Football

Coach (Dr.) Jon LeDonne, PhD.

Head Coach

Dr. Jon LeDonne has been at the helm of the Pine-Richland Football Program since 2022, accomplishing a repeat appearance in the WPIAL Championship game in 2023 and a State Championship year in 2022. 

With a slow start in 2023, a 1-2 record, the Rams managed to get on track, finishing the season 9-4 as WPIAL Runner-Up.  In that win streak, the Rams beat a highly talented Central Catholic team on the back of Ethan Pillar and a senior group of offensive linemen (James Cardinali, Jon Smith, Connor Dripps, Ryan Cory, Nathan Brown, and Hunter Petzuk) and lead blocker Alex Cerminara, blanked gritty North Hills and Woodland Hills teams with stout defense led by Sam Heckert, Evan Johnson, Vasile Balouris, Tanner Cunningham, Eli Wentz, Bryce O’Brien, Josh Nindl, and Ryan Cory, and pounded Bethel Park in the first round of playoffs with an explosive offense to set up an epic rematch with Penn Hills, Coach LeDonne’s former team.  Trailing 9-0 with less than four minutes left, the Rams' powerful leg of Grant Argiro hit a 42-yard field goal, followed by an epic final drive, capped off by a touchdown from freshman Aaron “Oobi” Strader with two seconds left.  A Patrick DeSantes snap was low, but Tanner Cunningham got it down for the extra point.  Up 10-9, Evan Johnson recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown as time expired for the 16-9 win.  A battered Rams’ team went on to lose in the WPIAL Championship to PIAA Runner-Up Peters Township.   

A slow start in 2022 saw the Rams to a 1-3 start, but Coach LeDonne made some mid-season player personnel changes which proved beneficial to a 13-3 season, including Section, WPIAL, and State Championships.  Coach LeDonne earned Conference, WPIAL, and State “Coach of the Year” recognition in 2022, as well as Coach of the Year honors from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He represented the Steelers as their nominee for the 2022 NFL Don Shula High School Coach of the Year.  Coach LeDonne was inducted into the Robert Morris Athletic Hall of Fame in Fall 2023. 

Prior to Pine-Richland, Coach LeDonne spent five seasons at Penn Hills.  Coach LeDonne posted a record of 46-14 over his five seasons at Penn Hills, turning a 22-27 Indian team from the previous five years before his arrival into a yearly contender.  The Indians won the conference in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and won the WPIAL and State title in 2018, posting a perfect record of 16-0.  Coach LeDonne earned Conference, WPIAL, and State “Coach of the Year” recognition during this time, as well as from the Pittsburgh Coach’s Corner, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coach LeDonne was the head coach for three seasons at Shaler Area before arriving at Penn Hills, where he ended a 30+ game losing streak during his tenure.  Prior to that, Coach LeDonne was the defensive coordinator at Gateway High School.  He served in the same capacity for Steel Valley and Keystone Oaks since 2007.

While coaching football in the evenings, Coach LeDonne completed his studies in Material Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, obtaining Masters and Doctorate degrees along the way. 

Prior to his graduate days at CMU, Coach LeDonne was a four-year starter at outside linebacker for Robert Morris.  Serving as a defensive captain for three of those years, Coach LeDonne obtained All-American status, both athletically and academically, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA in Manufacturing Engineering.  Voted the team’s most valuable player and defensive player of the year as a senior, he also was voted RMU’s most outstanding male athlete and received the Presidential Scholar Athlete Award.  Currently sitting in the school’s top ten record book for career tackles, Coach LeDonne received All-NEC Honors as well as ESPN Academic All-American University First Team status as a senior, becoming the first Colonial player to do so.  Coach LeDonne was also recognized as the NEC conference Valley National Bank Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Before Robert Morris, Coach LeDonne was a four-sport athlete at Aliquippa High School, participating in football, basketball, baseball, and track.  Coach LeDonne was pivotal in the year 2000, helping the football and basketball teams win WPIAL medals.  As a senior, he competed in PIAA championships in both football and basketball, earning All-Conference and All-State recognition for football.

