Top Coaching Jobs in PA

[not_a_fan]

As we get to the end of the season and coaching vacancies come open, I wonder what people view as top places to coach in Pennsylvania. Some have described Upper Darby as a "sleeping giant" while others don't think it's worth the headache.

What are people's top 5 coaching destinations and why? (I'm from SEPA, my wife is from Central PA so I can only speak to the areas I know of) Curious as what the board thinks are great jobs. I'm excluding private and charter schools...

5. Cumberland Valley-big, suburban school w/ good facilities, youth programs are well stocked, tradition of success and community get behind it. Cons: the Mid-Penn Commonwealth is a bear to coach in, some of the best teams in the state in your division

4. Pennridge-big school with lots of talent, can battle with big boys in SOL due to enrollment, not familiar with youth programs but they seem to have Division 1 talent every few years, don't seem to lose a lot to privates. Cons: inconsistent seasons given the talent level, seems to have lost some of the small community type feel, had trouble beating traditional powers in the league, no real sustained success in playoffs

3. Downingtown West/East-both schools have the Downingtown tradition working for them, Young Whippets and Marsh Creek are great youth programs w/ lots of good coaching, big schools with nice facilities, area still growing. Cons: talent split between 2 schools, new houses are bringing in higher incomes, losing "blue collar" Downingtown mentality, lose some talent to privates (Shanahan/Malvern/Episcopal/Prep) in the same league as Coatesville

2. Garnet Valley-growing area with a ton of numbers, established power in D1 6A now, community supports the program, feeder system setup to bring talent right into the program ready for HS. Cons: Central League doesn't offer much prep for post season, next HC is following a legend there, are they only built to run their unique system?

1. Spring-Ford-booming population for an already big school, youth programs have a steady flow, great location that will attract high quality candidates, will support a coach who wants to coach. No threat of splitting into 2 schools. Cons: PAC is pretty much a 2 team conference (S-F & PV) which hurts their prep for playoffs, no sustained tradition, only recently become a good program

 

[Stalker]

Not_a_fan….that would be difficult not knowing the ones rife with intrigue making it hard to come up with a Top 5. I’d definitely go with a rural or suburban area that while not immune to this is less likely to be poisoned by it. Basic benis of lower taxes, better housing, mother nature typically with access to the cities, as below. Great living in southern PA with easy access to Balt-DC....Dulles, BWI (1-1/2 hrs distance); and if Jupiter is calling, West Palm Beach is just over 2 hours. Yes!

Coatesvlle: Great move by Coach Ortega before the Raiders had significant and recent success. Wouldn’t be the same now if he’d leave with the level of success achieved, a little tougher to please. But, that’s the kind of venue I’d look for. Good demographics, love sports (Cville hoops off and on quality stuff), but not in the boonies.

Carlisle: Small city-town like Chambersburg (20,000), something like Coatesville. Coach Luther is making it happen at Chambersburg knowing part of the secret it getting them to come out. Same could be done in Carlisle returning Thundering Herd to the glory days. You’d be looked upon as a savior.

Cedar Cliff: The West Shore (opposite Harrisburg) is a great area with historic success, limited recently but appreciating it now.

Hempfield: Nice area just outside Lancaster in Landisville in a serious conference where you’d have a chance to win. Fielded some real good stuff over the years. There’s a realignment next year to 4 divisions,

SECTION 1: Cedar Crest (6A), Hempfield (6A), Manheim Township (6A), McCaskey (6A), Penn Manor (6A), Wilson (6A).
SECTION 2: Cocalico (5A), Conestoga Valley (5A), Elizabethtown (5A), Manheim Central (5A), Solanco (5A), Warwick (5A).
SECTION 3: Ephrata (5A), Donegal (4A), Garden Spot (5A), Lancaster Catholic (3A), Lebanon (6A), Lampeter-Strasburg (4A).
SECTION 4: Annville-Cleona (3A), Columbia (2A), Elco (4A), Northern Lebanon (3A), Octorara (4A), Pequea Valley (2A).

Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg: Sports conscious area, college town, beautiful area, close to NYC

 

[Stalker]

As we get to the end of the season and coaching vacancies come open, I wonder what people view as top places to coach in Pennsylvania. Some have described Upper Darby as a "sleeping giant" while others don't think it's worth the headache.

What are people's top 5 coaching destinations and why? (I'm from SEPA, my wife is from Central PA so I can only speak to the areas I know of) Curious as what the board thinks are great jobs. I'm excluding private and charter schools...

