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Posted by DCMountaineer on 3/18/2008, 5:52 pm, in reply to "Don Nehlen"
67.133.229.226
Good Post, Bulldog!
I agree that many Mountaineers do not fully appreciate Don Nehlen's contributions to our program, school and state. I am 57, and lived in Morgantown from 68-82, so I saw the Carlen, Bowden, Cignetti and early Nehlen years up close and personal. I think season tickets were about 65 bucks at their highest then. The Oklahoma away game victory with Hostetler was the watershed game in my mind where WVU finally turned a corner. Nehlen was a great coach and recruiter. If he had a fault, it was his conservative play calling during some games. He was always a gentleman, and someone that represented WVU in its best light. When my friend and I wrote a book about Mountaineer Mania last year, we sent him a copy to review. He sent us a handwritten letter, and praised us for writing a book that he thought other Mountaineer fans would appreciate. That was true class.
Yes, let's remember our history, boys and girls. Fred Shaus got a nice reception in Motown this past year; Jonnie West is Jerry's boy; George King and Gale Catlett should be honored in our memories; the 2 Rods (Hundley/Thorn) only added to our rosy past...Sam Huff entertains me almost 55 years after his WVU career ended, when I watch and listen to him on the DC Redskins stations; Major Harris is under consideration for the college FB HOF; and on and on.
Among all the names listed above, Don Nehlen is as gigantic as any or all of them.
Thanks for reminding us about Coach Nehlen, Bulldog (BTW, you're not a covert UGA fan, are you? 
--Previous Message--
: I have heard enough about Don Nehlen
: being such a poor football coach! If
: anyone out there was born before 1980,
: which I was born in 1963 let's hear
: from you. Bobby Bowden left after the
: 1975 season. After that the
: Mountaineers were mentioned in the same
: breath as Temple. I'm sure none of you
: have ever heard of Frank Cignetti,the
: coach between Bowden and Nehlen. I'm
: not knocking Frank, he went on to a
: great career at Indiana, Pa. Don took
: the college football world by
: storm,winning against teams like
: Florida in the Peach Bowl, Oklahoma
: coached by Barry Switzer, in the opener
: the next year, top 5 teams like Boston
: College (Doug Flutie), 0-4 against the
: Mountaineers. undefeated 1988,
: undefeated 1993, in the same year beat
: number 4 Miami Hurricanes in the same
: season. If you folks would take a look
: at the facts, you would realize that
: Rich Rodriguez just watered down the
: schedule and made himself look good.
: Quit worrying about Bill Stewart and
: his new staff,because most of them,
: including Bill are Nehlen's and Rod's
: staff. To make a long story short the
: Mounaineers have had pretty good
: football teams since 1891, and by the
: way I'm an ex-coal miner with 13 years
: experience!
:
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