Coach LeDonne currently works at The Naval Nuclear Laboratory in West Mifflin as a Principal Engineer.  He lives in Gibsonia with his significant other, Maggie, and their three children (Mia, Makenna and Marco).  Coach is also very active in youth sports within the district, coaching Pine-Richland Youth Girl’s Basketball Teams to State Championships in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Michael Francis

Assistant Head Coach

Assistant Head Coach Michael Francis is from Slippery Rock and attended Shaler Area High School.  He played football at Shaler from 2005-2008.  Coach Francis has held the position of ASM of Operational Processes for Dicks Sporting Goods since 2014.  Coach Francis has been coaching football since 2009, and has been on Coach LeDonne’s staff since 2013.  Before PR, previous stops included Shaler Area and Penn Hills.  Coach Francis has two WPIAL and PIAA championships as a part of Coach LeDonne’s staff.

Coach Francis currently resides in the North Hills area with his wife, Laura, and his dog, Rex.

Steve Bezila

Offensive Coordinator

Coach Steve Bezila grew up in Shaler Township and attended Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, where he played Football (4 years) and Baseball (3 years).  Playing on the offensive and defensive lines during that time, Steve was also named captain as a senior.  He received a full scholarship to attend Hofstra University, where he played Guard/Long Snapper.  Coach Bezila transferred to the University of Pittsburgh to finish his bachelor's degree.  He received his master’s degree in School Counseling from Westminster College in 2015.  Steve has worked at Glen Mills schools and Clayton Academy as their Executive Director.  Steve is currently the Dean of Students at Central Catholic.

Coach Bezila has been the Offensive Coordinator at Pine-Richland High School since 2023. Before arriving at Pine-Richland, Coach Bezila spent the past 20 years at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, where he served in many roles, most recently as their Offensive Coordinator, dating back to 2013.  During that time, the team won 3 PIAA State Championships and 7 WPIAL Championships.

Coach Bezila and his wife, Nicole, reside in the Pine-Richland school district with their 3 children (Sydney, Anthony and Charlotte).

Mike Mackowick

Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach

Mike Mackowick, better known as Coach Mack, has been a varsity offensive line coach since 2016.  He has been on Coach LeDonne's staff since 2019 and at Pine-Richland since 2022.

He previously spent two seasons working under Coach LeDonne at Penn Hills in the same role. Prior to that, he coached at Greensburg Central Catholic for three seasons, coaching both the offensive and defensive lines. He was a part of 2022 WPIAL & PIAA State championship team at PR, in which the run game generated almost 4,000 combined yards on the ground over 16 games. He has coached many all-conference and all-state linemen.

In his playing days, he was an all-conference offensive guard at both Pittsburgh Central Catholic (c’11) & Saint Vincent College (c’15), starting three seasons and earning the honor of being named team captain for SVC in 2014.

He lives in his hometown of Monroeville with his wife Christina, their pup Jack, and their first child, Joseph, who was born in the spring of 2024.

Sam Albert

Varsity Assistant Coach

Mike Cooper

Varsity Assistant Coach

Anthony Morocco

Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker Coach

Coach Morocco has been on Coach LeDonne’s staff at Pine-Richland since 2022 and an assistant with Coach LeDonne since 2010.  He was born and raised in Pittsburgh and grew up in Crafton, where he attended Saint Philips Elementary School through 4th grade.  Moving to Green Tree in 1993, he then attended Keystone Oaks High School from 1997 to 2001.  While at Keystone Oaks, he was a part of the football and baseball team all 4 years.  In football, he was a 3-year letterman and defensive captain his senior year.  Coach Morocco was also named to the AAA Big 7 Conference first team.  In baseball, he was also a 3-year letterman and co-captain his senior year. 

Coach Morocco attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he was part of the football team for 1 year.  After college, he got a job at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, working as a Circulation District Manager.  He has worked at the Post-Gazette for more than 18 years. 

