Nelson still has passion for football

You wouldn’t know Niles Nelson is 69 years old. And he still has the same passion and enthusiasm for football that he has always had.

The former University of Maine football captain is in his third season as the defensive coordinator at Bangor’s Husson College.

His coaching resume is a mile long and includes a 38-game winning streak as the head coach at Orono High and assistant coaching stints at Maine, the University of Rhode Island, The Citadel (S.C.), and Florida State.

He and his wife, Ronnie, have a home in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and a camp in Bucksport they bought five years ago.

Nelson had been coaching high school football in the Carolinas, but the season starts at the end of July and he and Ronnie wanted to spend August in Maine. He called Husson coach Gabby Price and asked if he “could use me” and Price hired him.

“Now we have the best of both worlds,” said Nelson, who has four children and 13 grandchildren.

Nelson has retired from teaching but not from football.

“I just love the game,” he said. “I like working with young people. I think I got into coaching because I learned a lot from football myself. [Former Maine coach] Harold Westerman taught me some things and I wanted to pass them on to other people.”

And he is quick to point out the lessons he learned from football also apply to life.

A positive attitude is a requirement.

“The one common ingredient that I learned way back was that you needed to have a good attitude to play football. If you don’t, you aren’t going to play for me,” said Nelson. “In my first year as a [high school] head coach, my two captains came to practice late and I threw them off the team.”

He said the game has changed dramatically but not the attitudes of the players.

“It’s a lot more sophisticated now. Everybody throws the ball. Everybody is spread out. There are more formations and coverages,” said Nelson.

As for the players, he said, “One of the nice things about football is that you’re working with kids who really want to play. A kid wouldn’t be busting his tail on the football field if he didn’t want to play.”

The veteran coach has some fond memories of his prestigious career. His three seasons and 38-game winning streak at Orono are still at the top of his list.

“It was a great time. A great experience. We had great kids and it was a great town for kids to grow up in even though we were only there for three years,” said Nelson.

He said the current group of Husson players is a joy to work with just like the Orono kids.

Price and his defensive players are pleased to have Nelson on board. Husson’s defense has improved significantly every year under Nelson.

“He has done a tremendous job,” said Price. “He has a great temperament. The players know when he says something, he means it. And he knows what he’s talking about. He’s very passionate about football and the message he brings is terrific. It’s wholesome, it’s things you can use the rest of your life.”

Nose tackle Tyler Libbey called Nelson a “great guy, a hardworking guy who is a very important motivator. He is invaluable to the coaching staff.”

Defensive end Shane Rogers said Nelson has a “brilliant defensive mind” and is “really dedicated to his job. He has meant a lot to me. He has taught me a lot.”

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.