5. Cumberland Valley-big, suburban school w/ good facilities, youth programs are well stocked, tradition of success and community get behind it. Cons: the Mid-Penn Commonwealth is a bear to coach in, some of the best teams in the state in your division

4. Pennridge-big school with lots of talent, can battle with big boys in SOL due to enrollment, not familiar with youth programs but they seem to have Division 1 talent every few years, don't seem to lose a lot to privates. Cons: inconsistent seasons given the talent level, seems to have lost some of the small community type feel, had trouble beating traditional powers in the league, no real sustained success in playoffs

3. Downingtown West/East-both schools have the Downingtown tradition working for them, Young Whippets and Marsh Creek are great youth programs w/ lots of good coaching, big schools with nice facilities, area still growing. Cons: talent split between 2 schools, new houses are bringing in higher incomes, losing "blue collar" Downingtown mentality, lose some talent to privates (Shanahan/Malvern/Episcopal/Prep) in the same league as Coatesville

2. Garnet Valley-growing area with a ton of numbers, established power in D1 6A now, community supports the program, feeder system setup to bring talent right into the program ready for HS. Cons: Central League doesn't offer much prep for post season, next HC is following a legend there, are they only built to run their unique system?

1. Spring-Ford-booming population for an already big school, youth programs have a steady flow, great location that will attract high quality candidates, will support a coach who wants to coach. No threat of splitting into 2 schools. Cons: PAC is pretty much a 2 team conference (S-F & PV) which hurts their prep for playoffs, no sustained tradition, only recently become a good program

Like to see Garnet Valley in the Ches Mont. They're right there in western Delco....just as close to those schools if not closer than to Central League opponents, and Central merge with Del Val.

 

[ChesmontLeague1]

Chesmont wanted Garnett Valley but GV wanted the Central. Central is very good all around sports league.
Top Jobs in D1 & D12 (no particular order)
St Joes Prep
North Penn
Coatesville
Garnett Valley
Haverford School

 

[RoverNation05]

In District 11:

#1 Bethlehem Catholic
Pros: Administration is fully committed to athletic success across the board. Mission between athletic department, admissions, and coaches is fully aligned. Strong association with youth/junior high 7-on-7 programs that turns into talent feeders from the Lehigh Valley and Poconos. Funds a coaching staff. Centrally located amongst league private schools, so travel is reasonable for students in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, the Poconos, upper Bucks county and western New Jersey. Not an independent school so tuition is reasonable and full cost can be covered by financial aid if need be. Competes in 4A in the playoffs, but with 6A mentality and resources.
Cons: No direct junior high program. Every ten years they try to kick Becahi out of the conference. Facilities aren’t great and share home field with Liberty and Freedom.

#2 Parkland
Pros: Second biggest school in District 11 and the 7th biggest school with football in the state, so a huge pool of athletes to choose from. Average income in Parkland school district is nearly $100,000, plus with Air Products there is a large corporate tax base. This means facilities are second to none (the weight room is as nice as Lafayette or Lehigh's, for starters), booster club can support any need or want the coaching staff has, salaries are amongst the highest in Pennsylvania, and players families have the money and motivation to pay for private coaches, offseason teams, strength/speed training, etc. Superintendent of schools is Hall of Fame coach Rich Snisack and athletics take a priority in the district. Tradition of success over the last 30 years that is the best and most consistent in D11.
Cons: Expectations are through the roof, not only to win but keep parents happy.

#3 Emmaus
Pros: A lot of the same socioeconomic advantages as Parkland in terms of teacher/coach pay, family income and support for the program. 11th biggest school in Pennsylvania, so a huge number of athletes to choose from. Well run athletic department that fields consistent winners in "non-revenue" sports, so support for coaches and mission is there.
Cons: Facilities are amongst the worst in the Valley. Despite the inherent advantages, there is very little winning tradition in football. Has the "soft rich kids" label that dogged Parkland for a long time. And speaking of Parkland, right down the street (literally) from the best team in the conference and everything you do is a comparison.

#4 Easton
Pros: Despite lagging numbers nationally, had 116 kids out for football this year. Tenth biggest school in the state, plus a football crazy community with three major feeder programs that pump a ton of kids into Easton football. Vertical alignment from flag football on up for high school offensive and defensive concepts. Still plays to big crowds, which is a reason kids want to stick with football (kids want to be a part of something - even if they’re good athletes in other sports). Phillipsburg rivalry is the type of community event that keeps you relevant and supported by more than just team parents and families.
Cons: Total lack of leadership from an administrative perspective that poisons everything that happens in the athletic department. Community expectations can be unreasonable, and more stakeholders want a say in the program than is healthy for success. Title I school where over half of the student population classifies as "economically disadvantaged" - presents a whole different set of challenges for a football coach than the other schools on the list.

