Trib HSSN Head of the Class: WPIAL 2025 girls basketball coaches of the year

By: Don Rebel
Monday, March 31, 2025 | 11:28 PM

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Girls high school basketball continues to grow thanks in part to the men and women who give of their time to teach, coach and mentor young women throughout the WPIAL.

While we would like to now salute all 126 WPIAL girls basketball coaches from the 2024-2025 campaign, we have a special seat in the front of the classroom for those who were a cut above.

The following six coaches will fill those seats after being named the Trib HSSN Head of the Class for the 2025 season in each of the six district classifications.

Class 6A

Pete Serio, Upper St. Clair

It turns out he saved his best for last. In his final dance as a WPIAL girls basketball coach, Peter Serio and his wife, Suzi McConnell-Serio, performed the two-step to perfection, leading to a district championship. In his 11 years as coach of the Panthers, Serio finished 152-105 with nine of his 11 teams qualifying for the playoffs. USC won two section crowns and played in the WPIAL Class 6A title game in four of the last five years, finally winning that elusive golden championship this season with a victory over defending champion Norwin. The team reached the PIAA finals before falling to Perkiomen Valley. Including stops as coach of Bishop Canevin, Mt. Lebanon and Peters Township, Serio ended with 299 wins.

Class 5A

Bryan Bennett, South Fayette

One way or another, South Fayette was going to keep that golden streak alive in 2025. Having just concluded his seventh season as coach, Bryan Bennett engineered a fourth straight championship season for the Lions. The program had won three consecutive WPIAL Class 5A girls titles and reached the finals shooting for a four-peat. However, Peters Township spoiled the Lions’ district party plans by winning the much-anticipated showdown in the finals. No problem as South Fayette regrouped, won three straight state playoff games, beat Peters in the rematch in the semifinals and captured the school’s first PIAA crown by beating four-time defending champ Archbishop Wood in Hershey.

Class 4A

Henry Schechter, Oakland Catholic

Even though it was a golden first season as coach of Oakland Catholic, there were several hurdles throughout the journey for Henry Schechter and his Eagles to clear before raising a district championship trophy. The OC dropped two of its first three games, including its Section 1-4A opener to North Catholic. It would be the team’s only loss to a WPIAL opponent. The Eagles followed up that loss with 11 straight victories without star senior London Creach, then after losing to Western Reserve Academy of Ohio, Oakland Catholic won 13 in a row, including a victory over Blackhawk in the WPIAL Class 4A finals for the Eagles’ seventh district title and first since 2006.

Class 3A

Jonna Burke, Shady Side Academy

It was another impressive season for the Shady Side Academy girls basketball team, one that was filled with plenty of silver linings. This is the third year in a row Jonna Burke has earned Class 3A coach of the year honors after turning the Bulldogs around in 2023, leading them to a WPIAL title in 2024 and a dominant season in 2025 despite losing two-time leading scorer Maggie Spell, who transferred to Thomas Jefferson. The Bulldogs still had junior standout Karis Thomas and they were undefeated until losing to Greensburg Central Catholic in the WPIAL 3A finals. SSA regrouped and won four PIAA playoff games against teams with a combined record of 88-15 before losing in the state finals to Loyalsock Township.

Class 2A

Dwight Lindsey, Aliquippa

WPIAL fans have become numb to the incredible success of the Aliquippa football and boys basketball teams as they have won the most district and state championships in those sports with a combined 25 football and 19 boys basketball titles. However, it had been three and a half decades since the Quips girls basketball team got into the championship spirit. That drought ended this season when Dwight Lindsey and his team kicked the door down after coming close last year. As the No. 2 seed, Aliquippa knocked off Carmichaels, Rochester and Winchester Thurston to reach the district finals and upended top seed Neshannock for the program’s fifth championship and first since 1990.

Class A

Rob Nogay, Union

For the third straight year, tiny Union High School in Lawrence County was a giant in WPIAL Class A girls basketball. Also for a third straight year, the man leading the Scotties to gold again and again and again is the Class A coach of the year. Throughout the regular season, Union was perfect, winning all 22 of its games and cruising to the Section 1-A title by three games. The district playoffs were a struggle, including a comeback win over Bishop Canevin in the quarters and an overtime victory over Aquinas Academy in the semis before beating Clairton in the title game for a third straight WPIAL crown. The only blemish for the Scotties came in the opening round of the state playoffs when they were stunned by Williamsburg.

Tags: Aliquippa, Oakland Catholic, Shady Side Academy, South Fayette, Union, Upper St. Clair