ASHLAND – Scott Valentine has a friendship that dates back 45 years now with Don Hertler Jr.
Long before they both grew into Ohio high school football coaching icons, the two were teammates at Ashland College, living on the same floor inside Jacobs Hall.
Hertler openly admits that Valentine helped him get through school. He also joked earlier this week that his buddy of more than four decades appreciated a good late-night snack back in those early 1980s.
“When the evening was over on a weekend night, he sometimes would have something to eat when he was laying down, like a bag of chips,” said Hertler, a former longtime coach at North Canton Hoover. “He’d fall asleep, but as soon as we’d try to grab those chips off him, the claw came out, he’d grab your arm and he never lost possession of them.
“He wasn’t giving up that bag of chips.”
Clutching those fried potatoes represents a rare moment of selfishness for Valentine.
Currently in his 30th overall season as a high school football head coach – 21st leading the program at his alma mater of Ashland High School – his fellow coaches and former players will tell you he would give them all the shirt off his back if need be.
It’s the reason there has been a veritable countdown to his 200th career win as a head coach for months. So many people in his orbit had been waiting for the chance to celebrate the massive milestone with him.
Of course, No. 200 came in wild fashion Friday night at Wooster’s rain-drenched Follis Field. Valentine’s Arrows tied the game with no time left on the fourth-quarter clock, then won it in overtime, 27-21. The improbable turnaround kept the team’s chances at a playoff berth alive in a trying season that has been riddled with injuries and growing pains.
In the post-game huddle, the coach had nowhere to hide from the excitement bubbling over from his staff and players. The group crowded around him, jumping and cheering before unfurling a “200 Wins” banner and posing with him for photos.
Valentine couldn’t help but smile.
According to the football history page on the OHSAA’s website, fewer than 100 coaches in Ohio have reached the 200-win mark.
Valentine, who has spent time leading Ashland (21 seasons), Ontario (five), South Central (three) and Madison (one), now joins that list. He is 200-127 overall, with his mark of 162-73 at AHS representing the bulk of that excellence.
“(Getting 200 wins) is one of those things that, when it happens, you think about all the people who have influenced you and coached with you,” Valentine said. “When you see that number, there’s so many people that have been a part of it.”
Early makings of a legend
While the coaching win total might not have been predictable, Valentine’s path to get there certainly formed about as perfectly as he could have imagined.
The son of former Ashland College coach John Valentine, who became known as one of the best defensive coordinators in the country while serving under legendary AC head coach Fred Martinelli from 1966 through 1985, Scott Valentine was a star at every football stop.
At Ashland High School, he was a two-time team captain and All-Ohioan, earning all-conference honors all three of his years on varsity.
Valentine started out as a defensive lineman, then switched to play fullback and linebacker while also kicking for the Arrows.
When he was invited to play in the elite Ohio High School Football Coaches Association North-South Classic after his graduation in 1981, he scored the North team’s lone points on a field goal.
He couldn’t remember the yardage, but he grinned when recalling how he used a square-toe kicking shoe – a relic these days.
Being remembered as the kicker in that game was an ironic football twist for Valentine, who then linked up with his father at Ashland College, becoming a second-team All-American and the 1984 Heartland Collegiate Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Valentine said he never really had a favorite position during his playing days; it was more about the game to him.
He went to an Ohio State football camp with AHS teammate and OSU-bound defensive lineman Dave Crecelius. Valentine said he spoke with coaches at Ohio State and had some walk-on discussions with Miami (Ohio) and Toledo, among others, but Ashland College was the right fit for him.
“I just liked playing,” he said. “We had a lot of great guys we played with, and that’s why I tell my current (AHS team) all the time, ‘Enjoy those relationships, because there are a lot of guys that you play with that those friendships will last a long time.’”
Valentine joked that running around with guys like Hertler and others on his Ashland College team often was a risk.
“The guys I hung out with got me in trouble,” he said with a laugh, “because we’d go off-campus around Ashland and people would know me and the guys would do something stupid and I’d be the face of it.”
“Scott was the voice of reason,” Hertler said. “He was solid as a rock and he was gonna keep people out of trouble and just do the right things. But he still had a good time.”
