Matt Millet shows off the stars he has added to the Crusaders' logo that commemorates the school's two state championships in that sport in 2000 and 2001.
By Ron Brocato
There’s a new look and new excitement for a winter sport at Brother Martin. And there is a renewed optimism that big things are about to happen to the school’s soccer program.
Under the leadership of head coach Matt Millet, the Crusaders have become a budding power, having already won 11 of their first 13 matches of the season with a lone loss to University Lab (2-0) and tie with the Willow School.
It didn’t take long for Millet, a former professional player and 10-year veteran coach, to mold the Crusaders into a potential state championship caliber program. He just had to make a few changes.
After leading Holy Cross to five Division II championships in his 10-year tenure there, fate and a keen eye by a former Country Day coach resulted in a career change for the better. The sharp eye was that of Bill Gallagher, a longtime veteran mentor and father of Brother Martin Principal, Ryan Gallagher.
“Bill taught with my mother, Maggie, at Country Day, so I knew him from the time I was a kid,” the coach noted.
Maggie Millet, who was recently inducted into the Louisiana High School Hall of Fame for her many years heading the volleyball program, also coached soccer, a sport that interested her young son. As a student at De La Salle, Matt Millet learned quickly and was a standout on the school’s state championship team as a senior
Following graduation and a college career at the University of Mobile, Millet was talented enough to play professionally with a Major League Soccer Class 3A affiliate. Then, after two years of competing, he returned home in 2005 to begin a teaching and coaching career, first in the Jefferson Parish Public School System, then at St. Martin’s Episcopal School.
In 2013, Holy Cross chose Millet to head its soccer program, and under his guidance, the school won five state championships, including four consecutive over his 10-year stay, the last coming in 2024.
Administrative and coaching changes were occurring at Holy Cross, and Millet was feeling uneasy about his future, when “The (Holy Cross) office notified me that Ryan Gallagher wanted to speak to me. After a few interviews (with the principal and other administration officials), things went from there,” Millet said.
Although competitive in soccer with state playoff appearances every season, Brother Martin had not returned to the Division I title game since 2002, its runner-up year. The Crusaders’ most successful seasons came in 2000 and 2001 when they won their two state championships.
“This is the 25th anniversary of one of the state championships,” Millet said, “And I felt the need to come in and change the culture through outreach with the administration and the alumni. For years, the teams have been somewhat average, so I wanted to make sure that the kids were aware that we have won state championships in the past.”
The first change was to the school’s shield, over which he designed two stars to signify and commemorate the two titles on the logo. “It’s on all our gear because the kids had no clue of our past, so I felt that leaning into our past would be a good thing, and that knowing that our program is not just a now thing, that we’re carrying the weight of those who came before us.”
Millet also dismantled an outdated and unused shower facility in the back of the gymnasium and converted it into a carpeted locker room to make the soccer athletes feel there is a place for them comparable to that of the school’s other sports teams.
“Last year I also reached out to our alumni,” he noted. “We put an event together for them, and one of the oldest alums emailed me back to say that it was the first time that he had heard from a soccer coach since he graduated, which was bizarre to me. So I’m going to do everything to make the culture better for them and for the kids,” Millet added.
As the soccer season progresses through the Christmas break and into the second half of the season, the coach has his eyes on a strong finish by his 23-man roster, whose record speaks for itself. With only eight seniors, five of whom are listed as starters, the Crusaders have a solid foundation for the future.
The Crusaders’ District 8-I rivals include West Jefferson, John Ehret, Chalmette, Bonnabel, and Jesuit. They have already defeated West Jefferson, 5-0, and Chalmette, 6-0, and have beaten the reigning state champion, St. Paul’s, 3-1, in a late November match.
For good reason, Millet is excited about the upcoming matches and the potential the remainder of the campaign holds. “I think we are as good as any team I’ve won with in the past. It’s a good feeling at the moment.” And although he keeps the anticipation to himself, he conveyed, “I think we may be good enough to win it. Now, whether that happens is a different conversation.”
But it would be the perfect 25th anniversary present.
