West Mifflin school board opens football coach Ray Braszo’s job to applicants

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, December 6, 2018 | 3:30 PM

The West Mifflin school board voted this week to open all fall coaching positions, including that of football coach Ray Braszo, who worries the move was more than routine.

“It sounds like they’re trying to get rid of me,” Braszo said Thursday, the day the jobs were posted. “No one has told me — no one has said anything — but they think by opening all the fall jobs for everybody it sort of looks good. The rumors I have heard are that it’s me.”

He called the decision disappointing.

Braszo has coached West Mifflin football for 27 years in two stints. His first lasted from 1988-2005. He returned to coach the Titans in 2010 after four seasons at Steel Valley.

Interested candidates have until Dec. 14 to apply, so Braszo quickly submitted his application.

“I’m not going to make it easy on them,” Braszo said. “If that’s what they’re going to do, they’re going to do it. But I’m not going to just walk away.”

A message was left Thursday for Mark Hoover, West Mifflin’s acting superintendent.

Braszo’s West Mifflin teams posted a 64-34 record over the past nine seasons and reached the WPIAL playoffs every year, including a runner-up finish in 2012. His career record is 190-124-3 in 31 years.

Athletic director Scott Stevenson said the board’s decision was somewhat unexpected.

“Several years ago they used to do this after every season — open up all the coaching positions,” Stevenson said. “Then, they did it again last year because it was a newly elected board. This one, I don’t know what their motive is yet.”

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: West Mifflin