Dean of Valley football coaches still going strong at 82

January 10, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Having spent six decades in the game, Bill Bohren unequivocally qualifies as the dean of area high school football coaches.

At age 82 and with 295 victories safely tucked away — 47 seasons as a head coach and 48 years overall — Bohren says he’s far from finished imparting his knowledge and wisdom to the current generation of players.

Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s weekly meeting at Avion Banquet Center, Bohren said players of yesteryear are still comparable to those playing today, except in one area.

“There isn’t much difference between the players when I first started as a head coach and those playing today. They all want discipline and will obey the rules that have been set by the staff,” Bohren said. “The one area in which they are different, however, is that today’s players are bigger, faster and stronger and that is due to increased off-season conditioning and improved weight programs.”

He still considers Ohio the hotbed of scholastic football and the state on which both colleges and universities converge during recruiting season.

“Ohio is still the best football state in America, producing exceptional talent annually,” Bohren said. “Except for a position or two where Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer might need go out of state, all he has to do is recruit Ohio and he’ll field a winner.”

Bohren has made 11 stops as a high school head coach, his only season as an assistant coming in 2014 when was on the Champion High School staff.

He’s also coached in the prestigious North-South all-star game on two separate occasions, first in 1988 in a game that featured University of Michigan recruits Elvis Grbac and Desmond Howard (an eventual Heisman Trophy winner), and again in 2000 when current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played.

At the 1988 game, Bohren said that it was two local players who became the leaders once practices commenced.

“Our team also had Girard quarterback Nick Cochran, and Bill Schaffer and Jack Grdic of Boardman. Cochran was headed to Ohio State, Schaffer to Michigan and Grdic to Kent State,” Bohren said. “When we got to camp, Cochran and Schaffer became the two leaders of the team. Nick was a great all-around athlete, but his best quality was that he was a great leader. On our last drive of the game, it was Nick under center barking signals.”

In addition to Roethlisberger, the 2000 game also featured Struthers standouts Rick McFadden, an Ohio State quarterback commit and Walter Reyes, a running back headed to Syracuse University.

“It’s funny how things come full circle, but when I was at Ottawa-Glandorf (1971-75) the quarterback at our opponent, Elida High School, was Roethlisberger’s father,” he noted. “Ben never played quarterback until his senior season at Findlay High School, throwing 49 touchdowns during the regular season and 55 overall that year. It’s no surprise that he has done so well for the Steelers.”

Bohren said there have been special memories at each stop.

“You can pick games that stick out and there are definitely quite a few individual performances that also come to mind,” he said. “There are also plays that give you a laugh or two to this day. However, just being around the kids, watching them develop and then following their careers after they graduate is the part that is most fulfilling. It’s when you bump into your former players after not seeing them for some time, and then catching up with their careers that is also so very special.”

Next week, YSU head softball coach Brian Campbell will serve as guest speaker.