Rich Piccinini was hired as Peters Township varsity football coach by an 8-1 vote during Tuesday's meeting of the Peters Township School Board.
Dr. Mark Buzzatto was the only board member to vote against the hire. No reason was given.
Piccinini's name did not appear on the first version of the agenda. Following a 25-minute executive session, Piccinini's name was the only one presented for approval. No teaching position was offered and Piccinini's salary is estimated to be $9,300.
Piccinini served as head coach at North Catholic from 2003-05 and has served as an assistant at Seneca Valley and Upper St. Clair. He compiled a 7-23 record with North Catholic.
The name may sound familiar to some area football fans. Piccinini was expected to be named Trinity's football coach last week, was even told he had the job, before the school board decided to bring back Ed Dalton.
Piccinini replaces Nick Milchovich, who coached Peters Township for four years after coaching at California and Charleroi.
19 comments:
Amazing! Peters Twp sinks lower than Trinity.
Why? Is he a poor coach?
Opinions are often based solely on won-loss record. At least that is what it seems in this case.
He may be a great coach. It still doesn't excuse one particular school board member from vowing to get Nick M. fired and seeing to it, while she neglects far more
important duties. A disgraceful act.
Do Peters and Trinity have trouble recruiting coaches because of their recent handling of their previous coaches ?
That is an interesting knock on him. I have read about the Peters situation, so I understand that not rehiring their head coach sounds shady, but I don't think that is a reason to look down upon other coaches for potentially seeking the newly opened position. Imagine this situation: you can receive a promotion by switching companies to a place where someone was just fired. You hear through people outside of the company that they shouldn't have been fired. Do you, as someone coming from a different company, bypass that job based upon what other people said? Say what you will, but theory and reality are two different worlds; though people like to say that they think of things from a realistic sense, until they are in the situation they shouldn't be so quick to judge. Just a thought...
"What a scab!" Let me ask you something...Did you feel the same way about Milchovich when he was hired four years ago? He coached with Hartbauer, was a peer and co-worker and was supposed to be a friend...So, when he applied and was awarded the job did he become a scab too? It is very myopic and shameful for you to call someone low character because he is trying to improve his position in his field of work.
For the most par,t I doubt that many qualified coaches are knocking down the doors at Peters or Trinity. Both have school boards that have been continuously at the center of controversy and seem to at times do what they want to do without merit. The fact that a teaching job or other position isn't also offered with the coaching job again attracts less applicants. Coming into a district where taxpayers have been vocal in their attempt to keep coaches that they have been pleased with makes this coaching position a difficult one to walk in to. I would imagine that there may be a lack of support......a position that many coaches simply wouldn't subject themselves to and rightfully so!
As a coach of 18 years, I can tell you the feeling that the people of the community have way too much influence on coach's futures creates a big red light for me. What happened to the days when you went home complaining about the coach and your dad looked you in the eye and said, "Your coach plays the best players so I guess you should make yourself better if you want to play."
Give the new coach a chance - win or lose - this is high school football people. Not college - not the pros. The players read these boards too. All these negative comments don't help a new coach get established with the kids.
You don't think the players know he has only 7 wins and 23 losses as a head coach for 3 years? How do you get excited about that?
"It still doesn't excuse one particular school board member from vowing to get Nick M."
Just like a previous school board member in Peters had the previous coach removed. That seems to be a continuous issue there.
They interviewed 6 for that job. Then called in 4 for a second round. Then called in one of Nick M's assistants and interviewed him. Then another head coach from a single A school. Then Piccinini called them!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was one of the original 26 applicants. This job was offered to several of the candidates. They even asked candidates "do you know anyone that might be interested in this job," when they could not accept. How pathetic. I guess he is the 8th choice, because Nick was never considered. Interesting that they asked his entire staff back too.
The previous coach, Hartbauer, had himself removed because he was a very poor offensive coach yet demanded to call the plays. Its a simple case of performance, the kids had zero respect for him and he didn't win. Case closed.
all you need to know about peters, is 11 years ago peters lost a good man in rick bell due to the B.S. of the school board and admin, and 11 years later it is the same song different day.it will never change there
S.B members should have no control of coaching hires. coaches should be hired and fired by the A.D ,principal and super. NO one else should be involved
over the years,people have run for the school board for the only purpose of getting coaches fired. Peters, C.V and Tim Mcconnal,after a wpial championship. U.S.C. Render and Holzer both after winning wpial championship, trinity and Dalton ect , ect,i am not saying a coach should keep their job just becouse he or she wins. if they did harm or broke an ethical code as coaches they should be fired, but if they are doing right by the program, players, school, and community, and there is no real reason to be fires or have the position open they should be protected.the coaches say they are a close tight knit group, yet I have never seen them stick up for each other.NOT ONE COACH at trinity or peters OPENLY came to the support of their so called tight knit coaching brother. WHY?
with all the parent and school board b.s. coaches need to create a union or some type of bond to stop what is going on.
"coaches say they are a close tight knit group, yet I have never seen them stick up for each other.NOT ONE COACH at trinity or peters OPENLY came to the support of their so called tight knit coaching brother. WHY?"
There was support.....There was an e-mail developed from the coaches in grades 7-12 that also teach in the high school supporting Nick M. 11/20 coaches taught in the high school, all signed the e-mail that was sent ot all board members, super, prin, etc. All are gone, there is absolutely zero coaches in the school at this time.
all you need to know about peters, is 5 years ago peters lost a good man in hartbauer due to the B.S. of the school board and admin, and 5 years later it is the same song different day.it will never change there
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