Nasser receives “You Paved the Way” Award

Nasser left receives his award.

A plaque was given to both coaches recognizing their past contributions to their schools, players and communities. Engraved on the plaque were the words “When someone so great once was, then someone so great will always be.”

The Dairy Council of Arizona sponsored the banquet.

Coach Nasser would like to thank all the bulldog fans, coaches, teachers, students, friends. He would also like to thank his wife of 55 years, Barb, his son Dan, grandchildren Michael, James, Cole and April, daughter, Ellen, and her husband Frank Dickens and his great-grandchildren, Tara and Staci.

Emil was born on December 9, 1921 in Napoleonville, La. Six months later, his family moved to Miami, Arizona. He graduated from Miami High School in May 1939.

While there, he played four years of football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was captain of the football team his senior year and was named to the All State Team.

Emil had four athletic scholarship offers, (University of Arizona, St. Mary College, A.S.C. Tempe, and A.S.C. Flagstaff). He chose A.S.C. Flagstaff, now known as Northern Arizona University. He enrolled August 1939, playing football, basketball, boxing, and track for three years.

He entered the U.S. Army Air Force July 14, 1942 after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor as a crew chief, flight engineer, and hanger line chief. He served overseas from Casa Blanca, North Africa, India, Burma, and China for two and a half years as a tec/sgt.

He was awarded many individual & unit medals and citations (The Air Medal, Good Conduct, and the Presidential Award) while flying over “The Hump,” the Himalayan Mountains between India, Burma, and China.

He made 60 round trips over “The Hump,” plus combat time in Burma for more than 650 hours in the air. He returned to the United States in November 1945 when the war ended with an Honorable Discharge.

He returned to A.S.C. in January 1946 for three semesters and one summer school session. He earned his B.A. Degree in Education and his Master Degree in 1946-1947. He once again played football and was the team captain. Nasser was named to the All-Conference Team in 1946.

He signed a two-year pro football contract with Los Angeles for the 1947 and 1948 seasons, leaving the team July 1947 when he accepted the Head Football Coaching position at Winslow High School. He was 25 years old

Coach Nasser was head football coach for 35 years, head track coach for 11 years, head baseball coach for six years and junior varsity basketball coach for six years.

He also served as Athletic Director and Physical Education Department Head. He was ranked as a certified referee for football and basketball, a baseball umpire, track starter, judge, and meet director for 35 years.

He served as the Arizona Interscholastic Association Commissioner for Region I for four years.

Coach Nasser was Director of the Winslow City Pool for 35 years. He taught more than 15,000 adults and children swimming, life saving, scuba, and water skiing lessons.

He also served as the City Park Supervisor for many years, initiating many of the projects to improve the parks, such as grass fields, lights, stands, new bathhouse and new indoor pool.

Coach Nasser’s teams captured several State and Conference titles. He led three football teams to state championships and 16 conference champs.

In his 35-year record, he possessed 243 wins and 90 losses.

Coach Nasser has also been the assistant football coach at Joseph City High School for the past three years, where they have had an outstanding record of two State Championships and two Conference championships with a record of 30 wins and four losses.

As head track coach at WHS, his teams earned two runner-up titles and 10 Conference Championships. As head baseball coach, his teams earned two state runner-up titles and five conference champs.

Coach Emil Nasser has been honored by many organizations and has been inducted into their Hall of Fames, including Coaching Honors - Charter member of the Arizona Coaches Association Hall of Fame 1984, National High School Coaches Hall of Fame 1996, Northern Arizona University Football Hall of Fame 1971, NFL Golden Helmet Award the Arizona All-Star Coach1949,1965,1979 and All-Star Game Dedicatee 1982-2003.

The Winslow Mail would like to congratulate Coach Nasser on his award.

We would also like to thank him for all of his dedication to the Winslow community over the years.