Saying that the score will take care of itself may be a cliche, but it's a motto that served Danny Hale well throughout his 25-year head-coaching career.
 
From West Chester to Bloomsburg, Hale made Pennsylvania home while making a name for himself at the Division II level. And his attitude helps explain why he has become just the second College Football Hall of Famer from Bloomsburg and the first from West Chester, and why the honor has finally given him a chance to reflect on all that he has accomplished.
 
"You're thinking of so many people," Hale said. "All the calls from those who played for me at Colgate, Vermont, West Chester, all the people calling to say thanks. Certainly, all the people in Bloomsburg — I spent the bulk of my career, 20 years, there, plus five years at West Chester, which is my alma mater — and I didn't even know how many wins we had.
 
"I always told the players: 'Don't even look at the scoreboard, wait till afterwards. The score will take care of itself if you do what you're supposed to do. One game at a time, then one season at a time.' You're only as good as your last season. This business is tough. You never have a chance to enjoy and look back on it. I don't know my record if people ask, but you share this with everybody else — your former players, staff, they're part of it, and they know it. And I thank them all."
 
The stats, in case Hale needs reminding, include a 213-69-1 mark as a head coach, good for a .754 winning percentage. Both records ranked among the top five active Division II coaches when he retired after the 2012 season.
 
At West Chester, where he coached from 1984-88, Hale went 40-13, including 27-3 against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East division opponents. The Golden Rams won at least a share of the division crown three times under Hale, they made the conference title game twice and they never lost more than one conference game or finished worse than second place.
 
At Bloomsburg, Hale won or shared 11 PSAC East division titles, earned eight playoff berths and set a school record for victories (173-56-1). Current Huskies coach Frank Sheptock (HOF '07) is the only other Bloomsburg member in the Hall, having been inducted for his playing days as a linebacker at the school.
 
All of those stats, however, pale in comparison to the life Hale has built on the personal front. He has been married to his wife, Diane, for 55 years. They have four children, 19 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Post-retirement life has kept Hale busy attending everyone's recitals and games.
 
"Certainly, as a player you look at your coaches, and then I ended up playing two years for the Quantico Marines and ended up being a player-coach due to injuries and went to the coaching side of it," Hale said of his career. "I got introduced to it and came back still not knowing if I wanted to do it, then went to grad school at West Chester and then my first job was Vermont in 1974 as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Vermont — and then they dropped the sport right before the end of the season, and we had one of the best seasons the school had ever had.
 
"I had a wife and two children who were born in the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., and I was trying to decide what I was going to do. I almost left there to sell insurance and go into teaching, but then the opportunity at Bucknell came up and I loved that. I was the offensive line coach for six years and I really liked it there.
 
"I liked being an assistant coach, because you're bonding with that one group of kids. When you take over the helm as the top dog, you've got them all. I learned from each stop along the way, both the good and the bad, the dos and don'ts. I've had some good people and influences in my life."
 
All of which led him to the height of his profession at a school without the glitz and glamor of the sport's traditional bluebloods.
 
"I'm happy that you can do this at a smaller school," Hale said. "I know how hard it is. I'm very blessed to get in. There are a lot of great coaches out there, which is why you feel very, very fortunate to have your name called. And again, so many people share in all of this."
 
 
DANNY HALE: UP CLOSE
 

• Overall Record: 213-69-1 (75.4%), including 173-56-1 at Bloomsburg and 40-13 at West Chester.
• Ranked among the top five active coaches in NCAA Division II for winning percentage and victories at the time of his retirement.
• Holds the record for most coaching victories at Bloomsburg and guided the Huskies to seven 10-win seasons.
• Led Bloomsburg to 11 outright or shared PSAC Eastern Division titles and eight NCAA postseason playoff berths and West Chester to three PSAC East titles and an NCAA playoff berth in 1988.
• Named the 2000 AFCA Division II National Coach of the Year once, AFCA District I Coach of the Year nine times, and the PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year 10 times.