Countdown to Kickoff: 17 schools welcome new football coaches this season

They are new faces in new places supplying new hopes and golden dreams.

Some are rookie head coaches replacing experienced coaches while some are veteran coaches starting over at new venues.

Some schools have a new football coach for the first time in decades while others continue to play roulette with their head coaching position.

This offseason was not as busy as the year before when there were 26 head coaching changes. This year, there are only 17 new head football coaches hired in the WPIAL and one in the City League.

One of the headline coaching changes was at the reigning WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A champion, Aliquippa.

Mike Warfield has taken a hiatus from coaching; for how long remains to be seen. Taking over the machine is longtime Quips assistant coach Vashawn Patrick.

Here is a rundown of the new coaches and who they replaced.

Aliquippa – Vashawn Patrick replaces Mike Warfield

Allderdice – Mark Matson replaces the late Jerry Haslett

Beaver Falls – Jim Mooney replaces Nick Nardone

Blackhawk – Jake Wickline replaces Patrick Feeley

Brownsville – David Martin III replaces Skooter Roebuck

Chartiers-Houston – Dan Lis replaces Terry Fetsko

East Allegheny – Frank Cortazzo replaces Dom Pecora

Hopewell – Matt Mottes replaces Matt Weiss

McGuffey – Nate Parry replaces Ed Dalton

Mt. Lebanon – Greg Perry replaces Mike Collodi

New Brighton – John Macuga replaces Tony Caltury

Neshannock – Mike Bongivengo replaces Fred Mozzocio

New Castle – Fred Mozzocio replaces Stacy Robinson

Ringgold – Robert Heller replaces Marcus McCullough

Riverside – Rob Magnifico replaces Bill Hand

South Fayette – Marty Spieler replaces Joe Rossi

Springdale – Chad Walsh replaces Ryan Tempalski

Sto-Rox – Brendan Blair replaces Marvin Mills