By Bob Hertzel for the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a month Don Nehlen will celebrate his 89th birthday, spending almost half that life in the football coaching business.
He authored a Hall of Fame career and retired in 2000 as the winningest coach in West Virginia history.
He’s not so sure if he were coming along today, even with the multi-million dollar salaries they are giving out, he would follow the same route.
Speaking a day after Neal Brown was fired by WVU after completing a 6-6 regular season, Nehlen put it this way:
“You have to be everything but a coach now,” he said. “If I was growing up today, I don’t think I would want to coach. I don’t know.”
By that he meant the recruiting, the public relations work, dealing with players who are paid to play, dealing with so many rules, so many regulations, pressure from alumni.
“Coaching is a tough, tough profession,” Nehlen said. “I was in it 43 years and I was always a half a step ahead of the posse.”
