Pine-Richland hires assistant Bob Petcash as boys basketball coach

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, June 22, 2020 | 11:46 PM

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Pine-Richland stayed in-house Monday night and hired assistant Bob Petcash as its new boys basketball coach.

A longtime assistant for the Rams, Petcash replaces Jeff Ackermann, who resigned in May to become Baldwin’s coach. Petcash spent six seasons as a top assistant on Ackermann’s varsity staff after more than a decade coaching at various levels in the Pine-Richland program.

“I’m excited,” Petcash said. “Some of the best moments today were getting text from guys who played for me six, seven, eight years ago, quoting things I say. That’s pretty awesome.”

The school board approved the hire at Monday’s meeting as the final step in a process that included three rounds of interviews.

“There were many things I liked about him prior to the interview process,” athletic director Sean Simmons said. “However, during the interview process, he was able to express a deep passion for coaching basketball and a deep desire to be a part of the Pine-Richland community.

“He bleeds Pine-Richland green and white,” Simmons added. “He embraces the coaching role as mentor. He is an intense person who is willing to outwork anybody.”

With Petcash on the bench, Pine-Richland emerged as one of the WPIAL’s top teams in recent years with a 126-35 record since 2015. The Rams won consecutive WPIAL titles in 2016 and ’17 and were runners-up in 2018.

They went 15-9 last season and reached the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals.

“He has been an integral part of the boys basketball program during one of Pine-Richland’s most successful basketball eras,” Simmons said. “While never having the title of ‘head coach,’ he has stepped up to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a head coach in past circumstances.

“He was the best fit for the program.”

An Ambridge graduate who works as an oral surgeon, Petcash first joined the Pine-Richland basketball program as a middle school coach on Brian Gaetano’s staff.

“I want to keep the program moving in the winning direction,” Petcash said. “I’m excited to compete every day with these guys, and to make these players not just good on the basketball court but good in life afterward.”

Petcash has become a familiar last name around the program. His sons Andrew, Dan and Joey all played for the basketball team in the past seven years. Joey will be a senior guard in the fall.

Andrew will be a senior on Boston University’s team, and Dan is a sophomore for Binghamton.

“They’re very excited about it,” Petcash said. “They know this is one of my passions. My wife and kids are very supportive. We talk basketball all of the time.”

Petcash said there’s already discussion about adding Baldwin to the schedule next winter.

“Absolutely,” he said. “That would be a fun game.”

We would like to introduce our new head coach, Bob Petcash. ????????#RollRams // #NewEra pic.twitter.com/Ki2KIcCopB

— Pine Richland Basketball (@PRRamsHoops) June 23, 2020

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Pine-Richland