Sep 17, 2013 4 min read

While he is remembered as a successful football coach at Chartiers-Houston and Washington high schools, those close to Don Clendaniel think of him as much more.

Clendaniel, 79, died Monday in his Houston home, with family by his side.

His legacy of multiple WPIAL and conference championship football teams at Chartiers-Houston and a conference championship team at Washington is well documented.

It was his kind and decent way in dealing with people – young and old – that defined him.

“He became more to me than a coach,” said Vic Massack, who played for Clendaniel at Chartiers-Houston and on the Bucs’ WPIAL Class B championship teams in 1971 and 1972.

“We remained friends and grew closer as we grew older. He was a mentor to me my whole life.”

Clendaniel also led Chartiers-Houston to the 1968 WPIAL Class B title. His Bucs’ teams won five conference titles.

Clendaniel compiled a 68-16-3 record at Chartiers-Houston from 1960 through 1973.

The friendships he forged remain indelible.

“Not only did he coach you, he cared about you,” said Dave Cook, who played for Clendaniel at Chartiers-Houston and coached junior high wrestling with him at Washington.

“He was special. It was just his caring personality that you noticed and appreciated. When I was young, I didn’t have a lot of structure. He was able to help bring me structure. You gave him maximum effort because you knew he cared.”

Cook, who later became one of the greatest wrestling coaches in Pennsylvania, said Clendaniel’s nature was to teach through a calm and instructive style.

“He didn’t accept mistakes,” Cook said. “But if you made one, it was not the end of the world. He knew how to treat young men.”

Clendaniel was a three-time winner of the Washington County Coach of the Year award, and in 1994 was inducted into the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

In the spring of 1973, Clendaniel was hired as football coach at Washington.

Bob Wagner, long-time athletic director for the Little Prexies, said Clendaniel was an obvious candidate for the position based on his previous success, interview and pleasant demeanor.

“His leadership skills were different than a lot of other coaches,” Wagner said. “He was not a screamer. He did not shout. He didn’t shoot from the hip. He and (former Washington basketball coach and athletic director) Ron Faust were a lot alike.

Clendaniel and Wagner shared a love of golf and played together many times.

“He was a joy to be around,” Wagner said. “He was a trustworthy person. He was kind and conservative. I thought a lot of him.”

Clendaniel’s best season at Washington was 1974 when the Little Prexies tied with Albert-Gallatin to win the Century Conference championship. Washington defeated the Colonials in the last game of the regular season. They thought they were headed to the playoffs. But Albert-Gallatin was declared the team to move on based on Gardner Points. The conference included 12 teams, and the members didn’t play the same opponents.

The controversy raged for nearly a week. The reality was the Little Prexies’ season was over. The Colonials went on to win the WPIAL title.

The scenario marred the Washington program in future years.

“Mr . Clendaniel had to explain it to us,” said Sam Graham, a member of the 1974 team. “It was tough. He handled it as well as any coach could. He was an outstanding coach and an upstanding man.

“That outcome in 1974 was detrimental and I think we had some teams in future years that could have been better than they were. That whole 1974 outcome was tough to shake off.”

Through it all, Clendaniel maintained his positive and low-key manner.

“He was a good man,” Massack said. “He took many kids and helped them become good young men.”