Latrobe names former assistant Tom McIntyre as new football coach
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Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | 9:49 PM
The Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday voted 8-0 to hire Tom McIntyre, offensive coordinator for three years under former football head coach Ron Prady, to succeed Prady in leading the varsity program.
McIntyre replaced Prady, who resigned after three seasons and leading the Wildcats back to prominence. Latrobe made the WPIAL playoffs three consecutive seasons and reached the WPIAL quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023.
Prady went 20-15 with two playoff victories.
McIntyre also coached at Mt. Pleasant with Jason Fazekas and assistant coach Bo Ruffner and began his coaching career at Latrobe under Ray Reitz. He was a defensive coordinator at Mt. Pleasant and running backs/defensive backs coach at Latrobe.
“We’ve focused on building a positive culture here,” McIntyre said, “and we’ve always preached mental toughness. Heading into each week, we feel we’re as prepared as anybody on Friday night.
“I’m looking forward to getting the kids into the weight room. We need to make up for the month of January that we missed.”
McIntyre said he expects younger players will step up and assume leadership roles on the team with more than a dozen seniors graduating from the squad.
“We’re going to have to adjust what we have to the kids coming in,” he said. “We’re going to look for ways we can improve on the results from last year.”
He was a 2005 graduate of Southmoreland, where he played quarterback and safety.
He then played two seasons at Washington and Jefferson.
He graduated from W&J in 2009 and has been a math teacher at Latrobe Junior High for the past 16 years.
“Ron left the program in good shape,” McIntyre said. “I just want to continue the success.
“The players know what it takes to win and prepare for a season. Ron did a great job preparing the squad.”
McIntyre said most of the staff are returning. He said he’s got an excellent staff.
“I fell in love with coaching,” McIntyre said. “When Ron stepped down, I knew I wanted the job.
“The offense won’t change much. We’ll have to find a new quarterback, and we have two capable candidates. Many of the receivers return, so that’s a plus for the quarterbacks.”
Prady said he’s confident McIntyre will do a good job.
“He handled the offense well,” Prady said. “He’ll do well.”
McIntyre said he learned a lot on how to prepare from Reitz, Fazekas, Ruffner and Prady.
“Bo was so well organized,” McIntyre said.
Athletic director Zac Heide said the advantages McIntyre brings to his new role are a passion for the program and familiarity with the players and fellow staff.
“That’s one less hurdle for the staff to overcome,” Heide said. “They can focus more on the X’s and O’s.”
Said McIntyre: “I’m excited to get these young men prepared for the season, prepared for their high school careers and for life beyond high school football.
“Ultimately, that’s what we’re here to do. It’s not just to win football games. It’s to grow these young men.”
McIntyre’s coaching salary has yet to be determined. Heide the district’s system of determining supplemental salaries is decades-old and is due to be updated under a new contract recently approved with the teachers’ union.
McIntyre lives in Unity with his wife, Chelsea, and their two children — Sydney, 6, who attends first grade at Mountain View Elementary, and Marshall, 4.
Tags: Latrobe
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