Charleroi, California have head girls basketball coach openings
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter CharleroiþÄôs head coach Kevin Lee shouts instructions to the team during the second half against Seton-La Salle on Wednesday, February 22.
Chris Minerd
California and Charleroi each made the WPIAL girls basketball playoffs this season.
Both teams are suffering heavy losses because to graduation, and now both schools are looking for new head coaches.
California girls basketball coach and athletic director Chris Minerd submitted his letter of resignation from his coaching position and it will be made official at the district’s school board meeting later this month. Minerd will remain as California’s athletic director.
This follows Kevin Lee notifying Charleroi athletic director Bill Wiltz and the school board that he was stepping down as the Cougars’ head coach.
Minerd led California to a 123-66 record in eight years as head coach after being hired to take over the program for the 2010-11 season. He was a varsity assistant for three years prior to becoming head coach.
The Trojans made the playoffs seven times in eight seasons under Minerd, won eight playoff games, including the first PIAA win in program history in 2015, and won section titles in 2014 and 2015.
“It is hard to say what I will miss the most, but I will definitely miss the girls grow as players but moreso as people,” said Minerd. “I will still be able to see it as the A.D. but not as much as if I was still coaching.”
Minerd, who lives in Gibsonia, said the travel and demands of his job as athletic director were major reasons for resigning as coach.
“The time commitment that it takes to be the athletic director is vast and growing,” he said. “Plus, living in Gibsonia, it takes a toll as I don’t have the time to put the necessary time into the program that is needed.”
Minerd, who is in his third year as athletic director and has three years left on his contract, talked about the successful run his team has had.
“I am proud that that in the last five years, every section game we played in the last week of each season had meaning,” he said. “We won two sections, finished second twice and had we won our last section game this season, we would have shared the section title.
“I am proud to bring the team to this point with the help of the assistants that I have had.”
California had a 15-9 record this season and defeated Washington, 50-40, in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. The Trojans lost to WPIAL champion Vincentian Academy, 64-31, in the quarterfinals and qualified for the PIAA tournament. The Trojans lost to District 9 champion Coudersport, 50-23, Friday night in the first round of the state playoffs.
For Lee, who has a 54-18 record as head coach at Charleroi, he also had limited time to devote to coaching.
“It is hard to run a business and coach at the same time,” he said of his family’s Lee Supply Company. “I am finding it difficult to put in the time to make the program successful.”
Charleroi had a strong senior group this season. Five of the Cougars’ top six players were seniors.
“I got into (the job) for this group but and I am concerned about group coming up,” he said. “It was time, but it was very rewarding to work with this group of girls and I will miss being in the gym because of my deep passion for basketball.
“We won a lot of games and although we didn’t win a section title, we only lost seven section games in three years with six of them coming to section champions.”
Charleroi had a 19-3 record in the regular season this year but was upset by Apollo-Ridge, 47-35, in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.
Lee, who had a standout career as a player at Charleroi and at Waynesburg University, said the Cougars’ seniors accomplished quite a lot on the court, including a state tournament appearance in the 2016-17 season.
“This group had a lot of individual accomplishments that they will be able to look back on and that will stand for a long time,” he said. “As far as me, I am not ruling out a return some day, but I just needed a break to focus on my business.”