OHSFCA: Piqua, former Triad coach join hall of fame

Piqua High School football coach Bill Nees and former Triad coach Dan Johnson were inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association hall of fame in June during an annual induction ceremony/dinner at Columbus.

Nees is the dean of the new Miami Valley League coaches, having led Piqua the past 27 seasons (195-100 won/loss record). Piqua won a D-II state championship in 2006 with Mr. Football Brandon Saine in the backfield and was a D-II state runner-up in 2000.

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Earlier this summer Nees also was inducted into the Miami Valley Football Coaches Association hall of fame. Last fall, he joined the 1978 NCAA D-III national champion Baldwin Wallace team into BW’s hall of fame. Nees was a starting guard on that Yellow Jackets team, which defeated rival Wittenberg 24-10 in the Stagg Bowl.

Nees is a Lima Central Catholic grad and inherited the Indians position when Steve Magoteaux resigned as head coach to become Piqua’s athletic director.

Johnson was Triad’s head coach from 1976-82 and mostly is known for making Liberty Union near Lancaster into a small-school state power during a 29-season run.

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Joining Nees and Johnson in the Class of 2019 inductees was Mike Fell (Columbus Grove, Celina, Ada, Lima Senior), Jerry Rutherford (Eastwood), Don Hertler Jr. (North Canton Hoover, Garaway) and Dean Pees (Elmwood, college, NFL).

Next year, Steve Bartlett (Southeastern, Carroll, Miami Trace) and Whit Parks (Zanesville, Marysville, Minster, Fort Loramie) will be among six inductees into the OHSFCA hall of fame.

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Others to be inducted next year are Brian Cross (Grove City, Canton McKinley, Columbus Bishop Ready), Ty Fleming (Shadyside), Jim Ryan (Olmstead Falls) and Bill Albright (Midview). That ceremony and banquet will be held on June 12, 2020, at the Easton Hilton in Columbus.

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