Into the coaching realm
Valentine spent the 1985 and 1986 seasons as an assistant coach at Ithaca College and then Hobart College before returning to the area to join the coaching staff at Crestview High School in 1987.
The next summer, his Ashland College roommate, South Central graduate Doug Fidler, steered him toward the head coaching job with the Trojans. The school had a vacancy come up just weeks before the start of the 1988 season and Valentine was approved by the school’s board the night before the start of practice.
So there he was, a 25-year-old taking over a program that had scored just 42 points during a winless season months earlier.
“It probably wasn’t the smartest decision, but it was an opportunity to be a head coach,” Valentine said. “Not knowing any of the kids, because I hadn’t had the summer and the offseason to work with, I was just trying to learn who they were.
“I was fortunate that I had my dad. We sat down and evaluated our film together and he gave me input on things he felt. So I had somebody to bounce stuff off of.”
Things did not start swimmingly. Valentine’s Trojans were outscored 290-32 in an 0-10 season.
But after a full offseason, and with a more established relationship with his players, he led South Central to a 3-7 campaign in 1989.
The team scored more points in its 34-19 season-opening win over Lucas than it had in the entire season prior. Only once did the Trojans lose by more than two possessions, as they were outscored just 196-190 for the year.
“The biggest thing was knowing the kids and them knowing me,” Valentine said. “We were more comfortable with each other in what we were trying to do (in the second year). Even though we were 3-7, there were gaps we were closing on to be better.”
Despite the developing turnaround at South Central, Valentine still felt he didn’t know as much as he needed to be a consistent winner as a head coach. And with a looming pay-to-play situation at the school, he opted to join the staff at Ashland High School with head coach Bob Quackenbush.
Valentine was there for four seasons, and when he missed out on the chance to become Ashland’s head coach when the position opened in 1994, he picked up a spot on the staff at Ashland University under head coach Gary Keller for two seasons.
With nearly a decade of varied experience since his playing days, Valentine then stepped into his second head coaching role at Ontario High School in 1996.
“My dad gave me good advice,” he said. “He said, ‘If you don’t want to move your family all over the country, you may want to get into high school coaching.’”
The Warriors were 1-9 a year earlier and had just one winning record in their previous six seasons. But after a pair of 3-7 finishes, Valentine had them climbing.
In 2001, Ontario put together a perfect 10-0 regular season and qualified to the playoffs for the first time. Valentine’s squad finished 11-1 with seven shutouts, and with the Ashland High job open again, the timing seemed perfect to head back home.
He was 34-28 in six seasons with the Warriors and was the 2001 Northwest District Division IV Coach of the Year.
A familiar place
From 2002 through 2018, Valentine guided the Arrows to a 130-60 record. He led the program in its 1,000th game and 500th win.
“When I left Ontario, that was a tough decision because we had some good groups of kids coming and we had just gone undefeated there,” Valentine said. “But the opportunity to come back to Ashland, to my alma mater, was a great opportunity.”
The opportunity to come back to Ashland, to my alma mater, was a great opportunity.
Ashland football coach scott valentine
Despite back-to-back 1-9 seasons prior to his arrival, success came quickly for Valentine and the Arrows.
His 2002 team went 6-4, with three of its losses coming by one possession, and it set up a monster 8-3 campaign in 2003.
It was just the second playoff-qualifying season ever for the Arrows.
Current AHS defensive coordinator Ryan Stackhouse was on that team and he believes it was the catalyst for Ashland football becoming an annual contender.
The lone two regular-season losses for the Arrows that year were by one point each in overtime to playoff qualifiers. Unfortunately, those defeats landed Ashland a first-round date with eventual undefeated Division II state champion Avon Lake.
Under the guidance of defensive coordinator Dan Fuller (DC from 2002 through 2010), a close friend and Ashland College teammate of Valentine, the Arrows led the Shoremen 3-0 at halftime.
When the game ended with Avon Lake winning, 14-3, Ashland became one of just four teams to finish closer than three touchdowns that year to the Shoremen. Their only playoff game with a tighter score was a 10-7 win over Edgewood in the state championship.
Stackhouse said Avon Lake had a bunch of college football commits, including two headed to the Big Ten.
“That’s the kind of football Ashland was playing again,” Stackhouse said. “We were competing against the state’s top team.
