2025 Trib HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the coaches

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, August 21, 2025 | 2:39 PM

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TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top coaching changes for the 2025 season.

1. Mike Warfield

Aliquippa

Warfield is back. The Aliquippa grad stepped away as coach before last season saying he was taking a year off. However, his return didn’t seem guaranteed until December, when Warfield confirmed he was returning to the sideline. His record is 74-6 in six seasons with four WPIAL titles and three state championships. Remarkably, his teams have won more titles (seven) than he has losses (six). Interim coach Vashawn Patrick, who led the team in Warfield’s absence, remains with the Quips as associate head coach.

2. Rod Steele

Bishop Canevin

Steele decided in December to step away from coaching, but his plans changed when Bishop Canevin came calling. The Crusaders announced his hire in June. Steele is a two-time WPIAL champion, and his 2016 Steel Valley team won a state title with 15 consecutive mercy rule wins. He most recently coached West Mifflin. At Canevin, he replaces Rich Johnson, who resigned in May with a 49-12 record and a WPIAL title in five seasons.

3. Don Phillips

Rochester

For the first time since 1985, someone not named Matsook will coach the Rams. Gene Matsook resigned in December after 25 seasons, having taken over as head coach in 2000 from his brother, Dan. Combined, they won more than 300 games, seven WPIAL titles and three state championships. But Phillips isn’t unfamiliar with the school. He coached Rochester from 1982-84, and had stints at Ambridge, Center, Ellwood City, Monaca, West Allegheny and East Liverpool, Ohio. Phillips also served as an assistant at Geneva.

4. Scott Bryer

Belle Vernon

The Leopards have a new coach, but one the team knows well. Bryer was promoted from linebackers coach to head coach in April, chosen to replace Matt Humbert, who resigned after 11 seasons. The Leopards won consecutive WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A titles in 2022-23 under Humbert, who remains athletic director. Humbert went 96-25 with the Leopards. Bryer is an elementary school principal at Mt. Pleasant.

5. B.J. Pugh

West Mifflin

A 1995 West Mifflin graduate and former Titans quarterback, Pugh was hired as head coach at his alma mater in February. A longtime teacher in the district, he once served as defensive coordinator under former coach Ray Braszo. He replaces coach Rod Steele, who went 27-34 in six seasons.

Ones to watch

Brian DeLallo and Brody Zangaro

The two will serve as interim coaches this season, with DeLallo stepping in at Canon-McMillan for Mike Evans and Zangaro taking over at North Hills for Pat Carey. Evans is battling cancer for the second time. Carey was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disorder.

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Position breakdowns

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | DE | LB | CB | S | K

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Belle Vernon, Bishop Canevin, Canon-McMillan, North Hills, Rochester, West Mifflin