Leechburg heads in ‘different direction,’ parts ways with boys basketball coach Corey Smith

By: Greg Macafee
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 | 11:49 AM

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After two straight state playoff appearances, Leechburg School Board members have decided to go in a different direction with their boys basketball program.

On Friday morning, they notified head coach Corey Smith that they would not be renewing his contract for the upcoming season.

“I received a call from the superintendent (Tiffany Nix),” Smith said about how he received the news. “She just said that she was disappointed to make the call, but it was her duty to do so, and she said that the school board had basically decided to go in a different direction for the upcoming year.”

At Leechburg, coaches are retained on an annual basis, and at the end of each year the Leechburg School Board makes a decision on whether or not they should renew a coach’s contract. School board president Neill Brady said they prefer to look from within the district when they have applicants that fit the position.

“It’s a board decision,” Brady said. “We have decided to go in a different direction with our basketball program. Our preference is to hire from within our district if we have qualified applicants, and I think that’s the way we’re going to go.”

Although he wasn’t able to discuss the board’s decision process publicly, Brady said the board takes everything into consideration when making a decision like the one they made last week, including the type of success Smith had during his three-year tenure at the school.

At Leechburg, Smith amassed a record of 34-25. He took the Blue Devils to the WPIAL playoffs three times. They captured their first WPIAL playoff victory since 2011 and also made an appearance in the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2007.

This past season, the Blue Devils turned in their best sectional performance since their WPIAL Class A championship run in the 2006-07 season with an 8-4 section record and an overall mark of 12-9. They scored just under 60 points a game while allowing 51.5.

Their season came to an end when they fell to District 9 champion Elk County Catholic, 65-41, in the first round of the PIAA tournament. Smith believes his run as the head coach was a success.

“I feel I went above and beyond,” Smith said. “I mean, taking the team to the playoffs, making it to a .500 record and to also go to three straight playoffs, I feel like I put Leechburg back on the map after everything that happened to the program before my time there.”

After three seasons, Smith said he was disappointed with the news. He had built something up and wanted to continue the work he was chosen for. But, ultimately, he said he only had one concern; he just hoped the direction and the vision the school board has for the program is all about the players.

“That’s the most important part,” Smith said. “It’s about the boys and developing them on and off the court and changing them into young men. I believe that I did that at Leechburg in my three years.”

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