Slow Motion Replay: Dan Haley had the Midas Touch! @pths_football, @bryanstationfb, @PurplesFootball, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

Haley took 3 programs to title games, in 2 different classifications, and then checked himself into the Dawahares, KHSAA HOF

"So Midas, King of Lydia, swelled...with pride when he found he could transform everything he touched to gold..." 

Claudian, In Rufinum 

Dan Haley spent 29-seasons coaching at three different high schools, all three of which were located in populous areas of Kentucky by “Kentucky standards.” Haley coached Lexington’s Bryan Station to the 2A title game in 1969; the Paducah Tilghman “Blue Tornado” to the 2A title in 1973 (beat Boyd County); took Tilghman back to the title, this time in 4A, in 1980; and then took Bowing Green (Senior) High to title appearances in 1994 and again in 1995, this latter time emerging with a 4A title, 28-12, over Dale Mueller and his Fort Thomas Highlands “Bluebirds.” How many coaches can claim taking every program he headed up to play for a title at two (2) different classifications? One with the perceived “Midas Touch,” we would imagine.

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”

Bowling Green, KY: There is a memorial scholarship named in Coach Dan Haley’s honor which raises money and partially funds the higher education of a worthy student from Bowling Green Senior High. As this scholarship is based in Bowling Green, we have used Bowling Green as the point of origin for this story.

Haley equally belongs to Pinneville, Lexington’s Bryan Station High, “The Blue Tornado” from Paducah’s Tilghman High, and Bowling Green Senior High. One might say much of Kentucky lays claim to this particular football coach from virtually every region.

Haley was born in Pineville. Haley played three sports at Pineville High School, football, track, and basketball. Haley still holds the school record for points scored in a high school game at Pineville with 58.

Haley went on to the University of Kentucky where he played football for Blanton Collier and earned an AB degree in Education (1962). Haley earned his Master’s Degree in Mathematics at Murray State (1973) and a Rank 1 Masters in Education Administration from WKU (1986).

Haley’s was a lifetime spent learning, improving, evolving. Haley could truly claim citizenship all over Kentucky at one time or another over his life’s journey.

There was a King once, who ruled over an ancient kingdom of Lydia, who was vested with a peculiar power. Everything he touched turned to gold.

This king was named Midas. Having the “Midas Touch” is meaningful still today in our common vernacular.

This “everything touched turning to gold” included his food, drink, and even his daughter. It wasn’t long before Midas learned this perceived gift was actually a curse. His lusting for gold became the bane of his existence.

Having the “Midas Touch” has come to posses a more commonly positive, modern meaning. Having the “Midas Touch” is generally understood to mean one with exceedingly good luck or someone able to get the best out of every situation.

One might say the late Dan Haley had the “Midas Touch.” At the time he retired, he was the KHSAA’s eighth (8th) winningest high school football coach of all time. Haley is still ranked among the commonwealth’s very best (23rd).

Haley won 253 of the 335 games in which he coached (253-79-3), winning slightly more than 75% of the games in which he coached. Haley had five (5) undefeated, untied regular seasons, won 15-District Championships, won seven (7) Regional Titles, finished Runner-up thrice, and won two titles, one in 1973 at Tilghman and one in 1995 at Bowling Green. Haley did something else rather singular.

Haley took all three programs he headed to at least one title game, taking two (2) of the three (3) to multiple title games. Two of his three programs (Bryan Station in ’69 and Tilghman in ’73 and ’80) made the title game in 2A. A third “Haley program” (Bowling Green, 1994 & 1995) made the 4A title game at a time when the entire commonwealth was divided into four (4) classes.

Now Bowling Green is a program which has won nine (9) career titles. Haley won the program its first. One might say the tradition of Bowing Green being among Kentucky’s more decorated teams began with Dan Haley.

Haley also won Tilghman’s first state title (1973). That makes two ballyhooed and storied programs who had their program title runs begun by Dan Haley.

Haley also won four (4) different COY awards in four (4) different decades. The entities awarding this distinguished awards were the big boys, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Associated Press, and the Kentucky High School Coaches Association.

Intermittently during his high school coaching career, Dan Haley tried his hand at the college game. Haley served as OC on Morehead State University’s staff, was the head coach at Cumberland University (now, “The University of the Cumberlands”), and served on Jack Harbaugh’s staff at WKU.

So in the end what does this data suggest? What is a fair inference to be drawn from the facts within this piece?

Here is a guy who led every team he ever coached at the high school level to the pinnacle of the sport, the championship game. Here is a guy who won championships at multiple schools, in multiple classifications.

Here is a guy who was hired to coach a university as its head coach (Cumberlands), while serving a couple stints on college staffs at both Morehead State University and WKU. Here is a guy who won more than 75% of the games he was called upon to coach.

What is the sum total of all of this, in light of the fact this guy held a Master’s degree from Murray State University in Mathematics? We don’t have a Master’s in Mathematics. We scarcely claim a novice’s understanding of the topic; but, even we can solve for a solution here?

Dan Haley was among the greatest coaches the Kentucky high school game has ever known! There is our answer. How’d we do?

This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!

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