Southmoreland’s Brian Pritts named WPIAL Athletic Director of the Year

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 4:42 PM

Southmoreland’s Brian Pritts has an upbeat and positive personality that is evident as soon as he walks in a room.

His smile and fist-bumps are genuine issue, and his “We Before Me!” phrase has become customary to every sports-related social media post, along with the hashtags “BePhenomenal” and “MakeTheGRADE.”

Pritts made the grade Thursday when he was named the 2025 WPIAL Athletic Director of the Year.

This is the second year for the award. Chuck Bellisario of Deer Lakes won last year.

Southmoreland will receive $500 for its athletic department.

Pritts, a Southmoreland alum who became AD in 2023, called the honor “truly humbling.”

“I’m grateful to be able to serve our students, student-athletes, school and community, and extremely thankful for their continued support,” Pritts said. “It means the world that people thought enough of me to nominate and vote for me.”

Pritts has coached or taught in the district since 1995.

He was girls basketball coach for 19 years, over two stints, and won 235 games. He also coached the football team for six seasons.

Pritts’ father-in-law, Dennis Zieger, was AD at Southmoreland and Elizabeth Forward.

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

Tags: Southmoreland