Lance Maha hired as West Mifflin’s athletic director, resigns as Norwin boys basketball coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, July 4, 2024 | 9:42 AM

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Lance Maha is as West Mifflin as Kennywood. So, him staying home to be the high school’s athletic director should not come as a surprise.

He lives there, has worked there and put roots down decades ago. Now, he will run the sports programs at his alma mater.

Maha, a West Mifflin alum and former boys basketball coach there for 20 years — he also coached the girls team briefly — was hired last month and began his new position Monday.

A social studies teacher in the district for 26 years, Maha, 57, retired at the end of last school year.

He has been the boys basketball coach at Norwin the past three years and went 31-33 with two WPIAL Class 6A playoff appearances. He resigned from that position.

“When I learned that the school district opened up the position, it was right up my alley,” Maha said in a district news release. “It gets me around what I like. It’s a place where you can surely increase opportunities for kids.

“It’s really going to be a focus of our district to get kids involved and make them feel like they belong. That will be my No. 1 focus.”

As for his time at Norwin, he said, “Great kids and school district.”

Maha made the commute to North Huntingdon several months a year to work with his players.

“I was blessed to get to coach there for three years,” he said. “The team is young but deep. The program is in a good place. The kids have really worked hard and represented their families and Norwin in a way that should make the community proud.”

Maha, who has 331 career wins coaching varsity basketball, led West Mifflin’s boys to 17 playoff trips in 20 years, defense often being his driving force. He also had high school coaching jobs at Quigley and Propel Braddock Hills, and collegiately at Pitt-Johnstown, Robert Morris and Penn State New Kensington.

Maha feels right at home as the Titans’ AD.

“I was born and bred here in West Mifflin,” he said. “I love the school district and love the kids. I felt like I was fortunate to be involved with a group of kids that wanted to learn and wanted to grow. Most of my days here were pretty easy. I really enjoyed my time here at West Mifflin as a teacher, and felt fortunate to be able to serve the community in that way.”

Maha also served as the head of recreation in West Mifflin for 16 years.

“I think West Mifflin has always been a place where you can win,” he said, “but more important than winning, you can have an impact on our kids as a coach and as an athletic program.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin, West Mifflin