Lee has high goals as Charleroi girls coach
No one was more surprised when Joe Grodz resigned his position as head girls varsity basketball coach at Charleroi High School than Kevin Lee.
Grodz had a 48-24 record in three seasons and made the postseason all three years.
No one is arguably more capable of stepping into that void than Lee, who is a 1984 graduate of Charleroi High School and was a 1,000-point scorer on the Cougars’ basketball team.
“I had no inkling he was going to resign,” said Lee, who was hired at last week’s school board meeting. “I had a chance (for the job) and felt I could do it.”
The Cougars went 12-10 last year, including 8-4 in Section 4-AA. They got the fourth and final playoff spot from the section, dropping a first-round game against West Shamokin. But the core of the team returns, including Siera Short, who led the Cougars with a 12.8 point-per-game average.
Short, who will be a sophomore, is one of a strong group of younger players Lee is excited about and familiar with. Among the others are Kaitlyn Riley, Maria Claybaugh and Lee’s daughter, Aislyn.
“I have been with this group since they were in fourth grade,” said Lee. “They are all sophomores-to-be and they are a talented group.”
Lee coached the group in the offseason and also served as a varsity assistant from 2005-2009 under Nick Mahalko and as a volunteer assistant in 2011.
“These girls share my passion,” said Lee. “We want to raise the bar, take the program to another level. We should be competitive right away in the section. I know Washington is the powerhouse there.”
Lee was a three-year starter at Charleroi and finished his scholastic career with 1,095 points. In his senior year, the Cougars won the section title and made it to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs, thanks to a 21-game winning streak.
Lee went to Waynesburg University and played on four Yellow Jackets teams that went to Kansas City to play in the NAIA tournament. The 1988 team reached the Final Four under head coach Rudy Marisa.
“Age-wise, this is a young team,” Lee said. “My vision is for us to play well enough to win a section title. Hopefully, we get to The Pete for a WPIAL championship and compete for a state title.”