Into the Hall: Rich Bierbower
Rich Bierbower impressively was a varsity starter as an underclassmen in both baseball and football at South Union High School but it was his career as a coach and teacher in the Uniontown school district that is his claim to fame.
Bierbower was a head coach and assistant coach in football for Uniontown, and a head coach in basketball for Lafayette Junior High School and an assistant for Uniontown, most notably under Dave Shuck when the Red Raiders won the 2002 WPIAL championship and played in the PIAA final for the second time in three years.
Bierbower无毛视频檚 resume was enough to earn him a spot in the Fayette County 无毛视频 Hall of Fame Class of 2026. It will be the second induction for Bierbower who was enshrined last year as part of that 2002 Uniontown boys basketball team.
无毛视频淚 was very pleased and honored,无毛视频� Bierbower said of his reaction to his impending induction on Hall of Fame co-founder George Von Benko无毛视频檚 无毛视频 Line Talk Show on WMBS Radio recently. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 looking forward to it. Since then people have been very nice in congratulating me.无毛视频�
Bierbower, who recently turned 80, has drawn accolades from his former players in the past.
Darrin McLee, a 1984 Uniontown graduate, recalled playing for Lafayette in junior high.
无毛视频淢y coach was Mr. Bierbower and we went undefeated,无毛视频� McLee said in a 2024 interview. 无毛视频淲e didn无毛视频檛 lose a game and I ended up getting the Robert Fee Award. Lafayette was a big part of my life.无毛视频�
Terrance Vaughns, the leader of the 2002 Red Raiders squad, gave much credit to Bierbower for the team无毛视频檚 success.
无毛视频淭here was no lack of toughness to Mr. Bierbower,无毛视频� Vaughns said last year. 无毛视频淗e would challenge you. I can still hear his voice ringing in my head right now, 无毛视频楤ounce pass Mr. Vaughns.无毛视频� Always very respectful, always coaching and teaching. He was just equally a part of that run of four years.无毛视频�
Bierbower is a 1964 South Union graduate and made an impact in athletics there, earning letters in baseball, football and basketball.
无毛视频淚n ninth grade I was chosen to be a starting pitcher on the varsity team, Coach Okey Ryan, and Jerry Meadows was a sophomore,无毛视频� Bierbower said. 无毛视频淲e continued up through and had quite a bit of success.
无毛视频淢y sophomore year I started at quarterback on the football team and thoroughly enjoyed it, Coach John Pringle.无毛视频�
Bierbower also played basketball under Marty Fagler. 无毛视频淣ot as well, but I played,无毛视频� Bierbower said.
Bierbower is one of two of the Class of 2026 who were mainly assistant coaches in high school, the other being Ron Fudala, who he gave credit to among coaches he learned from.
无毛视频淢r. Fudala, I had him in class at South Union High School,无毛视频� Bierbower recalled. 无毛视频淐oaching, football he did and basketball mainly. He was one.无毛视频�
Bierbower noted the slew of talent in the area as he was going through high school.
无毛视频淎t South Union, Rich Novak and Tom Rae were ahead of me. I looked up to them. They were quite a duo of athletes,无毛视频� Bierbower said of the two, who both went on to play football at Maryland. 无毛视频淔red Mazurek, I remember him quite well out at Redstone. We were blessed.无毛视频�
Bierbower went on to graduate from college at then California State, but did not pursue participating in athletics after high school.
无毛视频淚 did not play sports in college because I had gotten married and I was needed at home,无毛视频� Bierbower explained. 无毛视频淚 went to California State and I got my degree teaching English. In 1968 I started teaching at Lafayette Junior High underneath Bill Barron who was quite an individual also.无毛视频�
Bierbower had an eye on keeping himself involved in sports after college which was one reason he went into education.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 something I wanted to do because I wanted to get into coaching,无毛视频� said Bierbower, who went on to be an educator at Uniontown for 31 years.
Bierbower was a head coach for Uniontown football and also served as an assistant to Joe Yourchik, Jim Render and Larry Bielat. He also lauded Uniontown basketball coach Abe Everhart while the two were at Uniontown as a humble man and, 无毛视频渏ust a great individual.无毛视频�
Bierbower, with Shuck, and Fudala, with Laurel Highlands boys basketball coach Harold 无毛视频淗orse无毛视频� Taylor, will become the first coaching tandems to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
无毛视频淚 was blessed with all the coaches, starting with Joe Yourchik, just a great individual,无毛视频� Bierbower said. 无毛视频淏asketball-wise, Dave Shuck, he thought of everyone else but himself and it showed.无毛视频�
Bierbower was on the coaching staff for some outstanding Red Raiders basketball teams but deflected credit to the players.
无毛视频淭hey made me look like a good coach,无毛视频� Bierbower said. 无毛视频淭hey were quite good and we had them every year it seemed like.无毛视频�
Bierbower, now retired, takes joy in seeing former players.
无毛视频淚t makes my day when I run into them and see them,无毛视频� Bierbower said. 无毛视频淚 am blessed. It无毛视频檚 gone too quickly.无毛视频�
To purchase tickets for the Fayette County 无毛视频 Hall of Fame luncheon/social or to register for the annual golf outing, both of which will take place on June 19 at Pleasant Valley Golf Club, contact Katie Propes by phone (724-460-9231) or email (katie.propes@bldr.com).