Bio

A eight-time Western State Conference Coach of the Year, two-time Southern California Coach of the Year (2014, 2018), and State Coach of the Year (2018), veteran aquatics coach Jim McMillan has proudly sported the green and gold since arriving on the Valley Glen campus in 2004. Already an established coach, McMillan would redefine “winning” at Valley College, becoming a perennial winner, bringing home WSC championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. His reputation precedes him as he consistently sends players to the four-year level while seeing his star shine like a super nova.

An established athlete in his own right (a two-time All-American at Foothill High School, a two-time All-American at Santa Ana Community College, a two-year starter at Pepperdine University), McMillan trained with the USA National Team and played professionally in Australia.  The coach sits in the rarified air of the few who have won conference championships at the high school, community college, and Division I levels. His experiences include a coaching stint at the World University Games in Palermo, Italy, as well as working closely with the United State Olympic team, where he became a leading finalist for the head coaching position.

With all that, his crowning victory may have occurred in 1997 when, as co-head coach at nearby Pepperdine University, he captured a national title by defeating cross-town rival USC.

“I have truly enjoyed my tenure here at LAVC having been given the opportunity to help boys grow into young men. Through hard work and dedication to a team, the lessons they are learning are invaluable in their next chapter of growing. The successes we have had is a credit to the young men and their parents for giving me the opportunity to work with them. The championships are just icing on the cake. Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”

Coach McMillan credits much of his success to his long-term relationship with another stellar coach, John Wooden, who he says taught him that “as coaches, we are first and foremost teachers.  We are teaching student-athletes life lessons through athletics.”