Fred Bleil

Fred H. Bleil (January 7, 1949 – September 26, 2011) was an American college football coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at New Mexico Highlands University from 1979 to 1982.

Bleil was born on January 7, 1949, in Cherokee, Iowa, to Robert and Mary (McElrath) Bliel. He was raised in Plymouth County, Iowa, graduating from Remsen-Union High School in Remsen, Iowa. Bliel earned a bachelor's degree from Westmar College—later known as Westmar University—in Le Mars, Iowa and a master's degree from Eastern New Mexico University. He began his coaching career in 1972 at an assistant coach at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. From 1973 to 1977, he was an assistant coach at Eastern New Mexico before being hired as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico Highlands in 1978 under head coach Dan Antolik. A year later, Bleil succeeded Antolik as head football coach. He also served as the athletic director at New Mexico Highlands for four years, from 1979 to 1982.

Bleil died of cancer, on September 26, 2011, at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His younger brother, Bill, is also a college football coach.

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