Dan Haley, who led Bowling Green to the 1995 state football title, has died. He was 73. He also coached Paducah Tilghman to the 1973 state title.

 

Haley was 253-79-3 in 29 seasons as head coach at Bowling Green, Paducah Tilghman, and Bryan Station

Played his high school days at Pineville high school. KY has lost a legend. Prayers from the Bell County Bobcats.

Rest In Peace Coach Haley. Great Coach and Great Man.

I have been blessed with hiring a person that has worked for Coach Haley and then blessed again by working for that person as well. Dan Haley's influence is awesome. His legacy and impact lives on in each kid that he's coached and in each coach that he's mentored. The title of "Coach" becomes revered because of those like Coach Dan Haley.

Former Purples coach Haley dies at 73 - Bowling Green Daily News: Prep Sports

Words cannot express the emptiness I feel right now. He was the head coach at Paducah Tilghman when I played at BGHS in 1974-76. I am proof that you can consider an opposing head coach a mentor, as I admired how the Tornado played with such precision and togetherness. He brought those traits to BGHS when he became head coach here in 1984. He is tied for third in tenure as head coach of the Purples with 12 years (1984-95). He brought us many exciting moments and great young men during that time, along with our first two state championship appearances in 1994 and 1995, winning our first title in 1995. He is second all time in victories at Alma Mater with 119 behind current mentor Kevin Wallace, who assisted Coach Haley in 1994 and 1995.

 

How prophetic his words were in 1975 when, after a blowout win handing the Purples their first loss in 1975, he was quoted in the Park City as saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day," expressing his feeling that a colossus was about to emerge at Alma Mater. The following year, we had our very first ever win over the Tornado at McRight Field by a score of 9-7. It would be the first of four consecutive wins over the Tornado. Before that game, the Purples were 0-19-2 against the Tornado. I can, and still do, wear that same gold jersey to our games. Ol' #57 has come to be known as a very lucky jersey.

 

When he retired, I met him to shake his hand. I told him, "Once a Purple, ALWAYS a Purple...". He nodded his head in agreement. This statement has become a statement of solidarity among those in Purple Nation, player or not. His statement, "It is always a GREAT day to be a Purple!" is another statement of solidarity.

 

The last time Mrs PH and I saw him, it was at a scrimmage at The Big El. In a very rare display of how he was personally, he met our little pocket beagle, Molly. He and Molly hit it off immediately, and I could tell that he was a dog lover. I was concentrating on the scrimmage too much, and heard that they were kissing on each other! Had I known, I would have approached him to say, "What are your intentions with my daughter, young man?"! I guarantee that he would have gotten a big laugh out of that!

 

He left us way too soon. He will be remembered as somebody who was a tremendous force in the molding of outstanding young men and one who made his assistants much better. He was a positive influence with everybody he met. But most of all, he was a class gentleman on and off the field. He can never be replaced...one can only hope to emulate him and hope that his spirit will approve. He will be sitting up there at The Big El with Coach Donaldson, Coach Pickens, and Monie Beard watching over the Purples.

 

:cry:

Sad to hear, he was a heck of a coach, I still recall those tuff PT teams he had when I was a kid