#5 Southern Lehigh
Pros: One of the few areas that is still growing/holding enrollment as other areas decline in population. The lone 5A school in a small school league - can choose from more athletes than its competitors. In a weird 5A class at the district level with schools that are struggling to compete in the EPC. The highest median income in the Lehigh Valley, so all of the inherent economic advantages. Doesn't compete against the big schools in 6A, but also missed Bethlehem Catholic/Allentown Central Catholic in 4A. Only one private school in the classification statewide makes for a more balanced class than any other.
Cons: Little to no football tradition. Not fully developed feeder programs. Exactly the type of population that is turning away from football. Not a strong athletic department.

I'd say the highest potential to be competitive in the state is Bethlehem Catholic (I think Henrich has mightily underachieved there). Parkland is probably the "easiest" job in terms of stability and what the baseline level is/can be. Emmaus has the most potential of schools that don't have a huge winning tradition (which is why Harold Fairclough took the job - he can win big there and totally change the program). Easton has the biggest swings - the downside is the biggest of these five, but the upside is just as high as Becahi or Parkland. And Southern Lehigh has the most advantages relative to its league and classification.

 

[not_a_fan]

Not_a_fan….that would be difficult not knowing the ones rife with intrigue making it hard to come up with a Top 5. I’d definitely go with a rural or suburban area that while not immune to this is less likely to be poisoned by it. Basic benis of lower taxes, better housing, mother nature typically with access to the cities, as below. Great living in southern PA with easy access to Balt-DC....Dulles, BWI; and if Jupiter is calling, West Palm Beach is just over 2 hours. Yes!

Coatesvlle: Great move by Coach Ortega before the Raiders had significant and recent success. Wouldn’t be the same now if he’d leave with the level of success achieved, a little tougher to please. But, that’s the kind of venue I’d look for. Good demographics, love sports (Cville hoops off and on quality stuff), but not in the boonies.

Carlisle: Small city-town like Chambersburg (20,000), something like Coatesville. Coach Luther is making it happen at Chambersburg knowing part of the secret it getting them to come out. Same could be done in Carlisle returning Thundering Herd to the glory days. You’d be looked upon as a savior.

Cedar Cliff: The West Shore (Harrisburg) is a great area with historic success, limited recently but appreciating it now.

Hempfield: Nice area just outside Lancaster in Landisville in a serious conference where you’d have a chance to win. Fielded some real good stuff over the years. There’s a realignment next year to 4 divisions,

SECTION 1: Cedar Crest (6A), Hempfield (6A), Manheim Township (6A), McCaskey (6A), Penn Manor (6A), Wilson (6A).
SECTION 2: Cocalico (5A), Conestoga Valley (5A), Elizabethtown (5A), Manheim Central (5A), Solanco (5A), Warwick (5A).
SECTION 3: Ephrata (5A), Donegal (4A), Garden Spot (5A), Lancaster Catholic (3A), Lebanon (6A), Lampeter-Strasburg (4A).
SECTION 4: Annville-Cleona (3A), Columbia (2A), Elco (4A), Northern Lebanon (3A), Octorara (4A), Pequea Valley (2A).

Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg: Sports conscious area, college town, beautiful area, close to NYC

Great list Stalk! My in-laws are in the Mechanicsburg/Harrisburg area so that's why I'm a little bias to CV! Carlisle is a great area too out there with a lot of sports success and a community that gets behind it.

I agree that Coatesville is a little spoiled with Ortega's run. I remember when they were a perennial disappointment at 7-4, 6-5, 8-3 types with puzzling playoff losses. That city LOVES it's sports teams. The biggest problem there is the politics and the 3,000 or so assistant coaches at every game. Great mix of city kids and big rural country boys with more athletes than they know what to do with.

 

[RoverNation05]

The two wildcard jobs in District 11 -

Liberty
Pros: One of the 15 schools with 1,000+ boys in grades 9-11, so a huge population to choose from. Has won a state title and been to three state finals this century - there's tradition and talent. A number of feeder programs in Bethlehem that are all well run. Really good facilities including a beautiful, playoff site for home games, huge gym for indoor workouts and a solid weight room. Principal is an FCS All American football player who absolutely supports his coaches.
Cons: It's a city school and managing issues of poverty is a real thing - being the football coach requires a lot more than X's and O's. It's also the school that most directly competes with Bethlehem Catholic for athletes, so if there's even a hint of Liberty being down, their talent flees in droves (their success comes when Becahi is down - there's almost an inverse correlation to the wins in these two programs over the last 50 years).

