Mark Katarski returns to alma mater as Mt. Pleasant boys basketball coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | 8:41 PM

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When he was in middle school, Mark Katarski sharpened his No. 2 pencils and kept score for the Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team.

He reveled in the details, the facts and figures that go into a game.

“It was the 1990-91 season,” Katarski said. “My senior year, in 1995, I was fortunate enough to play on a section runner-up team and make the playoffs.”

While his playing days are behind him, Katarski is just getting started as a coach at his alma mater. He was hired Wednesday night to lead Mt. Pleasant.

The vote was unanimous (8-0).

Katarski, 48, replaces Annie Malkowiak, who was not retained after an 0-22 season. She reapplied for the position.

Katarski, an accomplished college coach, was the interim boys head coach for the final eight games last year at Hempfield when then-coach Bill Swan was under investigation.

“Any opportunity you have to coach the game, whether it was 27 years ago when I took the girls middle school job at Derry,” Katarski said, “or when I became a D-I assistant at Niagara, you realize it is all distilled down to two things: people and basketball. It’s exciting. Each team is a one-year team.”

Katarski might be best known for his ties to Seton Hill, where he was the women’s basketball coach for 10 years and later served as associate athletic director for internal affairs.

He since has parted ways with the university and now works as the director of parks and recreation in Westmoreland County.

The Mt. Pleasant job opened during his job change.

“It was timing,” Katarski said. “It all came together. I didn’t leave Seton Hill to coach. I work for some great people (with the recreation department) who will allow me to coach.

“Seton Hill is a special place to me and my family. My daughter took her first steps in the assistant coach’s office up there.”

Katarski’s brief time in charge at Hempfield last year reignited his passion to teach and coach the game.

“It reminded me,” he said, “that basketball can be a job. It became my living for 23 years. You are always striving to get better.”

After high school and college, Katarski went on to college basketball coaching jobs at Division I Niagara, Chatham and Pitt-Greensburg.

He was 147-120 in a decade coaching Seton Hill and is a former PSAC West Coach of the Year.

His other coaching stops include stints with the Derry junior varsity boys and Clairton girls.

His coach at Mt. Pleasant was Joe Dunn, who is now the leading man at Charleroi. Mt. Pleasant and Charleroi will be section opponents next season.

“I told him maybe they can take those two games off the schedule,” Katarski said. “Neither one of us wants to see the other lose.”

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

Tags: Mt. Pleasant