Dan Haley

Dan Johnson Haley, 73, of Bowling Green, passed away at his home on October 19, 2013. Coach Dan Haley was born on September 15, 1940 in Pineville, KY. He was a three-sport athlete at Pineville High School, participating in football, basketball, and track. To this day, he still holds the record in Pineville for most points scored in a basketball game (58 points) in 1958. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1962 with an AB in Education (Mathematics and English), where he played football under the direction of Blanton Collier. He earned a Master?s Degree in Mathematics from Murray State University in 1973, and a Rank I in Education Administration from Western Kentucky University in 1986. Coach Haley held Head Coaching positions at Bryan Station High School, Paducah Tilghman High School, and Bowling Green High School. He served as Head Football Coach at Cumberland College for five years, served one year as Offensive Coordinator at Morehead State University, and one year as Tight Ends Coach at Western Kentucky University under Coach Jack Harbaugh. He also served as Program Assistant to Coach Willie Taggart at Western Kentucky University. Some of his activities and honors include being a member of the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels, a Ruling Elder of the Presbyterian Church, a member of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, a member of the Kentucky High School Coaches Association, a member of the American Football Coaches Association, a Duke of Paducah, a Director of the Mountain Laurel Festival, and an original founder of the Pineville Schools Hall of Fame. Coach Haley was inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2007, and also inducted into the Pineville Schools Hall of Fame in 2013. The highlights of his coaching career include 5 undefeated, untied regular seasons, 15 District Championships, 7 Regional Championships, and he received major Kentucky Coach of the Year awards in four different decades. He won multiple State Runner-Up Championships, won the State Championship Titles at Paducah Tilghman High School in 1973 and 1980, and won the first-ever State Championship Title at Bowling Green High School in 1995. He holds a coaching career record of 253-79-3 for 29 years as a Head Football Coach. Coach Haley achieved great success throughout his career, while also serving as an outstanding role model and mentor for hundreds and hundreds of athletes and students. He was preceded in death by his parents, Grace Johnson Haley and C. Frederick Haley, as well as his brother, C. Frederick Haley, Jr. He is survived by Julie, his wife of 45 years, his daughter Laura Haley Gay of Bowling Green, and his grandson, Brody Bowman Gay. He is also survived by his brother, James E. Haley (Ann) of Davenport, CA.