“In my opinion, Ashland hadn’t seen that level of success since the early 1970s.”
The 2003 breakthrough was no fluke. Over the next 15 seasons, until he briefly left coaching after the fall of 2018, the Arrows turned into a steady power in the Ohio Cardinal Conference.
From 2006 through 2010, Valentine’s program went 49-14 with four regional championship appearances and a run to the state’s Final Four in 2007.
The Arrows made the playoffs nine times between 2006 and 2018, winning seven OCC crowns in the process.
The 2006 team finished a perfect 10-0 in the regular season, capturing the Associated Press state poll in Division II. It was the 100th season of AHS football and Valentine was named the Division II Coach of the Year.
When he returned to lead AHS in 2023 after brief stops at Ashland University (wide receivers coach in 2020 and 2021) and Madison (head coach in 2022), it was as if he’d never left.
The Arrows have made the postseason each of the last four years, taking an OCC crown as part of another perfect regular season in 2024.
Valentine said that, when he applied for the job in 2002, there were some who told him they didn’t know if he could be successful with the players at Ashland. It was a program that had not had back-to-back winning seasons in nearly 15 years and had just one postseason appearance in its history (1987).
Growing up and going through the school system himself, he disagreed.
“My dad and I talked and I told him that if we’ve got kids who are willing to work – and I felt that the kids in Ashland were willing to work – then that would always give us a chance to be successful,” Valentine said.
“Over the years, it’s been proven that the kids here are willing to work, and as long as they are, the opportunities will always be there.”
It was a doubly exciting opportunity for Valentine, who wanted to be as present as he could while he and his wife, Amy, watched the growth of their children – Megan, Katie, Scott and John – through the school system.
Within his first six seasons leading AHS, Valentine was the program’s all-time wins leader. As of this week, he’s 116 victories better than the next-closest coach (Lloyd Dunne had 46 wins from 1961 through 1969).
His home record at Community Stadium alone (87-27, .763 win percentage) nearly doubles Dunne’s overall win total.
The Arrows have had just one losing regular season in his 21 years at the helm (2008) and that was followed by records of 11-2 and 10-3 the ensuing two years.
The program has never missed the playoffs more than two consecutive seasons in the Valentine era.
Hertler said what really helped the coach push Ashland forward was his early adoption of the spread offense in 2006.
“He was one of the guys ahead of the game going fast and throwing the ball all over the yard (with the spread),” Hertler said. “The fullback/defensive lineman that he was, that was an interesting transition.
“He was smart and he had the courage to change what he was doing and it took Ashland to a whole new level.”
Hertler himself was a head coach for 30 years, just like Valentine to this point. When he finished his career after the 2022 season, he was 218-104 in 322 career games.
Ironically – running an amazingly close parallel with one of his best friends – Valentine enters this week’s home contest carrying a 200-127 career mark in 327 games.
(Getting 200 wins) is one of those things that, when it happens, you think about all the people who have influenced you and coached with you.
ashland football coach scott valentine
A victory against rival Lexington could potentially land the Arrows in the playoffs once again. It also would be the 575th win in Ashland football history.
When talk of Valentine’s No. 200 milestone came up among the AHS coaching staff earlier this year, he only wanted to get them back to focusing on the team.
“Somebody mentioned it early in the year and I said, ‘Hey, we’re trying to do the best we can for these kids,’” he said.
“I’m always just happy to work with each group and see where they go. That’s the satisfaction of coaching, just trying to push them and help them be successful.”
Notes to ‘Coach V’
Just a few of the many people close to Valentine and Ashland High School football during his tenure with the Arrows were contacted for this article. Here are their notes:
Scott Valentine Jr. * Oldest son & former player
My favorite memory of playing for my dad was during my senior year at Ashland High School. I tore my ACL in the first game of the season and thought my football career was over. After that game and throughout the rest of the season, he continued to encourage me and give me the confidence to keep playing despite what is typically considered a season-ending injury.
We ended up having a great season, finishing 9-2. Without him, I never would have believed I could come back and not only play, but also contribute to such a successful season. His ability to motivate players to be the best they can be and overcome adversity is something he demonstrates season after season. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to experience that firsthand, both as his son and as one of his players.
