Hale selected to the College Football Hall of Fame

IRVING, Texas – NCAA DII football coaching legend of the Bloomsburg Huskies, Danny Hale, has gotten the call for his rightful enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 Induction Class, as announced by the National Football Foundation and ESPN on Monday.

Hale, one of the winningest coaches in all of NCAA Division II, retired June 28, 2013, after spending 20 seasons as the head coach of the Huskies and 25 years overall as a head coach. Hale also spent five years as head coach at West Chester University (1984-88).

"Congratulations to Coach Hale on his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame," said Bashar W. Hanna, president. "This well-deserved honor speaks to the remarkable impact Coach Hale made as a head coach during his storied career at the helm of Bloomsburg's football team. His extraordinary leadership on and off the field at Bloomsburg touched the lives of countless student-athletes and in many cases changed the trajectory of their lives. Thank you to Coach Hale for his decades of dedication to Husky nation. We are thrilled to see him receive this honor."

At Bloomsburg (1993-2012), Hale posted a record of 173-56-1 (.754) and holds the school record for most coaching victories. Overall, in 25 years as a head coach, he had a mark of 213-69-1 (.754) and ranked among the top five active coaches in NCAA Division II in winning percentage and victories at his retirement.

In his 20 seasons as head coach at Bloomsburg, Hale led the Huskies to 11 outright or shared Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division titles and eight NCAA post-season playoff berths. In his final 13 seasons (2000-12), Bloomsburg was one of the most successful NCAA Division II programs with a combined record of 121-32 (.791).

"Coach Hale left an indelible mark on the lives of countless student-athletes during his time here at Bloomsburg," remarked Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, senior vice president and provost. "Danny's mentorship of the student-athletes, both on and off the field, was just as impressive as his win-loss record. Congratulations to Danny and all the College Football Hall of Fame inductees!"

Hale joins current Huskies' head coach Frank Sheptock in the College Football Hall of Fame. Sheptock was inducted in 2007 after a prolific career as a linebacker for the Huskies. With Hale's induction, Bloomsburg becomes the only Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) school with multiple College Football Hall of Fame inductees. Hale's enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame comes after his induction into the Bloomsburg Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.

"Danny Hale is truly deserving of this honor and selection into the College Football Hall of Fame," Dr. Michael McFarland, Director of Athletics said. "Coach Hale is second-to-none and when you think of the history and tradition of Bloomsburg football, he is one of the constants based on the impact he had in the PSAC, for the Huskies, and with those men who he coached, mentored, and guided to success on and off the field."

Hale joins Mark Dantonio (Cincinnati (2004-06), Michigan State (2007-19), and Frank Solich (Nebraska (1998-2003), Ohio (2005-20)) as the coaches selected in this year's class. Other notable inductees include Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Julius Peppers, and Alex Smith. The College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for Dec. 10, 2024, at the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.