William Allen
Pros: The biggest school in District 11 and 5th biggest school in the state. Does not lack for athletes - the basketball program churns out Division I recruits nearly every year.
Cons: Take the poverty issues at a Liberty/Easton and multiply them by 5. There is no township or suburban portion of the school district to balance the financials of the school. Little to no feeder programs and all of the best football players in Allentown wind up at ACC or Bethlehem Catholic. Has not had a winning team since the early 2000s and hasn't competed at the district level since Rich Snisack (now Parkland's superintendent) was their football coach in the early 1990s.

Liberty has the easier path to success - we've seen what Moncman did there. Now, I think he's one of the best coaches in the state, but a coach at that level can win big at Liberty. But it takes a total effort, one that most people aren't willing or capable of putting in.

Wiliam Allen is a total rebuild. I look at what Doug Snyder has done there in basketball and marvel - he's a build a statue type coach, not just for all of the winning he's done, but the advocate and mentor he has been for kids. It's not impossible in football, but would take a herculean effort. But with over 1,500 boys in the school, there are the raw materials.

 

[Stalker]

XXX sorry, mistype

 

[not_a_fan]

Rover-that's a pretty comprehensive list there. You are the resident D11 guru so thanks for adding those schools in. The Lehigh Valley definitely has some giant schools with great football tradition and coaching. They have been the most affected in my opinion by the D12 powerhouses b/c they have to meet them before getting to State Championships. Especially in 6A.

I think the most interesting situation up there from the outside looking in is a school like Parkland. Big enough to be a NP, P-R, North Alleghany type state power with the resources in place from top to bottom.

And Beca High could be a "Prep of the Valley" in 4A with the pool of talent they have access to.

 

[RoverNation05]

Rover-that's a pretty comprehensive list there. You are the resident D11 guru so thanks for adding those schools in. The Lehigh Valley definitely has some giant schools with great football tradition and coaching. They have been the most affected in my opinion by the D12 powerhouses b/c they have to meet them before getting to State Championships. Especially in 6A.

I think the most interesting situation up there from the outside looking in is a school like Parkland. Big enough to be a NP, P-R, North Alleghany type state power with the resources in place from top to bottom.

And Beca High could be a "Prep of the Valley" in 4A with the pool of talent they have access to.

To your first point - I do wonder what the statewide reputation of D11 would be like if they weren't the D12 quarterfinal opponent. For instance, this year, I think whoever wins Nazareth-Parkland on Friday would be competitive with the D1, D3, D7 or D10/6 winner, but they're going to get slaughtered by SJP. I'd really like to see how they'd hold up, but that's not a data point we're going to get.

What I've actually been impressed with recently from a coaching perspective is the job guys are doing at places I'd say aren't great jobs. Jason Roeder at Freedom and Tom Falzone at Nazareth are getting the most out of those programs, which have a definite ceiling. Whitehall had a run for a long time like that over a couple different coaches. Northwestern Lehigh is a really tough job (it's so spread out, population is falling, weird demographics and feeder situation) but Josh Snyder is punching way above their weight, etc. Northampton is probably the toughest non-Allentown Valley school to win at, but Kyle Haas seems to have them turning a corner.

North Allegheny is probably the best comparison to Parkland statewide. Very similar in size, demographics, commitment to athletics, etc. And, figure the last two times the job has opened up, they landed Jim Morgans (two state titles at ACC) and Tim Moncman (three state finals and a state title at Liberty). And that's also a place where your point about D12 and bracketing comes into play. I think Parkland in '13, '14, and '17 was good enough to play with a lot of the state, but was knocked out by SJP in quarters (the '15 team went to state finals).

Becahi should be better than they are. Their wrestling program is the SJP of the Valley and in turn consistently one of the best teams in the country (you want to talk about kids traveling from all over - 2x state champ Ryan Anderson came from Hackettstown, NJ, the Lackman brothers live in Reading, they got the best freshman in PA this year in 2x junior high state champ Tyler Kasak, who is from Doylestown - none of which I'd say are places the school normally draws from). The metro area is not as big as Philly, so they don't have quite as many players to logically draw from, but it's more people than Harrisburg or Erie, so they have access to more talent than Bishop McDevitt or Erie Cathedral Prep. And in their run from the mid'80s to 2002 they had just as much, if not more success than both of those school.