John Valentine * Youngest son & former player
One of the biggest things I’ve learned from my dad is that if you want to receive respect, you have to earn it, even if people aren’t watching.
I’ve always been so fascinated with how people around the community react when they see my dad out in public or at a sporting event. And after really analyzing it, it isn’t just because he’s a hall of fame coach; it’s how he treats people and how he’s always looking to be a helping hand – whether that’s helping out with concessions, cleaning up after games or showing up to support his players in different sports.
Carl White * Current & longtime assistant coach
I have known Scott as a ball boy and a player at both Ashland High School and Ashland University, and was an assistant coach at AU with him.
Since 2005, I have been an assistant coach with him during his seasons at Ashland High School, so I say this as a person who has seen him grow up: Scott not only is a man of integrity, but lives it every day of his life.
Jim Deppen * Current & longtime assistant coach
I have been very fortunate to work with a number of good head coaches; I consider Coach Valentine to be one of the best. One of the things he does very well is listen to all of his assistant coaches.
Coach Valentine has a calm demeanor that is very consistent in how he treats others. He goes out of his way to help, not only those involved with the football program, but also those who are trying to make the Ashland community a better place to live.
Scott Sauder * Current & longtime assistant coach
After having the opportunity to coach with Scott Valentine for 19 years, I can confidently say he is the most selfless and caring coach, and maybe person, that I have ever been around. Everything that he does, he does with what is best for the players and the football program in mind.
Coach V is the most respected coach I know. Those who know him well – whether it be rival coaches or those who had the pleasure to play for him or coach with him – will all say that, no matter the situation, Coach V always handles himself as a constant professional. Very few coaches have had the long-term success he has had and can say that they have ALWAYS done it while representing their school and themselves in a positive manner.
I am the coach I am because of Coach V. He has taught me and so many others how to be a good coach and, more importantly, how to be a positive role model for all those who have had the opportunity to be part of Ashland football. It’s not that his knowledge of the Xs and Os is so superior to everyone (although he is right up there with the best around), it’s his ability to care for all those he comes in contact with.
Coach V motivates everyone he comes in contact with to reach and perform at a higher level. His legacy won’t be all the games won, the conference titles earned or the playoff runs his teams have a tendency to make, it will be the lives impacted.
Ryan Stackhouse * Current & longtime assistant coach / former player
The leadership, dedication and ability Coach Valentine brought to the program is incredible. In his first two years as head coach, he completely changed the culture of Ashland football and turned a struggling program into a winner.
Coach Valentine helped bring pride and excitement back to the program. But what made it truly special was that it didn’t last just a year or two before fading away again. It became the foundation of a lasting culture.
That is why I believe people like Coach Valentine and Coach Dan Fuller deserve so much credit; they didn’t just help Ashland win football games, they helped change the expectations, the mentality and the identity of the program. That kind of impact goes far beyond wins and losses.
John Saccomen * Former coach at AHS & AU / former assistant coach
As one of Scott’s coaches in high school and in college, and as a fellow staff member with him at Ashland University and an assistant coach for him at Ashland High School, his success is no surprise to me. He has shown commitment and dedication to fellow staff and to the young men he has served and been responsible for.
Scott has always been a model of respect for those he has served and worked alongside, never seeking praise, but always passing it along to others.
A favorite memory of mine involved a situation where AHS had been flagged during a game. Scott politely but strongly disagreed with the penalty assessment and the referee ended up pulling the rulebook from his pocket to justify the call. The referee’s call was proven to be wrong and, subsequently, he had to withdraw the penalty.
That was the only time I had seen an official try to make his point alluding to the rulebook only to be proven wrong.
Jeff Cole * Longtime assistant coach & opposing head coach
I have known Scott a long time and I want to say congratulations on 200 wins. It has been a pleasure to coach with him.
He has been a great role model and an excellent leader throughout his career to all of the players he has coached and with the assistant coaches in his program.
I cherish the time that I have gotten to coach with him; the best part is the friendship we have. Good luck moving forward, God bless and Go Arrows!
Dan Fuller * Longtime defensive coordinator
I’ve always respected Coach Valentine’s attention to detail, from practice planning to game preparation. What made coaching alongside him especially rewarding was the trust he placed in me to lead the defense.
