Mt. Pleasant’s Bilinsky ready for new test as basketball coach

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, July 2, 2018 | 7:15 PM

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Allan Bilinsky knows his time could be stretched to its limits as he begins a three-job venture at Mt. Pleasant. But he is embracing the “slash” role with enthusiasm and focus.

Bilinsky was hired last week as interim boys basketball coach of the Vikings. He also is the high school's athletic director and a junior-senior high principal.

The demanding schedule might seem daunting, but Bilinsky thinks he can handle the grind with purpose.

He holds the school's athletic programs in high regard.

Bilinsky not only acknowledges the great sense of school pride at Mt. Pleasant, but he also plans to uphold it and build on it.

“You see ‘MP,' you know it's Mt. Pleasant,” Bilinsky said when he was named athletic director in 2015. “There is a really rich tradition to uphold here. Just the number of section titles are astronomical.”

He said he is unsure how long the interim tag will last, but he will take the reins of the program as if he'll be the coach for many seasons to come.

The Vikings went 3-19 last season and 5-17 two years ago.

“I am looking to continue to build the program,” said Bilinsky, 42, who replaces Don Porter, who was not asked back after four seasons. “I want to continue to teach fundamentals and keep the kids playing hard.”

A 1994 Norwin graduate, Bilinsky was a three-sport athlete — basketball, football and track — in high school. After graduating from West Liberty, where he played football, he coached varsity basketball and football in Warren County (Va.).

He later took a physical education position at Penn Hills, where he also coached both sports.

“It's a little smaller atmosphere than where I've been, warm and open with a lot of camaraderie,” Bilinsky said. “It's been open arms from the moment I walked in.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Mt. Pleasant