BILL BOHREN Niles coach will resign following season

He's led the Red Dragons to two conference titles and two playoff appearances.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Bill Bohren began the week with a meeting unlike any other as the Niles High football coach.
The veteran coach, in his seventh year with the Red Dragons and 37th overall, told his team that he will resign after the season.
"There have been years in coaching when you have losses, but I've reached the point where it wasn't fun anymore," said Bohren, 68, whose team is 0-5. "I wasn't having any fun and the kids are not having any fun. It's time to go."
Things don't get any easier for Niles tonight. It plays host to state-ranked Canfield (5-0) in a Metro Athletic Conference game at Bo Rein Stadium.
Season of struggles
"Our kids are good kids. There just hasn't been a lot of success for them and I feel bad about that," said Bohren, an Ambridge, Pa., native. "The kids put a lot of time in the program and I want them to have success.
"We're certainly not playing well right now," he said. "That's as much my responsibility as the players' responsibility."
Although Bohren will step away from a program that he has led to a 39-31 record, two playoff appearances and two MAC titles, he plans to remain in coaching. Just elsewhere.
"The program had been down for a long time and we were able to turn that around," Bohren said. "We certainly added numbers to the program. I think our program improved."
Back-to-back
The Red Dragons highlighted their tenure under Bohren by making consecutive playoff appearances in 1999 and 2000.
In 1999, Niles beat Steubenville in the regular season finale before beating Madison in the first round of the playoffs and then losing to Akron Buchtel.
"Beating Steubenville in the last game of the season was a great win for our program," Bohren said. "That catapulted us into the playoffs."
In 2000, the Red Dragons went 9-1 and beat Chaney in the playoff opener in front of 15,000 fans at Stambaugh Stadium.
"That Chaney win was a great night of football," Bohren said. "It was really hard that any team had to lose that game."
Niles continued its run that year by beating Avon Lake in the second round before losing to eventual state champion Olmsted Falls.
"That was one of the best teams in school history at Niles," said Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky, who will oppose Bohren tonight. "Those guys played at a high level week in and week out."
Lifetime of football
Bohren's coaching career has taken him to eight schools, beginning in 1965 at Ohio High School in Illinois.
After six seasons in Illinois, Bohren had stints at Ottawa-Glandorf, Steubenville, Lakeview, Boardman, Butler (Pa.), Salem and Niles.
"Somebody who has dedicated the number of years Bill has to young kids deserves all the accolades he can get," Pavlansky said. "Hopefully, I'll be as fortunate to spend as many years in coaching that Bill has."
In his 37 seasons of coaching, Bohren holds a 240-125-6 record.
"I've enjoyed my seven years at Niles," Bohren said. "I thought this is the best time to make a decision."
But he's not through yet.
"I fully intend to coach next year," he said. "I've had a number of opportunities since I've been at Niles, and I'll move to the next job next year.
"The remaining five games at Niles are still my concern."
richesson@vindy.com