Gallagher resigns as Carmichaels football coach
The travel finally got to Ron Gallagher.
Gallagher, who spent the last three years as the head football coach at Carmichaels High School, resigned that position at Thursday night’s Carmichaels Area School Board meeting.
At that same meeting, Tom Ricco was hired as athletic director, replacing John Krajnak, who retired.
Gallagher said working at the Intermediate Unit, located just outside California, caused him to arrive late at practice or miss them completely.
“I took on a new job with the Intermediate Unit and it’s tough when you’re not in the school and you’re not there after school to be the best coach for these kids,” said the 44-year-old Gallagher. “My kid is in a different district and he’s playing football, so it would be tough to stay there and do what I was doing.”
Gallagher said he would make the half-hour trip from the Intermediate Unit at about 4:30 p.m. He would then have to scramble into his practice clothes while his assistants handled the early parts of practice.
“Kids would stay (at the practice field) from 3 to 4:30,” Gallagher said. “It was difficult. I just thought it was the right decision.”
Carmichaels has been a model of stability for football coaches. The Mikes have had only nine head coaches since 1925.
Carmichaels went 20-9 under Gallagher and advanced to the WPIAL Class A playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Mikes were 16-5 in Tri-County South Conference games under Gallagher.
This past season, Carmichaels went 7-4 and fell to Laurel in the first round of the playoffs.
“I felt like we had a successful year as far as wins and losses,” Gallagher said. “It was difficult to perform the duties of a head coach. It felt like I was disconnected from the kids.”
Another problem was that his work at the Intermediate Unit caused Gallagher to travel and thus miss practices entirely.
“I feel like someone can come in and be their hero where I can’t,” said Gallagher. “I can’t be there on the practice field but now I’m just a phone call away.
“It was so different. I was used to seeing the kids during the day and grab a hold of them. It becomes a huge disconnection to them and to the whole community.”
Carmichaels is one of two football openings in the conference. Brian Hanson left his position at West Greene to take the head coaching job at South Allegheny.
Another local opening is at Charleroi, where the Cougars are advertising for a head coach. Marc Gambino was in his first season at Charleroi last year and the Cougars posted a 1-5 record in the Class 2A Century Conference and a 2-7 overall mark.