Bryce Miller, who for a decade told stories of San Diegans’ successes and failures, trials and triumphs as the Union-Tribune’s sports columnist, died Saturday. He was 56.
Miller was diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer two years ago and wrote regularly for the Union-Tribune as he underwent treatment. His final column, about San Diego FC coach Mikey Varas, appeared in the Feb. 23 print edition.
An avid outdoorsman since his childhood in Iowa, Miller viewed San Diego first with an outsider’s awe before becoming a true local. He fished off the Coronado Islands, stalked the backstretch at Del Mar and was as comfortable in the Padres’ clubhouse as he was at an outdoors expo.
His coverage of the 2017 Lilac fire, which killed at least 46 horses at San Luis Rey Downs and burned their caretakers, earned Miller the 2019 Eclipse Award, given annually to the best horse racing writing by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
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“Bryce was an insightful columnist, a keen observer of the human condition and a masterful storyteller who easily won the trust of others — whether they were sources, strangers or stars,” said Lora Cicalo, the Union-Tribune’s editor. “But more than any of those things, he was a truly exceptional human being — generous, kind and unfailingly approachable — as anyone who crossed paths with him would attest.”
Bryce Miller at the Final Four in 2023. (Ryan Finley)
A superb storyteller
As the U-T’s sports columnist, Miller told stories of San Diegans at their highest — and lowest.
Miller stood on the White House’s South Lawn last July, when Point Loma Nazarene’s women’s soccer team was hailed by Vice President Kamala Harris for winning the Division II national championship. Days later, he was in the Nationals Park press box as Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter in Padres history.
Miller was in the champagne-soaked clubhouse after the Padres slayed the Dodgers in the 2022 National League Division Series, and again when they beat the Braves in October’s wild-card series.
(Experience elsewhere meant Miller had a plan to stay dry; Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon’s errant champagne spray had ruined one of Miller’s tape recorders in the aftermath of Boston’s curse-breaking World Series title in 2004.)
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Miller followed SDSU’s men’s basketball team all the way through its 2023 NCAA Tournament run. When Lamont Butler’s jump shot beat Florida Atlantic and moved San Diego State to the national championship game, Miller put it in proper perspective.
“The nation wondered aloud if a team that valued defense first and always could climb past offensive obstacles to summit the ‘One Shining Moment’ mountaintop,” he wrote. “They debated whether San Diego, the sports bridesmaid still hunting for the white dress, was doomed to getting close without a cigar in sight.”
Miller’s gripping story about the Lilac fire and its aftermath was among his best work while at the Union-Tribune.
Miller prided himself on his versatility. He wrote about marathoners, endurance athletes, animals of all stripes — and one Tiger. (His column on golfer Tiger Woods from the relocated Genesis Invitational was published last month).
“Pretty much anything I asked him to do, he was willing to try,” said Jay Posner, who retired as the Union-Tribune’s sports editor in 2022. “I don’t think he knew much about horse racing when he came here, but he discovered there were good stories at Del Mar, and he enjoyed the chance to tell a good story. He quickly developed relationships there, covered the big races there and elsewhere, and I’ll always remember his incredible work after the Lilac fire.”
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Miller flew to Eritrea to tell the story of long-distance runner Meb Keflezighi, a San Diego High School graduate who grew up in the country. He shadowed late Padres owner Peter Seidler as he walked the streets of Pacific Beach, ministering to the homeless.
Miller drew inspiration from those stories as he faced cancer treatment. Former Padres manager Bruce Bochy and Keflezighi were among those who reached out to Miller in recent weeks.
“Lessons like those, unpeeled by spending time with those who are exceptional, resonate in myriad ways,” Miller wrote in August 2023. “Stick to it. Focus on today. Don’t quit. On to the next. Words like those, just words in some ways at the time, have gained significant heft.”
Pete Gray (left) and Union-Tribune sports columnist Bryce Miller show off two of the 11 yellowfin tuna caught on Gray’s boat about 13 miles west of Point Loma. (Bryce Miller)
Finding his tribe
Miller grew up in Redfield, Iowa, a no-stoplight town “that, depending on the hour, might top 700” people, he said. He was one of 33 people in his high school’s graduating class.
Miller graduated from the University of Iowa and worked for the Des Moines Register and with USA Today in Arlington, Va., before heading west to San Diego. He was hired in October 2015, an outsider in a city that can sometimes feel insular.
It didn’t take long for Miller to find his tribe.
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He made fast friends near his homes in Pacific Beach and, later, Kensington.
A dinner thrown by former Union-Tribune outdoors reporter Jim Brown connected Miller with former U-T columnist Tom Cushman, ex-Padres radio broadcaster Bob Chandler and J. Stacey Sullivan Jr., the attorney who negotiated the Chargers’ move from Los Angeles to San Diego in 1961.
