Coach by Devney Perry Summary, Characters and Themes
Coach by Devney Perry is a deeply emotional, second-chance romance that blends the rush of college football with the quieter struggles of love, regret, and healing.
Set in the small-town atmosphere of Montana, the story follows Ford, a former NFL star turned college coach, and Millie, his college sweetheart and now assistant athletic director. Their paths cross again after years apart, stirring up old feelings and unresolved pain. With a strong focus on personal growth, family dynamics, and the slow rekindling of trust, Coach is a heartfelt journey about choosing love again—even when the past still lingers in every play.
Summary
Ford and Millie were best friends in college—study buddies turned something more—until a kiss sparked a fire they both tried to deny. Despite the intensity between them, Ford left Millie behind to chase his NFL dreams. Heartbroken and confused, Millie was left with unanswered questions and a wound she never truly healed.
Years later, Ford returns to Treasure State University, their alma mater, not as a student or athlete but as the new head football coach.
He’s also a single father now, raising his daughter Joey after separating from her mother, Sienna. For Ford, this return to Montana represents more than just a job—it’s a fresh start. But it also comes with emotional baggage, especially when he discovers that Millie now works at TSU as the assistant athletic director.
Their reunion is filled with tension.
Millie is blindsided by Ford’s return and determined to maintain professionalism, but the past simmers beneath every interaction. She still carries the pain of abandonment, while Ford is immediately flooded with memories—and regret.
As they navigate shared meetings and public events, it becomes clear that their chemistry never died. Ford begins to wonder if this is his second chance to make things right.
Millie tries to protect her heart. Seeing Ford again reopens old wounds, especially since he now has a daughter from the relationship that seemingly ended what they had. However, Joey’s presence brings unexpected light.
She’s sweet, insightful, and naturally drawn to Millie, who starts to see Joey not as a symbol of what she lost, but as someone she could grow to love.
The tension between Ford and Millie grows during university events and late-night planning sessions. Ford makes several attempts to apologize, but Millie is hesitant.
She’s not just protecting herself—she’s trying to stay grounded in the life she’s built without him. But their interactions are charged with unresolved longing, and bit by bit, walls begin to crack.
Eventually, Ford reveals the truth behind their college breakup: during a break in their relationship, Sienna became pregnant.
Though he didn’t love Sienna, Ford felt a duty to be a present father. It was never about replacing Millie. That revelation shakes Millie, softening her guarded heart—but trust isn’t easily rebuilt.
With encouragement from friends and emotional growth on both sides, Millie slowly begins to consider the possibility of a future together. Their connection deepens, especially as Joey starts bonding more with Millie.
A pivotal moment comes when Ford confesses he never stopped loving her, and they share their first real date in over a decade—filled with honesty, reflection, and a fragile hope.
As their romance rekindles, challenges arise. Colleagues notice the growing closeness, gossip starts, and Millie is forced to defend her professionalism. Joey, however, becomes a quiet glue between them—her joy and acceptance helping Millie trust again.
The story crescendos with Ford assuring Millie that she’s his future, not just a piece of his past. He proposes they move in together, hinting at a permanent, blended family.
Though nervous, Millie accepts, realizing that love sometimes takes the long road—but can still arrive with perfect timing.
In the epilogue, Millie and Ford are engaged, parenting Joey together with warmth and unity. Their home is full of laughter, and the past no longer feels like a wound—it’s just a chapter in the love story that finally found its way.
Characters
Ford Walker
Ford Walker is a complex character whose journey revolves around redemption and second chances. He begins the story as a successful, yet emotionally wounded, man who is trying to rebuild his life after a series of mistakes, particularly the one that hurt Millie, his college love.
Ford’s backstory reveals a man who prioritized his NFL career over his relationship with Millie, ultimately leading to heartbreak. The dissolution of that relationship, however, remained a deep regret for him, and it becomes clear that his love for Millie was never truly extinguished.
Throughout the book, Ford demonstrates growth. As a father to Joey, he’s shown to be loving and dedicated, and his transformation into a coach reveals a man who now values responsibility and stability over his previous reckless ambition.
Ford’s commitment to Millie is a slow-burning process of proving himself, not just as a partner, but as someone capable of making amends and doing things right this time. His actions, like his involvement in his daughter’s life and his attempts to win Millie back, reflect a man trying to heal his past mistakes and forge a future filled with love and family.
Millie Greene
Millie is a woman who has spent the years since her college relationship with Ford emotionally guarding herself. She is a highly professional and successful assistant athletic director, deeply committed to her career.
Despite her outer resilience, Millie harbors emotional scars from her past with Ford. Much of her journey in Coach revolves around confronting these wounds.
The pain of Ford’s abandonment still lingers, and although she has tried to move on, her feelings for him never truly disappeared. Millie’s inner conflict is the emotional core of the story—she wants to protect her heart from being broken again but is also drawn to the man Ford has become.
Her struggle to balance professionalism with her growing feelings for Ford highlights her complexity. As the narrative unfolds, Millie gradually allows herself to reconnect with the love she once had for Ford, but only after considerable emotional reckoning.