Coach Morocco began his coaching career at Keystone Oaks High School as a volunteer in 2010.  He then followed Coach LeDonne to volunteer at Steel Valley High School in 2012.  He also volunteered at Gateway High School in 2013 to assist Coach LeDonne.  From 2014 through 2016, he was a defensive assistant at Shaler Area High School under Coach LeDonne.  In 2017, he followed Coach LeDonne to Penn Hills High School as a defensive assistant coach 2017-2021, where they were able to win a state championship in 2018.  In 2022, he was Co-DC/LB coach for the state champion Pine-Richland Rams.

Coach Morocco owns a home in Green Tree, where he lives with his future wife, Jenna, along with their dog, Abby, and cat, Kitty.  They welcomed their first child, Anthony Michael Morocco, in August 2023.

Justin LeDonne

Defensive Backs Coach

Coach Justin LeDonne has been the defensive backs coach under his twin brother, Head Coach Jon LeDonne, since 2022. 

A native of Aliquippa, Coach LeDonne began playing football at a young age and was an outside linebacker (OLB) for the 2000 WPIAL 2A Football Champions at Aliquippa High School, where he graduated in 2001.

Coach LeDonne played four seasons at Washington & Jefferson College under head coach Mike Sirianni, performing a number of duties for the Presidents.  The 2004 Presidents (12 Wins, 1 Loss) lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor in the NCAA quarterfinals.  Coach LeDonne was named to the President's Athletic Conference (PAC) All-Conference Team for 2004.  He studied Business Administration and minored in Accounting, receiving a bachelor's degree in 2005.

Coach LeDonne’s first year coaching high school athletics is when he was hired as the Rams defensive backs coach in 2022, where he helped lead the team (13 Wins, 3 Losses) to a 2022 PIAA 5A Football Championship.

Coach LeDonne has worked as a sales representative for Medtronic, a medical device company, since May 2018.  He resides in Beaver with his dog, Tucker.

Jermaine Wynn

Assistant Coach

Brian Kantz

Assistant Coach

Brian Kantz has been an eighth grade science teacher at Pine-Richland Middle School since 1999.  He has served as an assistant for Coach LeDonne since 2022.  Previously, for Pine-Richland, he served as a varsity assistant coach and a ninth grade head coach from 2005-2009.  He also served as a varsity assistant coach for North Allegheny, Norwin, and Derry Area. 

Coach Kantz lives in North Huntingdon with his wife, Shawna, and their three children: Dylan, Austin and Dominic.

Justin Aversa

JV Assistant Coach

Bob O’Neill, Ed. D.

Offensive Line Coach

Coach Bob O'Neill has been at Pine-Richland since 2023.  He also works with the JV-B team.  Prior to PR, he coached freshman football at Pittsburgh Central Catholic since 2011.  He has worked as the receivers, defensive line, running backs, linebackers, special teams, and defensive coordinator before taking over as HC.  Prior to that, Bob coached for Seneca Valley 5-8 grade for eight years.  He started his coaching as an assistant coach at Duquesne U.  He played high school at Seton LaSalle under Gregg Gattuso.

He has a BS from Duquesne University, MS from Geneva College, and a Doctorate from Point Park. 

Bob currently resides in Adams Twp. (Butler County) with his wife, Kathie.  He has been in law enforcement since 1999, and has been the Chief of the City of Butler Police since 2019.

Jordan Popinski

Assistant Special Teams Coordinator/Linebacker Coach

Coach Popinski has been with the Rams football program since 2022 as Assistant Special Teams Coordinator.  He served in the same capacity with Coach LeDonne at Penn Hills and Shaler Area.  Coach Popisnki has been coaching since 2009, earning two WPIAL and State Championships with Coach LeDonne.

Coach Popinski grew up in Shaler Area, where played linebacker and tight end.  He continued playing football at Mercyhurst University.

Coach Popisnki works at the Butler County Prison as a Captain.  Coach Popinski resides in Etna with his wife, Rebecca, and son, James Daniel (JD).