“We joked,” Brown said Saturday, “that he was the son we never knew we had.”
Brown connected Miller with Bochy because of their shared love of the outdoors.
Miller’s deep roster of friends and family were by his bedside in recent weeks, providing updates in the mornings and evenings to his friends from around the world.
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Longtime friend Keith Murphy broadcast his Iowa-based “Murph & Andy” radio show from Miller’s hospital earlier this month. An Iowa Hawkeyes pennant hung in his hospital room.
On air, Murphy’s co-host, Andy Fales, called Miller “the minibike of friends.”
“You see Bryce and you’re like, ‘Oh man, I’m about to have some fun,’” Fales said. “He’s not a commuter friend. He’s not the friend that you lean on to get help with your TurboTax. He’s your buddy that you plug into a situation where you know you’re going to have fun, and he just makes it better.”
Murphy posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that Miller “squeezed so much joy into his 56 years.”
“He did it by saying yes,” Murphy wrote. “Yes to fun. Yes to living. Yes to today. Figure the rest out later.”
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Bryce Miller reports from Adi Gombolo, Eritrea, the childhood village of distance runner Meb Keflezighi. (Bryce Miller)
A world traveler
Miller loved San Diego, but understood that a big world lay beyond the county line.
Miller covered six Olympics during his journalism career. While at the Union-Tribune, he ventured to Mexico City (twice), the Dominican Republic, Asia and Africa.
He traveled to Seoul, South Korea, last March to cover the Padres’ series with the Dodgers. A month later, he flew to Japan for vacation.
Nothing brought him as much joy (and peace) as his annual fishing trip to Lac Seul in Ear Falls, Ontario, Canada. Every summer for nine years, Miller and friends drove the 10 ½ hours from Minneapolis in pursuit of walleye, pike and smallmouth bass. He wrote that the lake was “as much a cherished friend as a destination.”
It took on added importance in June, during what would be his final trip.
“When your world includes near-weekly lab visits, chemotherapy treatments, a bathroom cabinet bulging with pill bottles and side effects that ambush you at every turn,” he wrote, “the rippling water and the riches it holds delivers powerful medicine of its own.”
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Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller and San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Bryce Miller on Feb. 24, 2023 in Peoria, Ariz. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Writing, starring in stories
Miller wrote stories. But he could star in them, too.
Shortly after moving to San Diego, Miller connected with legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg, a longtime La Jolla resident who enjoyed a final act as the Padres’ play-by-play man on television. The two would meet periodically for breakfast near Enberg’s home.
One meeting in particular elicited chuckles nearly a decade later.
Miller, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, watched the team clinch the 2016 World Series championship from a Pacific Beach tavern alongside many of his friends. The celebration continued deep into the night; by the time Miller arrived to meet Enberg the next morning, he was … run down.
Enberg, a baseball junkie himself, understood what a World Series win meant to a Cubs fan. The two agreed to reschedule.
Miller relished spring training trips to Peoria, Ariz., where he and Union-Tribune reporters and photographers would pile into a rented house to cover the Padres.
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In 2023, aware there was a Seattle Mariners pitcher named Bryce Miller sharing the Peoria Sports Complex with the Padres, the columnist finagled a sit-down interview.
“In one place this spring there are two Bryce Millers, one a guy who can hit 100 mph on the radar gun and, at age 24, is flirting with a big-league rotation spot. The other, 30 years his elder, typing fingers raw about the Padres on the other side of the Peoria Sports Complex shared by the teams,” he wrote. “One, spry and fit with the world in front of him. The other, wondering if it’s time for that AARP card after all.”
Union-Tribune reporter Kevin Acee traded barbs and one-liners with Miller for years.
“The more I got to know Bryce, the more I liked him,” Acee said. “I teased him mercilessly, and he almost always just shook his head like he couldn’t believe I found myself so funny.”
When the 2024 baseball season ended, Miller and Acee left town and went fishing. It was Acee — not the veteran angler Miller — who caught a fish that day, albeit one barely the size of his palm. When he returned to San Diego, Miller and another angler sent Acee an enlarged photo of his (tiny) catch to mark the occasion.
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“Oh, he drove me crazy,” Acee said. “… But he was also unselfish, hard-working and a really good human. He basically taught me how to fish, and I’ll be eternally grateful.”
San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Bryce Miller writes in the press box before the San Diego Padres played the Baltimore Orioles at Petco Park on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Opting for understanding
In an age where media personalities often manufacture outrage to attract listeners and clicks, Miller opted for understanding.
His writing was poetic and nuanced and, reflecting the columnist’s personality, never reactionary.
“I’ll remember him for all those stories,” Posner said, “but mainly for just being a really good and kind person.”
Miller adored sports and sportswriting because it brought him closer to people — with all their triumphs and tragedies.
