New Norwin boys basketball coach happy to give back to his alma mater

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, August 12, 2024 | 7:39 PM

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While he stops short of “dream job” territory, Cam Auld admits the idea of coaching at his high school alma mater crossed his mind before.

He’ll always be a Norwin Knight, first as an athlete and now as coach.

“Anybody who ends up getting to go back to their school and coach, it’s something you have to think about, going back and giving back to the program,” he said. “It was always in the back of my mind.”

Auld, 26, was hired Monday night to lead the Norwin boys basketball team.

The 2016 alum spent the past two seasons coaching the Greensburg Salem boys.

Auld was a freshman boys basketball coach at Norwin before he went to Greensburg Salem and had plans to become Lance Maha’s junior varsity coach. But his first head coaching job became a larger priority at the time.

Who knew the brief experience afforded him some leverage to apply at Norwin?

Maha resigned after three seasons leading the Knights to take the athletic director job at West Mifflin, his alma mater and a place where he coached boys basketball for 20 years.

“When the opening came up,” Auld said, “my eyes lit up. When I was with the freshman team, I thought I could maybe work my way up.”

The thought of going from 4A to 6A, something Greensburg Salem did in reverse when he took over, does not burden Auld, a former Knights role player.

“I’ve always said it doesn’t matter who you play,” he said. “We played Hampton and Highlands four times a year. They are as good as anyone. Six-A is a gauntlet, don’t get me wrong, but the mindset doesn’t change. We need to be the best we can be.”

Auld, who played at Waynesburg, said he hopes to bring a pair of assistants with him from Greensburg Salem in Jerry Cooley and Gage McCracken.

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

Tags: Norwin