Andy Dunlap

Special Teams Coach/Kicking Coach

Coach Dunlap is a 1996 graduate from Blairsville High School, and he has been on staff at Pine-Richland since 2022.  He played football at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, under head coach Larry Kehres.  During his 4 seasons at Mount Union, he won 3 National Championships (1996, 1997, 1998).

Coach Dunlap works at Abiomed and lives in Gibsonia with his wife, Alenna, and his two daughters, Ella and Amira, who are students within the PR school district.

Mark Wilk

Offensive Line Coach

Coach Marc Wilk has coached under Coach Jon LeDonne since 2019.  He has assisted with Offensive Line and Film Operations at both Penn Hills and Pine-Richland.  He was part of the staff that helped the Rams win the 2022 WPIAL and PIAA State Championship. 

Marc played OL/DL at Penn Cambria High School.  While attending college, he assisted in coaching youth football in his hometown.  Marc is a 2015 graduate from the University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.  He is currently a Test Engineer at MSA.

He resides in Verona with his wife, Colby, and their daughters, Ila and Lottie.

Jeff DeSantes

Defensive Line Coach

Jeff DeSantes graduated from Burrell High School, where he started as a sophomore at outside linebacker and fullback.  He continued his football career at Geneva College when they competed as an NAIA school.  As a student athlete, Jeff played inside linebacker and was a four-year starter.  He was elected team captain his senior year and led the team in tackles his senior year and was named first team All-Conference.  The Pittsburgh Press also selected him for the All-District Team for small colleges in the area.  He also received NAIA All-American Honorable mention.

Jeff is ranked 6^th overall for tackles for a career in Geneva History.  He also holds the record for interceptions for a single game for linebackers with (3).  He also is second in Geneva History for tackles for a single game with (26).  After playing collegiately he had free agent tryouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Jersey Generals of the USFL.

Jeff has experience coaching at the college and high school levels.  He coached at Geneva College when  the Golden Tornadoes went to the Final Four of the NAIA playoffs.  Jeff has experience coaching: defensive line, inside and outside linebackers, and running backs.  He has served as an assistant defensive line coach for the Rams since 2022.  Jeff is also a certified strength and conditioning coach.

Jeff resides in Mars with his spouse, Julia DeSantes, and has four adult children (Jessalyn, Alexa, Rachel and Jeffery Jr.), and one granddaughter (Alaska). 

Vince Williams

Linebacker Coach

Coach Williams has been on Coach LeDonne’s staff at Pine-Richland since 2022.  Coach Williams is a former All-American football linebacker.  He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft, after his college career at Florida State.  He played his entire eight-year NFL professional career with the Steelers. 

Coach Williams currently resides in Pine Township with his wife, Javania, and their four sons (Cameron, Caiden, Chase, and Chance).

Ken Barrett

JV-B Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker Coach

Coach Ken Barrett brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the game, with exceptional dedication to the team.

Currently serving as Defensive Assistant and Defensive Coordinator for the Freshman and JV squads, Coach Barrett is instrumental in molding the next generation of football players.  Coach Barrett’s journey in football began at Geneva, an NAIA school in Weston, Pennsylvania, where he not only played but also served as a team captain for two consecutive years.  His versatility as an outside linebacker and special teams player showcased his commitment to the sport.

Not stopping there, Coach Barrett took his football skills to the semi professional arena, representing Connecticut’s semi pro team Bridgeport Knights as both a running back and linebacker.

Off the field, Coach Barrett is an academic achiever, holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Geneva College.  His thirst for knowledge extends to the realm of cybersecurity, earning him the prestigious Security+ certification.

His commitment to character and leadership has been recognized with the Eddie Hartman Christian Character Award and the esteemed BSA Eagle Scout Award.

Beyond football, Coach Barrett is a dynamic professional, currently serving as the CEO of Flint Tech Solutions in Wexford.

Giving back to the community is at the core of Coach Barrett’s values.  He volunteers as a Troopmaster for Trail Life, USA, supports Tiger Paws Youth Programs and other youth sports programs.