“That’s what you learn, covering all this sports stuff. It’s not really sports. It’s people,” Miller wrote in his final column for the Des Moines Register. “So it stays with you. It sticks to you — heart, mind and all.”
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Miller is survived by his brothers, Brian and Bruce, and a sister-in-law, Melissa; his mother, Bea Winters; and friends in Iowa, Kensington and beyond. Services are pending.
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.
“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.
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Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.
36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.
TRENDING
Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.
2026 OUTLOOK
Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
In today’s Daily Dirt, I mentioned that the search at San Diego was done. Here’s the official announcement from USD on the hiring of JR Blount as their next head men’s basketball coach:
University of San Diego Athletics has named JR Blount the 15th head coach in San Diego men’s basketball program history, USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey announced on Monday.
Blount arrives in San Diego with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaching talents after helping lead Iowa State to four NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons.
He joins the Toreros after five seasons on T.J. Otzelberger’s staff at Iowa State, where the Cyclones compiled a 95-45 record during his tenure, won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024 — one of the most successful stretches in program history. Iowa State finished in the AP Top 15 in each of those four seasons and climbed as high as No. 2 nationally in each of the last two years. During the 2025-26 season, the Cyclones opened with a 16-0 start, highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John’s.
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“After a thorough and highly competitive national search, we are proud to welcome JR Blount as the next head coach of USD men’s basketball,” said Massey. “JR is an outstanding leader, a relentless competitor and one of the brightest rising coaches in college basketball. Even more importantly, throughout this process I came to know him as a humble leader with strong integrity and deep family values. JR has been a part of winning at every level of his career and understands what it takes to build a program that competes with toughness, discipline and consistency. Just as importantly, he believes in developing young men holistically and leading in a way that reflects the values of this university.
“This is a pivotal moment for our program and JR’s vision aligns with our belief that San Diego men’s basketball should compete in the upper tier of the WCC and position itself to be a regular NCAA Tournament participant. We are excited about what lies ahead under his leadership.”
“As a product of Catholic education and deeply committed to USD’s mission and values, Coach Blount is an outstanding role model for the young men in our Torero basketball program,” said USD President James T. Harris III. “He brings an impressive resume with deep experience, a winning track record and — above all — a commitment to the overall wellbeing of our student-athletes.”
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead USD men’s basketball,” Blount said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for this opportunity. This is more than just a coaching position for me — it’s a chance to become part of a community and build something meaningful. My wife and our three daughters are excited to make this move together and we can’t wait to invest in this university and the relationships that make it special.
I come to USD with a deep desire to win — to compete relentlessly, to develop our young men to their fullest potential and to build a program our fans can be proud of. Winning championships is important, but so is building a culture of toughness, accountability and love. We’re going to work every day to represent USD the right way, on and off the court. I’m ready to get started.”
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Blount played a key role in Iowa State’s rise under Otzelberger, helping orchestrate one of the most significant program turnarounds in recent Division I history. In his first season with the Cyclones in 2021-22, Iowa State rebounded from a two-win campaign the year before to finish 22-13 and advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Cyclones quickly established a national reputation for defensive toughness, ranking among the nation’s best in scoring defense, defensive efficiency, steals and turnovers forced.
Over the next three seasons, Blount helped Iowa State sustain that momentum. In 2022-23, the Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament and recorded nine wins over AP Top 25 opponents, tied for the most in school history. In 2023-24, Iowa State won the Big 12 Championship, finished 29-8, posted an undefeated 18-0 record at Hilton Coliseum and advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, the 2024-25 Cyclones finished 25-10, climbed as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, earned another NCAA Tournament appearance and closed the season ranked No. 17 nationally.
Known for his work in player development, recruiting and culture-building, Blount has mentored multiple all-conference and All-America caliber players throughout his coaching career. At Iowa State, he developed some of the Big 12’s top performers while contributing to a program identity rooted in toughness, connectivity and competitive excellence.
Prior to Iowa State, Blount spent three seasons at Colorado State, where he helped elevate the Rams into one of the Mountain West’s top programs. During his tenure in Fort Collins, Colorado State signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history and posted consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 20-8 finish and a run to the NIT semifinals in 2020-21. He also played a leadership role in Colorado State’s Together Initiative, which promoted social justice and racial equality on campus.
Blount also previously served in coaching roles at Drake and Saint Leo and began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where the program won the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.
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A former three-year team captain and two-time team MVP at Loyola University Chicago, Blount later played professionally for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League during the 2010-11 season. He earned degrees in psychology and sociology from Loyola in 2009 and later received his master’s degree in education from UW-Stevens Point in 2012.
A native of Milwaukee, Blount and his wife, Ashley, have three daughters: Maya, Zuri and Gema.
