Being inducted into a Hall of Fame is nothing new to Art Bernardi.

But the legendary Butler football coach's induction into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame next month will, in his words, "complete the cycle."

Bernardi has already been inducted into the Thiel College Hall of Fame, Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame, Western Pennsylvania Coaches Hall of Fame and Pennsylvania Coaches Hall of Fame.

Butler High School named its football stadium after Bernardi in 2001.

"This honor brings closure to my career, in a sense," Bernardi said.

Bernardi will be one of 40 inductees nationwide during the NHSACA's annual convention June 22-24 in Las Vegas, Nev. The inductions take place during a luncheon June 23.

Each year, each state member of the organization nominates a coach for induction. Pennsylvania's coaches rotate its selections between Eastern and Western Pa. each year.

John Henzes of Blakely High School on the Eastern side of the state was Pennsylvania's nominee last year. Lindy Lauro of New Castle was inducted in 2002.

"(Bishop Carroll High School athletic director) Craig Sponsky contacted me three years ago to tell me the board was considering nominating me," Bernardi said. "To tell the truth, I had forgotten about it until he called this year to say I was being inducted.

"I'm shocked and surprised, totally gratified."

Current Butler football coach Garry Cathell is a member of the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association Board.

"His passion for the game and how his former players feel about him and stay in contact with him, that's what I respect about Coach Bernardi," Cathell said. "Everyone wants to achieve what he's done."

Bernardi was 179-64-1 in 25 years at Butler. He guided the Golden Tornado to four WPIAL championship games and won the WPIAL title in 1977.

Current Butler football broadcaster Ed Codi said Bernardi sent more than 25 players to Division I college programs from 1962-65, alone.

"His two-platoon system got kids excited about coming out for football," Codi said. "We had 120 kids come out for football my senior year."

Bernardi said 75 to 78 percent of the players he coached went on to college, regardless of the level of football or if they played college football at all.

"You have to stress the academic side of any school activity and that percentage was what I was most proud of," Bernardi said.

"Physical, natural talent takes care of itself on the field. Developing an athlete mentally is the important side of coaching."

Besides his coaching career, Bernardi is in his seventh year of service on the school board in Butler.

"It's not just winning football games that gets somebody into this national Hall of Fame," Cathell said. "It's about longevity, service to the community, what he's done for the association … All of those things are factors.

"This induction should make us all proud. This community can say one of its coaches is in the national Hall of Fame and that's a big deal."

Bernardi had only two different coaching staffs during his 25 years at the helm.

"We had a lot of continuity, a lot of good teachers and coaches," He said. "Everyone believed in the system and we were cooperative with each other. We were together in our thinking.

"Coaching high school football is more than X's and O's - that's such a small part of it - it's getting the kids to believe in you. The kids have to have the utmost confidence in trusting you and we had that."

Codi said Bernardi made the game fun for a lot of kids.

"So many kids played and had different roles," Codi said. "We used multiple defenses, had two separate units on offense and on defense.

"Art Bernardi had a powerful football system in place in Butler. He was an outstanding coach and motivator. This honor is well-deserved."