Coach Ken Barrett embodies the spirit of excellence, leadership, and dedication, making him an invaluable asset to Pine Richland football program.  His impact on the players reaches far beyond the gridiron, shaping them into men of character.

Coach Ken is married to is his wife, Faith, whom he met at Geneva College, has seven children, serves his local church and lives in the Pine-Richland School District.

Dave DeChellis

Defensive Backs Coach

Coach DeChellis has been on Coach LeDonne’s staff at Pine-Richland since 2022.  Coach DeChellis grew up in western Pennsylvania, where he attended Blackhawk High School.  He was a multi-sport athlete, playing tailback and safety.  He then went on to start as a defensive back for the NAIA Division II Geneva College football team.  While at Geneva, he was awarded the Gene Sullivan award in his senior year and graduated valedictorian.  Following his career at Geneva College, he entered into medical school and currently has a medical practice at multiple locations throughout the greater Pittsburgh area.

Coach DeChellis and his wife, Ashley, currently reside in Pine Township with their four children (Luca, Stella, Nina, and Santino).

Jason Hamilton

Assistant Strength Coach

Jason Hamilton is an assistant strength coach with expertise in powerlifting, general population training, and football-specific conditioning, holding certifications from CCPS and Westside Barbell.  Mentored by world record holder Ryan Celli and renowned private sector NFL strength coach Joe DeFranco, Jason's approach combines innovative techniques with proven methods for optimal performance.

Growing up in Shaler, Jason attended North Catholic High School his freshman year before transferring to Cherry Hill High School West in New Jersey, where he participated in football and wrestling.  He was a three-year two-way starter, earned first-team all-conference honors and was a co-captain for two years.  Despite being recognized as the best "little lineman in the State" at Penn State football camp, Jason chose to pursue his passion for music over football, attending the Berklee College of Music.  By the age of 23, Jason transitioned from the music industry to the tech sector, where he has made strides, serving as CIO of a UPMC start-up company, Director of the Americas for Nokia, and various supply chain consultant roles.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Jason was a nationally ranked whitewater kayaker, competing in freestyle and downriver events for more than 20 years.

Jason is currently an IT Supply Chain Director for Yahoo Inc. and president of Waterfall Properties.  He resides in Wexford with his son, Maxwell.  Outside of strength coaching, he remains active in music, collaborating with members of Lady Gaga’s band and volunteering his time teaching local CAPA students.

Virgil Palumbo 

Volunteer Coach

Chris Siegle

Passing Game Coordinator/QB Coach

Coach Siegle has been on the Pine-Richland staff since 2024 as the quarterback coach and pass game coordinator.

Most recently, Coach Siegle was the defensive coordinator at Plum.  Before that, he was the head coach at Seton LaSalle and his alma mater, Shaler Area High School.  Between Seton LaSalle and Shaler Area, Coach Siegle spent time at Duquesne University.  A former quarterback for the Dukes in 2001,  he served as an assistant coach for Duquesne, coaching the tight ends and the wide receivers. Coach Siegle has coached at West Virginia Tech, Milford Academy, Florida International and Hampton University.

A third team all-state pick at Shaler Area, Siegle attended prep school at Milford before beginning his playing career at the University of Cincinnati.  He transferred to Duquesne and saw action in six games before finishing his career at West Virginia Tech, where he was a second team all-conference pick as a senior.

Following a two-year stint in the American Indoor Football Association, Coach Siegle embarked on his coaching career at West Virginia Tech before returning to Milford as offensive coordinator.  In two years at the New Berlin, N.Y., school, Siegle helped the Falcons to a 17-6 record.  Among his pupils were future Pitt and Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and University of Miami running back Graig Cooper, who was signed as an NFL undrafted free agent by the Eagles in 2011.

Coach Siegle moved on to Florida International, where we worked for two years as a defensive graduate assistant on Mario Cristobal's staff.

He was the quarterbacks coach in his two years at Hampton University before leaving the college ranks before to the 2012 season.  While at Hampton, Siegle worked with second team all-MEAC quarterback Herbert Bynes, who threw for a school record 2,713 yards in 2008, and Syracuse transfer David Legree, who went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts.

