[1] He attended St. Augustine High School, where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, and basketball.

[1] Harlan was signed by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1953, but was released after an injury.

[3] After being released by Green Bay, Harlan was a coach and taught social studies at Milan High School in Minnesota.

[3] In 1954, Harlan was named head football coach at Glencoe High School, which had gone winless in the past two seasons.

[3] In 1956, Harlan was hired as head football coach at Woodward High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.