Royal's Wiley Allred inducted into the hall of fame

ROYAL CITY ­— There’s been a lot of players and coaches, fans and family that have made the journey with him. And of course, the highly influential Bob Nielsen, whom he still thinks of as “Mr. Nielsen,” is looking down with a big ol’ smile.

If there were a picture next to the word humility in the dictionary, it’d be a shot of Royal football coach Wiley Allred. He tends to give a lot of credit to those around him, but his 229-27 career win-loss record speaks for itself and Saturday at the Bellevue Hilton Allred he took his place in the Washington State Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame when the association gathered for the Mid-Winter Clinic.

He was actually nominated last year, but there was a scheduling conflict with the national coaching ceremony in Orlando, Fla., where he was named the 2018 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award national runner-up.

It’s all good, and on Saturday he took his place with Mr. Nielsen in the Washington State Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.

“There’s a lot of people that have helped along the way. My family, the wife, the other assistant coaches and the others that have been involved in Royal football,” said Allred, whose 2018 team once held the longest active winning streak in the nation. “It’s really the kids on the field that do it. Obviously the wins are great, but it’s more about the relationships you develop along the way,

“It’s a huge honor, very humbling and greatly appreciated.”

Allred goes in with a career record of 229-27, including seven state championships and three consecutive from 2015 to 2017, which included the longest active winning streak in the country.

“We have so much support (on the Royal Slope) and I hope we play a part in bringing the community together,” he said. “We have a lot of different backgrounds and a really good culture on our team. I think it expands out into the community that helps with the family atmosphere.

“We’re not completely unique in Small Town America, but it sure feels that way sometimes”

His work does not go unnoticed on the Royal Slope where everyone within 50 miles is considered a neighbor. You’d expect friends and family and neighbors to know about Royal football, but Allred and the Knights received national recognition as nominated last year by the Washington State Football Coaches Association.

Don Shula Award nominees from all 32 NFL teams got to participate in the NFL’s week-long celebration at the 2018 Pro Bowl in Orlando, taking in a special coaches’ clinic to go along with a VIP visit to Pro Bowl practices and attend the USA Football National Conference.

Los Angeles Chargers nominee Robert Garrett from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles was named the national high school coach of the year. Allred was the runner-up.