Siegle, who earned his undergraduate degree in liberal arts from West Virginia Tech in 2008, is married to the former Katie Dugan.  The Siegles have three children: Trey, Sloane and Tripp. The family resides in Gibsonia.

Robert Thompson

Head Middle School Coach

Coach Thompson lives in the district with his wife, Tina, and sons, Blake and Jack.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Social Studies from Edinboro University (1997) and his Masters in Social Studies from the University of Pittsburgh (2000).  Rob has served as a  Social Studies teacher at Pine-Richland Middle School since 1998. Coach Thompson has been the middle school football head coach & defensive coordinator since 2022, has served as assistant 9th grade coach and defensive coordinator for 5 prior years at PR as well as assistant varsity defensive line & special teams coach, conditioning coach, JV head coach, and defensive coordinator for 13 additional years at PR.

Coach Thompson played college football at Edinboro University 1993-1995 and high school football at North Allegheny (1992 graduate).

Ryan Stulak

Middle School Assistant Coach

Coach Stulak graduated from Norwin High School in 1993, where he played 4 years of football and basketball.  Upon graduating, he continued to play football at Duquesne University, where he graduated in 1997 with a degree in Business Administration.  Coach Stulak has coached the middle school team since 2021 and served as the offensive coordinator since 2022.  His duties also include coaching quarterbacks, wide receivers, and defensive backs.  Prior to coaching the middle school team, he coached in the Pine-Richland Youth Football organization for 5 years.

Coach Stulak has had a variety of sales positions in the tech industry for the past 25 years.  He resides in Pine Township with his wife, Michele, and their three sons: Ethan, Grayson and Gabriel.

Jon Douglas

Assistant Middle School Coach

Coach Douglas has been a Middle School Assistant Coach since 2023, focusing on the offensive and defensive lines.  He comes from Beaver County and attended Center Area High School.  He played football at Center from 1990-1994.  After high school, Coach Douglas attended Gannon University, where he played football as a defensive tackle.  He obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Coach Douglas has been a Division Manager with VOCE since 2008.  Coach Douglas has been in a coaching role since 2011, which included roles from being an assistant to being a head coach at the youth level. 

Coach Douglas currently resides in the Shaler Area with his wife, Bethany, three children (Logan, Riley and Jayden) and 2 dogs (Kiah and Mila).

Aaron Jaynes

Assistant Middle School Coach

Aaron Jaynes graduated from Etowah High School in 1998, where he lettered in football, swimming, and track.  Coach Aaron went on to coach youth football (2008-2009) and was an assistant coach at Grady High School in Atlanta (2011-2012).  Coach Aaron has been an assistant coach with the middle school program since 2022.

Aaron graduated with a Master of Science from Kennesaw State University and currently works as a Cyber Security Engineer with Guidepoint Security.

Aaron resides in Pine Township with his wife, Rebecca, and two children, Grayson and Sydney, who attend Richland Elementary.

Aaron Albert

Special Teams Coordinator

Coach Aaron Albert has coached at PR under the leadership of Coach Jon LeDonne since 2024.   Aaron dedicated the last 7 seasons to Kiski Area High School as the RB/OLB coach.  Before that, Aaron held the same position at Highlands High School.  His father, Sam Albert, has been a great source of knowledge and inspiration for Aaron, having coached for 35+ years in the WPIAL.

Aaron attended IUP, where he was a baseball standout, breaking several IUP all-time single season records, including hits, doubles, batting average, and games played, while also leading the PSAC in hitting (2006).  After IUP, he served as head baseball coach at Beaver Area and Kiski Area high schools and now coaches baseball at Hampton High School.  In addition to his PR summer football duties, Aaron is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Spikes 16U baseball team.  When he isn’t coaching, Aaron is helping buyers and sellers around the greater Pittsburgh area as a real estate agent with Compass.

Jonah Miller

Volunteer Coach

Nate Hartung

Volunteer Coach

Greg Perry

Volunteer Coach

Mike Guffey

Volunteer Coach