Legendary WVU Coach Don Nehlen to be Immortalized at Milan Puskar Stadium

The West Virginia University Athletic Department is immortalizing one of its greatest coaches. WVU announced Hall of Fame football coach Don Nehlen will be join the all-time greats on the Diversified Energy Terrace at Milan Puskar Stadium later this season.

Nehlen’s name will be added to the area that honors Mountaineer legends during West Virginia’s game against Cincinnati on Nov. 18. This development is just happening now due to new criteria to recognize the greatest coaches in school history.

Placing Nehlen’s name along side the program’s retired numbers marks the first time a coach is being honored beyond inclusion in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame and Mountaineer Legends Society.

𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐃.

Hall of Fame football coach Don Nehlen joins the all-time greats on the Diversified Energy Terrace at Milan Puskar Stadium on Nov. 18!

🔗 https://t.co/YTAgwIosga#HailWV pic.twitter.com/gKlpKskk0D

— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) October 18, 2023

Below offers the given description of Nehlen’s illustrious tenure provided by WVU Athletics.

Nehlen coached 15 first team All-Americans, 28 total All-Americans, 82 All-Big East Conference honorees and 80 NFL players from 1980 to 2000. 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 Award and the AFCA Coach of the Year. In 1993, he was named the Big East Coach of Year and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Nehlen guided his WVU teams to 13 bowl game appearances, 17 winning seasons and the 1993 Big East Conference title, and his 1988 and 1993 squads finished the regular season with undefeated records. The 1997 president of the prestigious American Football Coaches Association, Nehlen received the 2002 Distinguished West Virginian Award from the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, and in 2017, he received the AFCA’s Amos Alonzo Stagg Award for advancing the best interests of college football.

Walter Camp Coach of the Year
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year
AFCA Coach of the Year
Big East Coach of Year
College Football Hall of Famer
202 victories
17 winning seasons
13 bowl games
2 undefeated campaigns
𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐃𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐧. pic.twitter.com/eTW2FhfUNo

— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) October 18, 2023

His final numbers included 202 victories, two Lambert Trophies for eastern football supremacy, the 1993 Big East championship and at the time of his retirement, he was just one of 17 coaches to win 200 or more career games on the collegiate level.