Former Bethel Park and Ringgold boys basketball coach Mark Gaither was hired by the Washington School Board as the Prexies' boys basketball coach at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Wash High athletic director Joe Nicolella will be his assistant.
Gaither coached three years at Ringgold, where he compiled a 27-45 record. He replaced Phil Pergola, who won a PIAA Class AAAA championship at Ringgold and is the athletic director/boys basketball coach at California High School.
Gaither spent the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons at Bethel Park, where he replaced Mike Mastroianni. The Black Hawks went 19-28 in his two years.
Gaither replaces Ron Faust, who won 520 games, four WPIAL titles and two PIAA championships at Washington. Faust retired at the end of the school year.
35 comments:
Bethel Park baseball coaching candidates are James Barton, Tony Fisher, Steve Busee, and several others.
Fisher was the assistant. Barton was at South Fayette. And Busee did not coach last year. Out of these guys I would hire Fisher. He was the assistant to Rider and is well known as a great baseball mind. Barton has a reputation of being difficult to play for, but no one can argue his success at South Fayette. However, he did not fare well at Woodland Hills. Busee just cherry picks jobs and then leaves. He is not reliable and has no loyalty. He is a definite 'Do Not Hire'
Thanks
How do these losing coaches keep getting jobs? He must give a great interview. Didn't anyone else apply? Did his losing records at Quad A impress somebody?
Let's hope that his losing records are not the norm. Who knows, the state that Wash Hi is in, nothing is a suprise anymore. Good luck Mark, you have some tough shoes to fill.
Maybe if the parents wouldn't be so negative the kids would be more receptive to the change.
ha ha ha, this guy has no clue what he's doing. I guess he interviews well or something. Good luck with him, at least we dont have to deal with him anymore. Have fun Washington.
Mike who were the candidates for the WHS boys team?
Best wishes to Coach Gaither. He may not having a winning record, but he is truly a class act.
Don't forget Barna for the Bethel Park job. He applies for EVERY single job.
Way to go COACH!!!
Mike,
Do you happen to know who were the applicants for the Wash High job?
coach GAITHER will be fine at wash high no respect at ringgold bethel parents suck whats a coach to do with that why you think the last bethel coach left?he took the bethel job on a rebuilding year used his players as best as he could.Bethel got lucky 1 year and now they think they are on top.Barton is the man 4 the job makes you work thats why its hard to play 4 him just hope no parents get smart with him b-cause he will put them in there place. GOOD LUCK Gaithers and Barton maybe history can repeat in these schools
Barna probably did apply at Bethel Park. He just was not a finalist. Can you blame them after his T.J. fiasco?
From what I heard, there were six or seven candidates considered.
Word on the street was the finalists were Gaither, Wash High girls basketball coach Mike Maltony and former Trinity assistant coach Mike Williamson.
Welcome back R. Keith. Good to hear from you.
If Maltony was a finalist then apparently those who are responsible for hiring coaches at Wash High didn’t see any of the girl’s games over the past three years. They won not because of him but in spite of Maltony being the coach. Maybe wins and loses don’t matter. The new boys coach might be a good coach regardless of his number of wins. Those close to the girls team know that the number of wins doesn’t necessary reflect their coaches’ abilities.
No disrespect Mike but hearing and speculating whom applied for the job? The average guy on the street can do that. You’re the professional Mike, report the facts not hear say.
"No disrespect Mike but hearing and speculating whom applied for the job? The average guy on the street can do that. You’re the professional Mike, report the facts not hear say."
Those are the facts...finalists were Gaither (the hire), Williamson (had several votes) and Maltony (the inside guy). Not speculation by Mike. Those are facts.
By the way, usually to KNOW you have to HEAR. What a concept...
How is it that everyone knows the "FACTS"? Did you happen to be in the interview process? Did you cast your vote for the candidates? Or it is just you assumption on what took place. Give this guy a chance, he might be a solid coach. By the way, Wash High does have some talented athletes, so I am sure that will help.
“By the way, usually to KNOW you have to HEAR. What a concept...”
Are you kidding? I hear a lot of things that doesn’t make it fact or official. If Mike knew then why didn’t he just answered the two questions asked of him. July 1st post, “Mike who were the candidates for the WHS boys team?” July 2nd post, “Mike, Do you happen to know who were the applicants for the Wash High Job?”
The two posters didn’t ask how many people, they asked who were the applicants. Saying “word on the street” implies to me he obtain his information from a variety of sources, but not an official source. What I and maybe others expected was names of applicants that were received from a school district official.
So readers of this blog and the OR sports section still have know idea who the applicants were.
When has a school board ever released a list of people who applied for a job? Get real.
Maybe you should be more worried about who applied for all the teaching openings at Washington. Bet you aren't.
Does it really matter who applied for either the coaching position or the teaching openings? Nope. Besides the school board does what it wants regardless of what is best for the students/athletes anyway. I would be more interested in knowing if the school board took the parent committee's recommendation on this coaching selection.
The bottom line is that he is the coach replacing a legend. Give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Wash High lost 3 of 5 starters on last years team. Let's hope that there are some quality underclassmen to pitch in.
The school board hasn't taken the community advisory committee recommendations on anything. Those people try to represent the COMMUNITY and the students of the district and the ole mighty school board and administration turns their noses at them. I hope the committee sticks around and continues to represent the best interest of the COMMUNITY and students of this district. Vote in November and maybe we can get someone with some sense on the school board.
I was told by a school board member that Chuck Daly and Phil Jackson were the other finalists.
Daly dropped out for obvious reasons and Jackson decided to stay with the Lakers.
Does that satisfy your curiosity?
Wasn't Ken Barna a finalist for the Wash High basketball job?
Wow Dale! Quite the sarcastic jokester aren't we?
Only when called for.
Nice remark Lolley. Just another professional opinion. I hope we get more blogs from you. Then again just stay to your reporting because thats your strength.
From Faust to Last!
Beautiful!
LIsten, was Ron Faust a legend when he was first hired nearly 30 years ago? Nope. I understand the nervousness with basketball, with baseball and football both replacing coaching legends and having nothing to show for it. Give it time. The Prexie faithful have been spoiled for a long time and now they are "rebuilding".
Out of these guys I would hire Fisher. He was the assistant to Rider and is well known as a great baseball mind.
The above statement is a joke...Tony Fisher is an immature punk. The only candidate to win a state championship and has competed in this difficult section is the former Canon Mac coach.
I heard Chris Day applied for the job. Can anyone confirm or deny?
who is chris day?
"The school board hasn't taken the community advisory committee recommendations on anything."
the school board is elected to make the decisions, not implement some community advisory committees recommendations. this form of government is called representative democracy. it's been in place in this country for more than 200 years now. david hammond used to teach this in 7th grade civics class. apparently, you missed it.
school boards are in place to do what is best for the school district, students and the freaking taxes payors!! that means obtain input from people who have children in the district. not have their own agendas. especially when the super doesn't even live in this area. what does she know about the COMMUNITY, she has no kids in the district. she doesn't even communicate well with the teachers or communities members. she talks to everyone like they are crap.
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