Brent Mutis
CapU Blues sports info
As a team captain, two-time PACWEST all-star and the glue of the Capilano Blues on-field structure, Tommy Millar has legit bona fides as a player, but his burgeoning record as a coach may already be more impressive.
The 22-year-old Blues midfielder just completed a sensational run at the helm of the Fusion FC U21 side, playing in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL). In the space of six weeks, Millar’s team claimed a cup treble, the most recent being the BC Soccer Men’s Provincial Cup victory which happened May 4.
This comes after the team’s VMSL League Cup win and the VMSL Div. 2 Cup win, both in late March. They won 14 games in a row to finish the season, going undefeated once the calendar flipped to 2025.
“We had tons of talent; everyone was young, so they were all fit, willing to work hard, and they bought into the way we wanted to play,” says Millar, explaining his team's achievements. “When we wanted to press, guys were all willing to work as one, rather than be disjointed and have some guys not buy in fully. Everybody bought in, and that was what gave us success.”
Making the story all the more remarkable is the fact Fusion FC had three Capilano Blues players on the roster, plus at least three that have committed to the team for next season, meaning Millar is coaching players that are his current and future teammates.
Goalkeeper Graydon Sherle, striker Kaden Routley and midfielder Marcos Navarro, all current Blues, got their marching orders from Millar at Fusion. Sherle acknowledged it’s a bit rare to play for someone so close in age who’s also a teammate, but Millar has huge credibility with his players because they’ve seen his work ethic and record as a player.
“I think what makes him unique as a coach is that he has more of a personal bond with his players,” says Sherle. “Not only has Tommy played with a majority of us, but he also practices with us which, in most cases with coaching, doesn't happen.”
Millar’s reputation as a player helps him sell his style of football to the players he coaches, and he says players’ commitment to his ideas is a key ingredient. He agrees with Sherle that the closeness in age and experience he has with players is a benefit, rather than a hindrance.
“I think it’s been pretty easy to manage, honestly, from the get-go because I’d already played with these guys and they knew what I was like as a player and I knew what they were like, it was very easy to work off of,” says Millar. “Someone on the outside, they might say, ‘Oh, they’re so close in age; how is that guy coaching them?’ but honestly, it helped us more because I understand them better than someone older would.”
Followers of Blues soccer know Millar comes by his coaching talent honestly since his dad, Steve, is the head coach of the Capilano men’s team and has taken a team that went winless in 2022 under a previous regime and gotten them back to the postseason in 2024. While the younger Millar certainly borrows ideas and tactics from his dad, he is finding his own path and voice as a coach.
“I like to have the ball; I don’t like defending and defending and defending," he says. "One thing we (Fusion FC) did well was press teams, right off the kickoff, we’d start quickly, score a goal early and then just control the game.
“I think for the most part, I’m pretty calm. I try to manage everybody so that everyone is happy. I’ve learned it’s not easy… but you have to make some tough decisions and live with them."
With two more seasons ahead of him as a player with the Blues, where he will again be counted on to lead the team, he remains committed to meeting the on-field expectations of a captain. Still, he says he’s been thinking about coaching since finishing high school and hopes to make it a big part of his future.
“I want to keep coaching. I’m going to start coaching in the academies at Fusion FC now that I have a bit more time. I want to do it for the rest of my life, probably. I enjoy it so much.”
