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Nehlen Inducted in the National High School Football Hall of Fame

Don Nehlen's Ohio high school coaching roots recognized by the National High School Football Hall of Fame

Former West Virginia University football head coach Don Nehlen is scheduled to be inducted in the National High School Football Hall of Fame on July 30 in Canton Ohio. 

Nehlen is joined by Hall of Fame coach inductees Paul Brown, Thom McDaniels, and Ted Ginn Sr and gridiron legends, Archie Griffin, Jim Brown, Bernie Kosar, Chris Spielman, along with the Manning family, Archie, Cooper, Eli and Peyton. 

Nehlen began his coaching career in his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio as an assistant at Mansfield High School in 1958 before taking the helm the following season at Canton South where he claimed a class AA state championship in 1962. 

He left Canton and served as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati under UC head coach Chuck Studly for one season, then went back into the high school ranks and grabbed the reins at Canton McKinley Heights, after the program had been shut down for a season for recruiting. 

Nehlen served four seasons at McKinley before he went back to the college ranks at his alma mater, Bowling Green, as an assistant for a year then grabbed the role as head coach, then a season as an assistant coach under Bo Schemblecher at Michigan prior to 21 seasons at WVU, leading the program to its only two undefeated regular seasons (1988, 1993), compiling a 149-93-4 record.   

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