Don Nehlen is a former
American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He was head football coach at
Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
(1968–1976) and at
West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
(1980–2000). Nehlen retired from coaching
college footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
in 2001 with a career record of 202–128–8 and as the 17th winningest coach in college football history. He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 2005 and has served as a president of the
American Football Coaches AssociationThe American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
.
Nehlen played
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at Bowling Green (1955–1957) and led the team to a
Mid-American ConferenceThe Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
championship in 1956. He began his coaching career in 1958 at
Mansfield Senior High SchoolMansfield Senior High School is located in Mansfield, Ohio, USA. The school serves grades 9-12 and is part of the Mansfield City School District. The school enrolls 1,389 students as of the 2006-2007 academic year...
and then served as head coach at
Canton South High SchoolCanton South High School is a public high school in Canton Township, Stark County, Ohio, United States. The school, typically enrolling around 800 students in the 9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th grades, is the only high school in the Canton Local School District. It is a member school of the former Stark...
and
Canton McKinley High SchoolCanton McKinley Senior High School is a public high school in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, U.S. It is one of the largest and oldest high schools in Ohio.-Athletics:...
. Nelsen was later an assistant coach at the
University of CincinnatiThe University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, Bowling Green, and the
University of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Since his retirement from coaching, Nehlen has been a spokesman for the
coalThe goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry. He has been urged to run as a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for several political offices, but has declined to do so. He is a supporter of the
FBIThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's childhood fingerprint identification campaign. Nehlen received the 2002 Distinguished West Virginian Award from the West Virginia Broadcasters Association. In 2006, Nehlen published a book called
Don Nehlen's Tales from the West Virginia SidelineDon Nehlen's Tales from the West Virginia Sideline is a late 2006 book written by Don Nehlen, former head coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers, and Shelly Poe, the Sports Information Director at West Virginia University. The foreword of the book is done by Mike Logan, one of the greatest...
, an autobiographical account recalling his 21-year tenure as the head football coach at West Virginia.
At West Virginia
Nehlen served as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Michigan under
Bo SchembechlerGlenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
from 1977 to 1979 before taking the head coaching job at West Virginia. Nehlen became West Virginia's 29th head football coach on December 7, 1979, replacing Frank Cignetti, who had posted four straight losing seasons.
Nehlen first hired
Gary Tranquill-External links:*...
as the offensive coach. In an effort to emulate the Michigan defense, Nehlen hired Dennis Brown away from the Wolverines. Nehlen hired a number of coaches he worked with at Bowling Green. Nehlen also retained Donnie Young, Cignetti's former assistant head coach, as his recruiting coach. Tranquill left West Virginia after three seasons to become head coach at
NavyThe Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
, taking graduate assistant Steve Dunlap with him. Dunlap later returned to serve as West Virginia's defensive coach. One of Nehlen's most famed assistants was Doc Holliday, who served the assistant head coach and recruiting coach for almost 20 years before leaving for
North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. Holliday was sent to
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
every year to find recruits and found many talented players there, including
linebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Steve GrantStephen Mitchell "Steve" Grant is a former American football linebacker for the West Virginia Mountaineers and Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League. Grant is currently the chaplin for the Texas Tech University football program in Lubbock , Texas.-Freshman season:Steve Grant enrolled...
. When Nehlen arrived at West Virginia, he introduced the Mountaineers' first "home and away uniforms" and a new helmet logo, "The Flying WV," which became the official logo of West Virginia athletics and, eventually, the university itself.
In 1980, Nehlen's first season at West Virginia, the Mountaineers went 6–6. In 1981, led by quarterback and future WVU athletic director
Oliver LuckOliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
, West Virginia went 9–3 and upset the Florida Gators in the
Peach BowlThe 1981 Peach Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Florida Gators. The game took place on December 31, 1981, resulting in a West Virginia win over Florida 26-6. The offensive MVP was Mickey Walczack of West Virginia and the defensive...
, 26–6. In 1982, led by quarterback
Jeff HostetlerWilliam Jeffrey Hostetler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. His nickname is "Hoss".-Penn State:...
(who ended up marrying Nehlen's daughter, Vicky), West Virginia started the season with an upset over the #9
Oklahoma SoonersThe Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. In 1984, Nehlen's squad posted wins against
Boston CollegeThe 1984 Boston College Eagles football team represented the Boston College Eagles in the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:The Eagles finished the season with a 9-2-0 record. Doug Flutie gained national attention in 1984 when he quarterbacked the Eagles to victory in a high-scoring,...