Her ultimate decision to forgive and open herself to love again shows her growth and willingness to embrace a second chance, despite the fear of getting hurt.
Joey Walker
Joey is Ford’s young daughter, who plays an important role in both Ford’s character development and the evolution of his relationship with Millie. At first, Joey is resistant to the move to Montana, as she feels disconnected from her father’s new life and the changes it brings.
However, as the story progresses, Joey begins to bond with Millie, and their relationship evolves into a genuine, loving friendship. Joey’s innocence and openness serve as a catalyst for the romantic reconciliation between Ford and Millie.
Through her eyes, Ford sees the potential for a new family dynamic with Millie, and Joey’s acceptance of Millie helps soften Millie’s guarded heart. Joey represents hope, healing, and the possibility of a bright, loving future.
Autumn
Autumn is Millie’s supportive best friend who serves as her emotional anchor throughout the story. She’s a sounding board for Millie as she navigates the complexities of her relationship with Ford.
Autumn’s role in the narrative is primarily to offer advice, provide emotional support, and encourage Millie to take risks in her personal life. Through her interactions with Millie, Autumn emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and love.
Autumn’s own life experiences, though not as central to the plot, provide Millie with a balanced perspective on matters of the heart and personal growth.
Kurt
Kurt, a colleague at the university, acts as a minor antagonist in the story, especially as he grows suspicious of Ford and Millie’s relationship. His role is more about creating external tension in the professional environment.
Kurt’s actions serve to challenge Millie and Ford’s budding relationship, testing their resolve and boundaries. His suspicion and disapproval of their relationship add a layer of conflict that Millie has to manage, especially as she tries to maintain her professional reputation while navigating her personal feelings.
Themes
The Complexities of Regret and Redemption
A key theme that resonates throughout Coach by Devney Perry is the emotional complexity of regret and redemption. Ford’s journey from professional success to personal growth is defined by his desire to atone for past mistakes, particularly how he left Millie.
The central conflict revolves around Ford’s deep sense of regret for breaking Millie’s heart when he prioritized his NFL career and the birth of his daughter over his love for her. This regret is not merely an emotional burden but also a driving force behind Ford’s determination to rebuild his relationship with Millie, to show her that he is a changed man.
The theme of redemption unfolds as Ford faces the consequences of his past decisions and strives for forgiveness and a second chance at love. His struggle is complicated by Millie’s understandable reluctance to trust him again, as well as her own unresolved feelings of hurt and betrayal.
Ford’s transformation, from a man driven by ambition to one focused on family and emotional honesty, is a testament to the profound impact of regret and the potential for redemption.
The Interplay of Professionalism and Personal Relationships
Another intricate theme in the novel is the delicate balance between professionalism and personal relationships. Both Ford and Millie navigate the challenges of working together while reconciling their past and present.
Millie, now an assistant athletic director, maintains a composed and professional demeanor even though her history with Ford evokes strong emotional responses. Ford, as the new head football coach, must manage his professional responsibilities while grappling with his personal desire to rekindle a relationship with Millie.
This interplay creates tension as both characters struggle to maintain boundaries and professionalism in the workplace. The novel demonstrates how deeply personal emotions can bleed into professional lives, especially when unresolved feelings are involved.
Millie’s efforts to compartmentalize her emotions and keep them from interfering with her work are constantly tested by Ford’s persistent attempts to reconnect, forcing her to confront her feelings both professionally and personally.
The Evolution of Family and Fatherhood
The theme of family and fatherhood is central to Ford’s character development in Coach. Ford’s role as a father to his daughter, Joey, significantly shapes his identity and actions throughout the story.
His commitment to being a present and supportive father, even after the end of his relationship with Sienna, serves as a form of emotional growth and responsibility. Ford’s relationship with Joey becomes a lens through which Millie sees him again, not just as the man who left her but as a dedicated parent who has matured.
As Ford works to rebuild his relationship with Millie, he also learns to navigate the complexities of co-parenting, reconciling the father he is with the partner he wants to be. Millie’s evolving relationship with Joey also adds depth to this theme, as she begins to care for Joey and sees the potential for a family dynamic she had once imagined with Ford.
The novel illustrates how family can be both a source of healing and a complex challenge, especially when blending old wounds with new possibilities.
The Transformative Power of Second Chances
Perhaps the most significant theme in Coach is the transformative power of second chances. The novel explores how characters can evolve, heal, and find new beginnings, particularly in the context of romantic relationships.
Ford and Millie’s journey is one of redemption, healing, and ultimately reconciliation. Their shared past, full of love and heartbreak, sets the stage for their second chance at happiness.
The story highlights how time, change, and personal growth can create the possibility of reawakening love. Ford’s sincerity in wanting to rebuild trust, his actions that demonstrate his commitment to being a better person, and Millie’s gradual softening towards him all point to the idea that second chances can indeed lead to profound transformations.
This theme extends beyond the romantic plot to the broader idea that people can grow and evolve, even after making significant mistakes. Ford’s growth as a father and a man, coupled with Millie’s willingness to forgive and open her heart again, shows how powerful and redemptive second chances can be.