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Gaither hired as Washington's basketball coach
Replacing a coaching legend is one of sport's most difficult and unenviable jobs. At Washington High School, Ron Faust certainly qualifies as a legend.
In its search to replace the long-time and highly successful boys basketball coach, Washington turned to a candidate with ample experience in following coaches with championship résumés.
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"When I got to Ringgold, they had been down for a couple years and Bethel Park was coming off a championship. They lost nine players from that team," Gaither said. "It's different here because Coach Faust left this program in great shape."
Gaither was hired for the 2009-10 season at the contractual rate for eight years of experience. Last year, the salary for a head boys basketball coach at Washington with eight years of experience was $5,582. The salary will be adjusted upon approval of a new contract.
For Gaither, the biggest adjustment will be getting to know a new group of players, something he's anticipating.
"The one unfortunate thing is I missed a lot of the summer leagues but I'll get to what I can," said Gaither, who will meet with Washington athletic director and assistant coach Joe Nicolella on Tuesday. "I want to get into the community and get to know people. I want to know what's going on."
It's that type of community interest that helped Gaither stand out.
"It was a strong slate of candidates. It wasn't large but it was quality," said Nicolella, who also served as Faust's assistant coach. "Mark was very personable and down-to-earth. You could tell he had a vested interest in the community."
A 1993 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School and the Chief Operating Officer of JAWS Marketing, Gaither spent the previous two years as head coach at Bethel Park.
He replaced Mike Mastroianni, who won a WPIAL Class AAAA title in his final season before leaving for Quaker Valley. Gaither went 9-15 in his first year and 10-13 last year.
Gaither replaced another highly successful coach in Phil Pergola when he was hired at Ringgold.
In three years, Gaither compiled a 27-45 record with the Rams.
"I am following three legends," said Gaither, who played college basketball at Asbury College in Kentucky. "Coach Pergola is in the same boat as Coach Faust with the numbers of wins and winning championships. Coach Mastroianni is still one of the top coaches around."
Faust won 520 games in his 28 years as Washington's head coach. He also won 16 section championships, WPIAL titles in 1984, 85, 86 and 1990 as well as PIAA titles in 1984 and 1986.
In his final season, Faust guided Washington to a 25-4 record. The Prexies won the Section 5-AA title and advanced to the PIAA semifinals, losing to North Catholic in overtime.
"On one hand, anyone who applied, I have to tip my hat to them," Nicolella said. "It's a daunting task to try to replace (Faust) and try to match some of his accomplishments. (Gaither) won over the committee with how he presented himself."
