Lasting legacy
Bethel Park-bound Humbert reflects on stellar reign at BV
Matt Humbert has had success wherever he无毛视频檚 gone.
At Laurel Highlands he quarterback the Mustangs to only their second WPIAL playoff appearance in 2002 and was part of a winning program at California University of Pa. (now PennWest California), where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 2009 and a Master in Athletic Administration in 2010.
Humbert guided Ringgold football to a 30-13 record over four years in his first head coaching job, including an undefeated regular season in 2010 in his first full season with the Rams, who had a winning record in just two of their previous 10 years.
In 2014 Humbert accepted the football head coaching position at Belle Vernon and became athletic director there in 2016.
His reign with the Leopards has been highly successful in both positions. Belle Vernon had a 98-26 record during his 11 years as coach, including consecutive WPIAL and PIAA championships in 2022 and 2023, and athletics at Belle Vernon have improved significantly all-around during his time there.
Humbert has a new challenge ahead of him now. He has accepted the athletic director position at Bethel Park and will leave Belle Vernon midway through the upcoming fall season. He reflected on his time at Belle Vernon while also looking ahead to being a part of Black Hawk nation.
无毛视频淲hen I think back on it, I just feel such fulfillment,无毛视频� said the 41-year-old Humbert. 无毛视频淲hen you get in a career like this 无毛视频� obviously I associate my football career with my AD career 无毛视频� there are a lot of things that have happened at Belle Vernon that are gratifying, that I take pride in. I look back with such fond memories. I无毛视频檝e had the experience and opportunity to work with a lot of good people. I feel that we, as an athletic department, have left a very positive impact on the district in many different ways.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e always enjoyed my time at Belle Vernon with trying to plus and improve things. We无毛视频檝e done a lot to the Weir/the Beach (James Weir Stadium). We无毛视频檝e done a lot of just other things, press boxes, weight rooms, locker rooms, Leopard Hall was a big initiative that we put in good hands, a full auxiliary gym, a full large-gather film room, and our brand-new gym project that hopefully will be done in two weeks.无毛视频�
Humbert admits to being a bit emotional about leaving.
无毛视频淥ne sad thing I无毛视频檒l miss especially at Belle Vernon is my support staff, my athletic department family, from the people that sell tickets to the people that do our security, our game managers, my front office, my secretary Melissa (Modar), who无毛视频檚 a rock star, to my former secretary Janice (Sandy),无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 going to miss them all because it was just such a good group of people. It was truly like a family. And that无毛视频檚 the goal, to make it like a fraternity, to make it like a family and kind of build that culture.无毛视频�
Location played a role in Humbert无毛视频檚 move. His family, which includes wife Kimberly, 13-year-old daughter Payton and 11-year-old son Nolan, lives in the Thomas Jefferson school district, which is less than 10 miles from Bethel Park High School.
无毛视频淢y kids are very active in athletics and everything so it helps,无毛视频� Humbert admitted. 无毛视频淎t Belle Vernon there无毛视频檚 days where I无毛视频檇 be working 13-14 hours and sometimes I无毛视频檇 try to run home in between, sometimes I would just stay because you无毛视频檙e wasting almost an hour commuting back and forth.
无毛视频淚t will be nice with Bethel and the South Hills where my kids play and they have practices and things of that nature. I无毛视频檓 active in their stuff with my training business that I started. We do girls travel flag football teams. My daughter plays on that. I coach my son无毛视频檚 tackle football team. I think it无毛视频檒l work out for my family as far as being a lot closer to the homestead and I always felt that was a premier institution athletically, academically.无毛视频�
Bethel Park has a larger enrollment than Belle Vernon and is a Class 5A team in football, while the Leopards will be in Class 3A.
无毛视频淭he classification thing didn无毛视频檛 really play into it, though,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淏ethel Park has a considerable amount of sports and a lot of facility upgrades going on. They just put in two new 100-yard turf fields that are auxiliary fields. The athletic department and school district is on the up-and-up with trying to improve and progress things. To be honest, it doesn无毛视频檛 need that much progressing because it无毛视频檚 a very, very nice district as it is right now. But even though they have great facilities, they无毛视频檙e still looking to add and upgrade, so I无毛视频檓 excited about that.无毛视频�
Humbert is a highly regarded athletic director in the PIAA and credited part of his success to some of his former coaches. He played football under Jack Buehner and Scott Knee at Laurel Highlands and Jim Luckhardt at California.
无毛视频淭he lasting thing I took away from Jack is his positivity and energy and passion,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淔rom Scott, it was his attention to detail and the intensity that he brought that wore off on me.
无毛视频淔rom Coach Luck, one thing I took away was the logistical side of everything. He was great when it came to all the backend stuff, the fundraising, the different cultural-based things of getting everyone to row the right way, and administration as well. Luck was very good with the full concept of organizational football.
无毛视频淚t was kind of neat being able to pick apart three guys who were clearly different and take away some of those things and morph it into my leadership style.无毛视频�
Humbert said he wasn无毛视频檛 actively pursuing another job but the Bethel Park position opened up and drew his attention.
无毛视频淭hese jobs don无毛视频檛 come open every two or three years,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e hard to come by sometimes. I know Belle Vernon will be a very coveted job for a lot of people. Then the Bethel job, I thought they had a lot to offer and I felt it was good timing.无毛视频�
Humbert is confident Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 athletic department will have a smooth transition for whoever takes over for him and will remain successful, and commended Modar.
无毛视频淢y secretary has been with me for two years and has such a good, strong ownership and leadership of the athletic department,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 pretty resourceful and self-sufficient.无毛视频�
The highlight of Humbert无毛视频檚 stint at Belle Vernon was the two WPIAL and PIAA titles, an accomplishment he looks back on fondly.
无毛视频淚 feel an immense amount of pride to win at those levels,无毛视频� Humbert said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e been to the stadium with the yellow seats (Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium) four times since I无毛视频檝e been at Belle Vernon and won it twice and won the two states. Those are things that people go a lifetime without getting close to, let alone winning, so I无毛视频檓 very appreciative of that and very gratified by that.
无毛视频淏ut I think the thing that无毛视频檚 truly special is seeing how much it meant to the kids, their families and the community. I think that is probably more of a lasting impact, just taking in the whole collective, from the administration to the student-athletes to the band to the support staff, to everyone involved, and rejoicing in those accomplishments.无毛视频