2018 season, and departed for Ludlow to take over as head baseball coach in the 2019-20 school year.

He's a Ludlow native and well liked within the community and school. Additional to being the co-athletic director at Ludlow, Woody and Ludlow boys basketball coach Aaron Stamm also became the internet radio voice of the Panthers in the 2020 season. Solid hire.

Congratulations and good luck to Coach McMillen and the Panthers!

Congrats Coach McMillen!

Congrats to coach McMillen! He is a great man, and I wish him the best of luck as he takes over as the head coach at Ludlow. He is stepping into a great opportunity with the new field turf, and the new district they are in, is set up for them to be very successful! They have an opportunity to build something very special down there in Ludlow. 

Congrats to him! I think people will be surprised by how well this goes! It keeps the coaching staff that's been with the boys all off-season together. 

Co-athletic director, head baseball coach, head football coach, and radio announcer…? Wow. 

Hopefully no more jobs open up at Ludlow, McMillen will snatch it up in a hurry! 

Sort of surprised with the hire, expected Ludlow to go bold, but it’s clear they wanted a familiar face and no one to muddy the waters. 

Goodluck Woody! And Goodluck to the Panthers this season! 
 

Congrats to Coach McMillen! I believe this is a good hire, specially considering how late this job opened up. Best of luck Coach! 

Congrats to Coach McMillen! He was one of my favorite teachers growing up and hopefully he breaks out the guitar to sing some American Pie after the teams wins!

Congratulations Coach! 

From Ludlow Independent Schools on Facebook:

Congratulations to Mr. Woody McMillen, who was named as the Head Football Coach at LHS. 

“I am humbled and honored to assume the role of Head Football Coach at Ludlow High School. It is a lifelong dream come true for a son of the program to get the chance to coach at my alma mater and work with the kids of Ludlow. It’s certainly an exciting time for our team and community with the opening of the new field at the legendary James Rigney Memorial Stadium.”

Good luck to Mr. McMillen. Unbelievable man with very high character. I was on board with a young splash hire, but looking back over literally DECADES, that's just not how Ludlow operates. 

Congrats to my friend Woody McMillen in taking over and continuing the fine tradition of Ludlow football.

Great guy, will pour his heart and soul into doing a great job with the Ludlow program.

We look forward to seeing you on the "Crimson Carpet" in the River City this fall.

Lucky Kids!

Seems like a couple people may be a little disappointed but I don’t think young always means better there are several older coaches in the state that do very well. Now that being said I have no idea about this man’s history or what kind of coach he has been in the past. But I wish him well and hope he gets the job done.

18 hours ago, Tkinslow said:

Seems like a couple people may be a little disappointed but I don’t think young always means better there are several older coaches in the state that do very well. Now that being said I have no idea about this man’s history or what kind of coach he has been in the past. But I wish him well and hope he gets the job done.

I personally don’t think the issue was age at all. It’s how the whole process played out, I’ve had family inside the school for 40 plus years. They didn’t even have to open this up to the public or show this drawn out process. They knew they were hiring their friend. Who knows he may have been the most qualified, he may not but he was getting it regardless. His wife is maybe 2nd or 3rd down from the superintendent, have been close for SEVERAL years. This was always the play, now for the kids sake you hope things go well. The opportunity is there for the taking no doubt. And everybody that talks about his experience, he only coaches what 4-5 years at the varsity level? And 4 of those were very unsuccessful years at Bellevue. They made the easiest choice and it’s TBD if it was the best choice.

53 minutes ago, GoBucks97 said:

I personally don’t think the issue was age at all. It’s how the whole process played out, I’ve had family inside the school for 40 plus years. They didn’t even have to open this up to the public or show this drawn out process. They knew they were hiring their friend. Who knows he may have been the most qualified, he may not but he was getting it regardless. His wife is maybe 2nd or 3rd down from the superintendent, have been close for SEVERAL years. This was always the play, now for the kids sake you hope things go well. The opportunity is there for the taking no doubt. And everybody that talks about his experience, he only coaches what 4-5 years at the varsity level? And 4 of those were very unsuccessful years at Bellevue. They made the easiest choice and it’s TBD if it was the best choice.

He's coached more years than that at the varsity level. He was on the Ludlow staff for a good amount of time before starting the Walton program. Ludlow is in good hands 

Congrats Coach. Ludlow is on the upswing.