Verndale Pirates head football coach Mike Mahlen is one of eight football coaches named as finalists for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.
Mahlen, Minnesota's all-time leader in high school wins, is joined by Bob Gaddis of Columbus East High School in Indiana; Dough Gotlz of Falls City Sacred Heart in Nebraska; Dave Keel of Homestead in Wisconsin; Mke Morgan of St John's High School in Arizona; Dan Smrekar of Bismarck St. Mary's Central in North Dakota, Rodney Tweet of Geraldine High School in Montana and Jeff VanLeur of Bridgewater-Emery in South Dakota.
Brainerd's Chet Stevenson is up for the boys' assistant coach honor. Alexandria's Wendy Kohler is up for the Girls basketball coach of the year.
Brainerd's Lowell Scearcy will also be inducted into the NHSACA Hall of Fame.
The National convention will be June 22-27 at Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck, N.D.
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The Coaches of the Year banquet will be June 26.
Mahlan coached the Pirates to the Nine-Man state tournament last fall. It was the 17th state trip for Mahlen and Verndale, who has three state runner-up finishes and two state titles.