One of my favorite memories is our first year together at Ashland, when we took a team that had gone 1-9 the year before and turned it into a playoff qualifier in just two seasons. That kind of turnaround speaks to the impact of his leadership.
Don Hertler Jr. * College teammate, friend & fellow head coach
I can’t name a more solid friend that I’ve been blessed to have all these years since we met at 18, 19 years old, and that still goes on to this day. He’s like that with everybody; he’s just a special human being who cares about people, does things the right way and always has.
Also, what a father and what a husband he’s been to his kids and wife. Just knowing the whole Valentine family – from his parents to his sisters to himself – I was very blessed, along with the other guys who went to school with Scott.
What a great achievement he’s made (with 200 wins), and more importantly, what a great friend he’s been to so many of us.
Nich Bernhard * Current wide receivers coach / former player
I’ve known Coach Valentine since I was about 5 years old. I grew up around his family, have been best friends with his oldest son since elementary school and had the opportunity to play football alongside both of his sons, Scott and John.
What makes Coach V special to me has never really been solely about football; he’s just a flat-out great human being. He’s not the loudest guy in the room, and he doesn’t need to be. He’s a great leader who genuinely cares about the people around him, especially his players, and has a way of making you understand just how much you mean to him. I’m not someone who gets emotional very often, but somehow he’s always been one of the few people who can get me there.
When I think about Coach V getting 200 wins, I think that’s an incredible accomplishment, but the number itself doesn’t come close to telling the full story. To me, his legacy isn’t just the games he’s won, it’s the relationships he’s built and the impact he’s had on the people fortunate enough to know him. Having grown up around him, played for him and now coached alongside him, I can say firsthand how much that impact extends beyond the football field. I’m incredibly grateful to have had him in my life for so long.
AJ Beer * Current defensive line coach / former player
Coach V is a hall of fame coach and a hall of fame individual. But what makes him truly special goes far beyond wins and accomplishments. He is a person of the highest character who leads by example, treats everyone with respect and believes in treating others the way they want to be treated to get the maximum potential out of every athlete and coach.
He is consistent in how he treats people, regardless of who they are, and that speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. I was lucky enough to play for him and I am truly blessed to be a part of his staff and learn from him.
His impact extends well beyond the scoreboard, and his legacy is defined not only by the wins he has earned, but also by the lives he has influenced along the way.
Austin Yeater * Current offensive line coach
Out of the many coaches that Coach Valentine has worked with over the years, I may be one of the newest, but spending the last four years coaching under him has taught me more than I ever would have thought. He welcomed me with open arms and treated me like he knew me forever.
One of the main things I’ve learned from him is to stay calm and stay focused on the task at hand; nobody does it better than Coach V. Thanks again, Coach, for allowing me to be a part of Ashland and congratulations on win No. 200!
Chris Schmidt * Current linebackers coach
Coach V is a great person, coach, mentor, friend and family man. His family-first mentality and desire to put everyone else’s needs and desires ahead of his own are just a couple examples as to why he is undoubtedly one of the best humans I’ve ever been around.
The fact that this (article) will bother him for drawing attention to HIS success and highlighting HIS accomplishment speaks to exactly what I’m talking about; he would much rather spread the love and have the story be about how he couldn’t have done it without his family, friends, colleagues and staff.
Coach Valentine gave me my opportunity to coach at the high school level. He trusted me to be on his staff and be a part of some of this program’s best teams and greatest successes. I owe him more than he’ll ever know for that.
Just being around his calm and understanding demeanor for so many years has made me a more calm and understanding person and coach. I owe a lot of who I am to him.
Trevor Downing * Current defensive backs coach
As a father of two young boys, Coach V has given me the privilege of being a volunteer coach that is able to put my family first. Every time I reach out to Coach with a scheduling conflict, his first response always is “family first.”
He instills these values in the football program and in each individual, always putting the human first, athlete second. He has also allowed me to bring my son, who is only 2 years old, to nearly every practice, which allows me to be present in the program, but also allows my son to interact with the coach and players, a highlight of his young life.
Every Saturday for film and game plan, I bring our son and he always wants pretzel sticks. One Monday after a loss, I came into the coaches office with a big tub of pretzel sticks that read “Micah only” on the lid. It was a testament to the man and role model Coach is for kids, players and coaches.
