Verndale’s Mike Mahlen Announced As NHSACA Football Coach Of The Year Finalist

For Verndale Pirate’s head football coach Mike Mahlen, the accolades continue to roll in.

The National High School Athletic Coaches Association has announced that Mahlen has been named a national finalist for Football Coach of the Year. He is among eight finalists from eight states up for the honor and is one of seven coaches from Minnesota named a finalist for their respective sport.

Minnesota coaches named a finalist include:

• Mike Mahlen- Verndale football
• Chet Stevenson- Brainerd assistant coach
• Wendy DeVorak Kohler- Alexandria girls basketball
• Paul Twenge- Minnetonka baseball
• Tom Vix- Rushford-Peterson boys basketball
• Nate Linsheid- Visitation swimming and diving
• Steve Paulsen- Edina Tennis

The @nhsaca would like to congratulate Michael Mahlen National Football Coach of the Year Finalist @MN_IAAA @MSHSL pic.twitter.com/hIiMH2Vaj2

— NHSACA (@nhsaca) January 28, 2019

To see the entire list of finalists, click here.