Mt. Pleasant hires Katarski as athletic director; will remain as boys basketball coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 6:47 PM

Mark Katarski already reunited with his high school alma mater when he became the boys basketball at Mt. Pleasant.

Now, he will oversee all of the sports there.

Katarski was hired Wednesday night by a 9-0 vote to be the Vikings’ athletic director. He replaces JJ Eckels, who left to become the AD at Penn Hills.

Katarski, 48, starts his new job Friday. He will remain the basketball coach.

“I greatly appreciate the support of superintendent Dr. Tim Gabauer and the entire school board for this incredible opportunity,” Katarski said. “I am looking forward to helping improve the entire athletic department and the experience of our student-athletes and coaches the best that we can.”

Katarski, a 1995 Mt. Pleasant alum, coached the Seton Hill women’s basketball team for 10 years and was an assistant with the Hempfield boys for a year. He was the Spartans’ interim head coach for the final eight games two seasons ago.

Mt. Pleasant’s boys went 6-16 this season following an 0-22 year.

Katarski most recently worked as the director of parks and recreation in Westmoreland County but leaves that job to be a full-time AD.

He also had coaching stops with the Derry junior varsity boys and Clairton girls. He was a college coach at Niagara, Chatham and Pitt-Greensburg.

Eckels started Monday at Penn Hills. He said the move is better for his family.

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

Tags: Mt. Pleasant