Coach Mike Zmijanac retires after 2 seasons at Seton LaSalle

By: Jonathan Bombulie
Saturday, October 24, 2020 | 9:46 PM

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Mike Zmijanac, six times a WPIAL champion as Aliquippa’s coach, has retired after two seasons at the helm of Seton LaSalle’s program.

The school made the announcement moments after Seton LaSalle lost its season finale to South Side on Saturday night, 28-21, to fall to 1-6, 1-4 in the Class 2A Three Rivers Conference.

“This was an unusual football season in many respects, given the complications of the coronavirus pandemic, and we appreciate Coach Z’s efforts to navigate these challenges,” principal Lauren Martin said in a press release. “We would like to thank Coach Z and his staff for their commitment to our program and to our student-athletes over the past two seasons. We wish Coach Z all the best in his future endeavors beyond coaching.”

Zmijanac, a 1960 Aliquippa graduate, went 237-36 in 21 years as head coach of the Quips, winning six WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship, before he was controversially ousted by the school board in February of 2018.

In three seasons since, he went 0-10 at Ringgold in 2018 and 3-13 in two seasons at Seton LaSalle.

Martin said the school plans to have a new coach in place this fall.

“Seton LaSalle’s commitment is to consistently develop the potential of all of our student-athletes,” Martin said. “This is the perfect time for a change in the leadership of our football program. We will immediately begin the search for the next head football coach.”

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Seton La Salle