Listen closely and anyone in the Monroeville vicinity can probably hear even the slightest of Gateway football fans breathing a sigh of relief.
Terry Smith, who has earned the reputation of being one of the best high school football coaches in the country, will be back coaching the Gators from the sidelines this fall.
The school district's board of directors said Wednesday night that Smith and all of his assistants will return for the upcoming season.
Smith and his coaching staff had been working under one-year contracts.
Prior to Wednesday's vote, the school board had yet to decide on the re-hiring of Smith -- who is also the school's athletic director -- and his seven assistants, having tabled the issue on three separate occasions: April, May, and last week.
"I don't know what the reason is," Smith said. "We're stuck out there in limbo and uncertain as to what our futures are as coaches at Gateway."
Ken Stancovich, president of the Gators' Boosters association, said there was a sense of nervousness and uncertainty among parents and supporters created by the board's inaction.
"Apparently there are board members that have issues and potentially looking to make change," Stancovich said.
Smith speculated that his reluctance to engage in school board politics may have annoyed certain board members. He said that he has refused to terminate other coaches in the Gateway athletic department for the sake of politics, and consequently was told he had too much power and it would be taken from him.
In seven seasons as head coach, Smith has 65 wins, five conference championships, three WPIAL Class AAAA title game appearances and 37 of 40 of his seniors the past two seasons have gone on to college.
Among some of those Gateway football alums who have enjoyed success are Justin King, Smith's stepson, who played collegiately at Penn State and is now a member of the St. Louis Rams, and Shayne Hale and Cameron Saddler, who are expected to be key contributors next season for the University of Pittsburgh.
"More importantly than winning and losing, we're developing young men," Smith said. "We're putting young men in school and we're giving the opportunity to go to school for free and get that education.
This past season, Smith coached the East team in the Army All-American Bowl, the nation's premier high school football showcase, which took place in San Antonio. Two of his players, Dorian Bell and Corey Brown, played in the all-star game.
"He is developing great kids," Stancovich says, "respectful kids. You're not seeing our kids in trouble in school, in trouble with the law."
| photos |
showing 1 to 6 of 29 photo(s). ? see all |
|
-------------
|
| videos |
showing 1 to 6 of 54 video(s). ? see all |
|
-------------
|
| blogs |
showing 1 to 6 of 32 blog(s). ? see all |
|
-------------
|
