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An Evening with a Coach

Activity Details

Submitted By: Ron Pavan

Position: Director of Athletics

Phone Number: 303-865-6054

Email Address: ron.pavan@ovu.edu

Name of School: Ohio Valley University

Conference: West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Type of Event:
- Indoor

Description of Activity

OVU has sponsored “An Evening with a Coach” for a variety of coaches and most recently will have former West Virginia football coach Don Nehlen attend.  In the past former prominent coaches and student-athletes have attended the annual event that has helped bring new community members to the event.  The event itself costs minimal dollars to the athletic department, as the event and speaker costs are taken up by sponsors.  Three years ago, the first event brought in 300 individuals, and the second year brought in 400 attendees.  The first event was also located in the gym, but since then has been relocated to the performing arts center.

Associated Costs

How much (in dollars) this cost to plan, prepare and run:
Speaker costs between $5,000-10,000, but is covered by the sponsor.  Newspaper also paid for advertising.  VIP tickets costs $100 and include a special reception prior to the event, reserved seating, an autographed book by the coach.  General admission is $50.

Individuals Involved

Number of volunteers it took to execute:
2 Staff members
20 Student-athletes help with valet parking and silent auction (if needed)

The target audience:
- Parents & grandparents
- Extended community groups
- Senior citizens
- Alumni
- Donors & supporters
- Specific schools, districts or parts of districts
- Local business leaders / potential & current sponsors

Planning Process

Days of planning from the first day of planning until the last day of execution:
Begin working on the program in the summer (6-8 months) ahead of time organizing the guest speaker.

How was it marketed:
All through website and attached flyer.  Also promoted at PA announcements.

How many times this was ran in a given year:
One time per year

Conference-wide initiative:
No

Reactions

Community reactions:
Extremely positive.  For a lot of them it was the first time they had been to Ohio Valley University so it was an important step in getting our university name out into the community.

Student-athletes reactions:
Enjoy helping the event and understand the benefits it can bring to the athletic department.

Coaches reactions:
Very positive

The overall value for generating community interest or spirit: (1 - 5, 5=most valuable)
5

Additional Comments:

Ohio Valley University Presents “An Evening with Don Nehlen” May 4
VIENNA, WV— Ohio Valley University is proud to present “An Evening with Don Nehlen”, Friday, May 4, 2007 at The Parkersburg Art Center, announced OVU President Dr. James A. Johnson.

Nehlen, the coach with the most wins in West Virginia University football history, is one of only 17 coaches in NCAA Division I history to have achieved 200 wins, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He guided the mountaineers to 13 bowl games, two undefeated regular seasons, and was the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1988.

He began his coaching career in the late 1950s at Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Ohio. He then went on to serve as head football coach at Canton South and Canton McKinley high schools in Ohio and was an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, Bowling Green, and University of Michigan. When Nehlen retired from coaching at WVU in 2001 his lifetime record was 202-128-8.

“Parkersburg is a great mountaineer town and I have a lot of friends there that I’m looking forward to seeing again,” Coach Nehlen said. “I’ve heard many great things about Ohio Valley University and I’m excited to be speaking in May.”

“We invite the public to join us for a truly enjoyable and informative evening with Coach Nehlen,” Johnson said. “The entire OVU family is thrilled to have his support promoting Ohio Valley University and its athletic program.”

“This is a tremendous honor,” Ron Pavan, OVU athletic director, said. “I have no doubt that the community will thoroughly enjoy hearing him recall some of his favorite coaching memories and life lessons.”

The evening’s festivities begin with a VIP reception from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person and include reserved seating, a personal photograph with Coach Nehlen and an autographed copy of his newest book, followed by admission to “An Evening with Don Nehlen”.

General admission is $50 per person and begins at 7:00 p.m. and includes light hors d'oeuvres followed by “An Evening with Don Nehlen”.

“This is sure to be an exhilarating night for WVU football fans! This is an evening you want to share with as many friends and family members as possible. Many will leave with great stories to tell about meeting coach Nehlen and hearing him speak in person,” Pavan said.

VIP and general admission tickets are available by calling the OVU Athletic Office at 304.865.6046 or emailing athletics@ovu.edu.

All proceeds from the event will support Ohio Valley University athletics.

To learn more about Ohio Valley University visit www.ovu.edu

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Downloadable Documents:


- OVU 052 Nehlen Flier