Hall of Fame coach Farnan, who spent 23 years at Bangor, dies at 87

Paul Farnan, who coached area high school football for 33 seasons and won 231 games, died unexpectedly Sunday morning according to Bangor Athletic Director Bron Holland. He was 87.

Farnan, who was inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1998, coached at Pius X, Warren Hills (New Jersey), and Bangor. The Slaters home field was named in his honor in 2010.

He had an all-time record of 231-10713 with 173 of the wins coming over 23 seasons at Bangor. He ended his career in 1997 with a team that went 11-1, won the Colonial League title and beat Pittston Area 33-8 for the Eastern Conference crown.

Farnan was a 1952 graduate of Midland High School in Beaver County. He played quarterback at St. Vincent College and was a backup to future Navy coach George Welsh, a Coaldale, Schuylkill County, native, at the U.S. Naval Academy.

His head coaching career started in 1965 at Pius X. In six years, he posted a 40-14-3 record. He moved on to Warren Hills, going 18-14-3 over four seasons and winning the Delaware River Conference and Group II New Jersey State title in 1973.

His Bangor teams won four Colonial League titles and two District 11 Class 2A championships. Three times they were district runners-up. His last two teams in 1996 and ‘97 produced Eastern Conference crowns.

“There has been a number of great moments,” Farnan said in a Morning Call story. “Probably overall, just being a part of the great game of football has been very memorable for me.”

Farnan gave a memorable speech to a packed crowd at the Wind Creek Event Center at the banquet before the 100th Bangor-Pen Argyl game in October 2019.