Southmoreland football coach resigns after 4th straight playoff season, citing lack of support

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | 6:17 PM

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At most of his football coaching stops, Tim Bukowski stayed seven years.

That was the case at Monessen, Charleroi, Clairton and, now, Southmoreland.

“I am not making it to eight,” said Bukowski, who recently turned in a letter of resignation following his seventh season with the Scotties, the third as head coach.

Citing a lack of support from the administration, Bukowski stepped down following his team’s fourth straight trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

The Scotties finished 7-4. Bukowski was 17-16 overall but was not able to land the program’s first playoff win.

A promising multiyear run with standout quarterback Anthony Smith and a talented supporting cast could be in limbo with Bukowski gone. It is unclear if his staff will join him or if any players will make alternate plans.

“We’ve taken this program from a doormat to a yearly playoff team,” Bukowski said. “When we started here, we had 16 kids. We have 42 now. There was a lot of effort from me and the staff. We broke every passing record. The last time we had seven wins in a season was 30 years ago. We hadn’t made the playoffs in 40 years. And they just want to watch it all blow up.”

For Immediate Release:#OLPForever pic.twitter.com/Bfkqcn25JQ

— Southmoreland Football (@SHSFootball4U) December 10, 2024

Southmoreland athletic director Brian Pritts said there was support for Bukowski.

“We appreciate everything he did while he was here,” Pritts said. “We wish him nothing but the absolute best in his future pursuits.”

Bukowski said the cooperative agreement with Geibel was a point of contention at the school and said some parents had voiced their opinion about it to the board.

Bukowski, 57, had already been contemplating leaving, but that was the last straw, he said.

“They talked about maybe opening the position and letting me reapply, but I wasn’t going through all that,” he said. “It’s better if I get out of here.”

The addition of Geibel players a decade ago initially allowed Southmoreland to field a full team, even a junior varsity squad, which never before had been a part of the program. Eight Geibel players were on this year’s team, with five playing key roles.

Bukowski said he heard the co-op could be ending soon, something Pritts could not confirm at this time. The co-op did not weigh on Bukowski’s decision.

“That co-op has been around for 10 years,” Bukowski said. “Now we’re winning, and everyone has a problem with it.”

A proficient play-caller, Bukowski won six WPIAL titles and four PIAA championships as the offensive coordinator at Clairton (2006-12).

“Next year was going to be our year here,” he said.

A rash of injuries and illness struck the Scotties just before this year’s playoffs as more than a half-dozen starters missed the 56-20 loss to Highlands in the WPIAL Class 3A first round.

“It’s a shame the way it ended,” Bukowski said. “I value the players who played for me. I have made some great friends here. I feel bad for our seniors.”

Bukowski said he plans to coach again in the near future.

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

Tags: Southmoreland