Owen Reef * Current wide receivers coach / former player
Congratulations Coach V on this historic milestone – nobody deserves it more. Thank you for being the perfect example of a leader and mentor to myself and so many others.
I’m incredibly grateful for all the time spent around you as a player and a coach, not only for the wisdom you have shared on the game of football but more importantly for the lessons you taught us all about life.
Stiles O’Brien * Current wide receivers coach
It’s been an honor to coach alongside such a legend over the last three years. Not only are you a hall of fame coach, but you’re also an incredible leader and role model for young men.
Thank you for everything you’ve done for the program and the impact you’ve made on so many young athletes. It’s been a privilege to learn from you and be part of your journey!
Andy Tabler * Former assistant coach and defensive coordinator
When I came to Ashland in 2007, I was young and thought I knew how to coach. In my time working with Coach Valentine, I learned so much more about football, coaching the game and connecting with and mentoring kids than I ever could have imagined. He allowed me to serve in many different roles such as position coach, strength coordinator and then as defensive coordinator.
In every position he put me in, he helped me develop by giving me ownership in my role and supporting me to do it the right way. His influence goes beyond the field as he served as an incredible mentor throughout the years we coached together. There are many times in coaching still to this day that I ask myself, “How would Coach V handle this situation?”
A memory that stands out the most is the spring of 2013 when I was notified that my teaching position at Ashland High School was being eliminated. Coach V went above and beyond reaching out to people to help me and my wife find a teaching and coaching job that was available. His genuine care for his players and his staff as people can’t be matched by anyone else.
Lee Owens * Former Ashland University head coach
I’ve had the opportunity to coach several of Coach V’s players at Ashland University – from All-American Taylor Housewright to current Ashland Arrow defensive coordinator Ryan Stackhouse. Every one of these players and the dozens I have met over the years have nothing but positive things to say about playing for Coach V, including the players he coached while on our staff at AU.
Coach V is a winner but, more importantly, he is a “dealer of hope” to every athlete he coaches. He has an extraordinary football mind, is an offensive genius and a proven teacher of the game.
Doug Geiser * Current Ashland University head coach
Scott Valentine is a heckuva football coach and an even better person. There’s a phrase in our profession, ‘That is a guy who just gets it’. Scott Valentine ‘just gets it.’ He’s an obvious master of the Xs and Os, but, more importantly, he understands people. He knows how to get the best out of you while also being able to push you and hold you accountable.
I had the privilege of working with Scott at AU in the fall of 2021, and I still use some of the principles I learned from him that season to this day. Achieving 200 career wins was never a matter of ‘if’ but just a matter of ‘when.’
Congratulations to Scott, his family and Arrow Nation!
Rick Brindley * Former AHS athletic director
First and foremost, I want to congratulate Coach V on his 200th win, a milestone that very few achieve. Congrats to all of Scott’s former staff members and players as they are a part of this also.
Scott has been a huge figure in the football community, but more importantly the Ashland community. I appreciate all of the positive attributes that he and his staff have instilled in his players over his years with our student-athletes and in the halls of AHS.
Scott is more than a football coach, he is a great leader of young men who go on to do great things in our community. His influence on his players and our students is what I am most impressed with, as that is the purpose and of extracurricular activities.
Scott is a great leader, husband, father, friend and community member. Congratulations, Scott!
Jason Goings * Current AHS athletic director
The Ashland community is very fortunate to have a leader of men we can rely on to teach our boys the game of football and the rules of life.
I have been with Coach Valentine for 57 of his wins and 4 OCC championships. During that time he has coached and helped raise two of my older sons (Kamrin and Jayden).
The highest praise I can give him is to hope my youngest, Mason, gets to continue to experience his leadership and character! He’s a great man!
Steve Paramore * Current Ashland City Schools superintendent
Coach Valentine is an elite coach who knows not only how to build a program from the ground up, he pays attention to every detail. He supports every athlete, their family and his coaching staff.
Coach V has garnered unbelievable loyalty from everyone and that is because he is an elite human being. I also know that he is the best father and husband you could ask for.
His character and commitment will be a lasting legacy – far beyond his championships and wins!