, led by eventual
Heisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner,
Doug FlutieDouglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, and over Penn State for the Mountaineers' first defeat of the Nittany Lions since 1955.
The 1987 season marked the beginning of the
Major HarrisMajor Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
era at West Virginia. In Harris' sophomore season, 1988, the Mountaineers went undefeated in the regular season and faced top-ranked
Notre DameThe 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 college football season. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship...
in the
Fiesta BowlThe 1989 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 1989, was the 18th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the West Virginia Mountaineers....
. Harris was injured on the third play of the game and West Virginia lost, 34–21. Notre Dame was crowned as
national championsA college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
.
In 1993, Nehlen led West Virginia to another undefeated regular season and a
Big East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
title, but the Florida Gators exacted revenge in the
Sugar BowlThe Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, winning 41–7. Nehlen's 1994 team started the season with a 1–4 record, but rebounded to qualify for the Carquest Bowl, where they lost to
South CarolinaThe South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
, 24–21.
In 1998, West Virginia featured a number of future
NFLThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
players including
Marc BulgerMarc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
,
Amos ZereoueAmos Zereoué is an African-born former American football player in the National Football League, who last played for the New England Patriots...
,
Anthony BechtAnthony G. Becht is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets 27th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia. He has Swedish relatives, brother Francis and nephew Carl and...
,
Gary StillsGary Stills is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
,
Barrett GreenBarrett Nicholas Green is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football for West Virginia and was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions in the 2000 NFL Draft.-Early years:Green was born in West Palm Beach, Florida and...
,
Solomon PageSolomon Page is a former American football guard and tackle of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
and John Thornton, to form what Nehlen called "his best West Virginia...squad." The Mountaineers opened the season with a home loss to
Ohio StateThe 1998 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1998-1999. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
, but finished the season with an 8–4 record, losing in the
Insight BowlThe 1998 edition to the Insight.com bowl was the 10th edition to the bowl game. It featured the , and the .Missouri scored first, after Carlos Posey recovered a blocked field goal and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown, putting the Tigers up 7-0. Missouri's Corby Jones scored on a 9 yard...
to
MissouriThe Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
, 34–31.
Following a loss to
SyracuseThe Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
in 2000, Nehlen announced that the season would be his final one as head coach. On December 28, he coached his final game against
Ole MissThe football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
in the
Music City BowlIn the 2000 Music City Bowl, defeated 49–38. This game was also West Virginia Mountaineers football coach Don Nehlen's final game. Although West Virginia won the game, it was notable because of a second half comeback by freshman Eli Manning. Down 49–16 in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss coach...
. After winning three of their first four
bowl gameIn North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s, Nehlen's West Virginia teams had lost seven straight postseason contents, but his final squad, led by the offensive attack of quarterback Brad Lewis, tailback
Avon CobourneAvon Cobourne is a football running back in the Canadian Football League. He currently plays for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
, wide receiver Antonio Brown, and fullback
Wes OursWes Ours is an Arena football Running back / Linebacker for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at West Virginia University. He was nicknamed "Wes Express" in college because of his ability to run over other players...
, handled the Rebels, 49–38.
Nehlen completed his tenure as West Virginia with a record of 149–93–4. His 149 victories are the most in school history. With the Mountaineers, Nehlen coached 15 first team
All-AmericansThe College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, 82 All-Big East Conference honorees, and 80 future NFL players. In 1988, Nehlen was recognized with three national coaching awards, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award, the
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year AwardThe Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, longtime head football coach at Georgia Tech and was...
, and the
AFCA Coach of the YearThe AFCA Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association . The award has had several different sponors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also been named the Kodak Coach of the Year Award.-Football Bowl...
. In 1993, he was named the Big East Coach of Year. Nehlen was inducted into the
College Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 2005.
Head coaching record
See also
- List of college football coaches with 200 wins
- List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association
- Legends Poll
The Legends Poll is a college football poll that rates the Top 25 teams weekly during the college football season. Its aim is to identify the two best teams in its opinion by the end of the season to compete in the BCS national championship game. The group is currently made up of 17 retired...
External links