George Guido: Har-Brack grad, former college hoops coach Tom Young dies

By: George Guido
Saturday, April 9, 2022 | 4:10 PM

Tom Young, the 1951 Har-Brack graduate who coached Rutgers to the NCAA Final Four in 1976, died recently in Virginia Beach, Va., at 89.

His death first was reported by his son, Tom Jr., to Rutgers.

Young played basketball at Maryland, but he interrupted his college career for a 19-month U.S. Army tour of duty in post-war Germany following the 1952-53 basketball season with the Terrapins.

He remained lifelong friends with the late Dr. Rudy Mattioli, a Har-Brack classmate and former Pitt quarterback.

After graduating from Maryland, he became the head coach at Catholic University (1958-67) and was an assistant at Maryland the following two seasons. Young went on to coach American University before landing the job at Rutgers.

In 1975-76, the Scarlet Knights went 31-0 before losing to Michigan in the NCAA semifinals. Had Rutgers won, it would have set up a final with similarly undefeated Indiana.

But the Hoosiers defeated Michigan in the national title game.

Young’s success at Rutgers spurred the construction of the Rutgers Athletic Center, better known as “The RAC,” long a difficult venue for visiting teams.

Unhappy Rutgers wouldn’t join the Big East, Young left for Old Dominion in 1985 and coached there until 1991.

Young returned to coaching as an assistant with the NBA’s Washington Wizards from 2003-07.

His career mark as a head coach was 524-328, making the NCAA tournament six times and the NIT four times.

Young was inducted into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nancy, and children Tom and Tracy, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Penn Hills looking at change

Penn Hills is looking at doing away with its Indians school nickname.

The school district called a community forum for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the elementary building’s cafeteria where a possible name change will be discussed.

Superintendent Nancy Himes told the Tribune-Review that interest has increased because of recent moves by Washington’s and Cleveland’s professional teams changing “their mascots and associated imagery.”

The school board will listen to community and alumni members.

Shady Side Academy recently changed its mascot from Indians to Bulldogs. Seneca Valley said it will keep the nickname “Raiders” but will remove the logo related to Native American imagery.

Locally, Riverview is called the “Raiders,” but it has more to do with plunderers on the open seas than Native Americans. New Kensington High School was known as the Red Raiders, but its mascot was a fox.

Avonmore was known as the Redskins until it merged with Bell Township in 1952.

Penn Hills students have suggested the Big Red, the Red Storm and the Red Hawks, among others.

Bart homers in opener

San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart homered in the season opener Friday against the Florida Marlins.

He is the son of former Burrell athletic standout Tom Bart, who graduated in 1979.

Young Bart finally looks to be getting a chance behind the plate with the retirement of Buster Posey. Joey was considered a top-10 prospect as recently as two years ago.

Tom Bart was the first Burrell football player to score five touchdowns in a game in 1977.

He was the sixth man on the Bucs’ 1979 WPIAL basketball runner up, and he was drafted as a pitcher by the Pirates later that spring but opted for college ball at Miami-Dade.

The elder Bart owns several Saxby’s restaurants in the Atlanta area.