Bob Gongloff continues mastery with Bishop Carroll girls

… making a run at state title? 

Bob Gongloff has gone a long way and has been very successful as a high school basketball coach despite not having played the game much as a youngster.

In an interview many years ago, Bob told me that he learned the game when he became the grade school coach for his daughter's basketball team at the former St. Mary's parochial school in Nanty Glo.

Since then, he has led two Bishop Carroll girls teams to state championships -- and two became PIAA class A runners-up.

He won 79 percent of his games from 1991 to 2004, going 333-86.

After becoming a member of the BC Hall of Fame in 2012 and then retiring from his job as a mail carrier, Gongloff decided to return to again lead the Lady Huskies in 2014.

In his first season, the Lady Huskies, after not having a winning season since 2008-09, went 19-7. They followed that with a 24-5 season and another District 6-A title last year, and this season compiled a 21-5 record overall, 11-5 in the Laurel Highlands Conference -- with their second consecutive district championship.

That gives them a shot at another state title. They ran away from Allegheny-Clarion Valley, 73-32, in their first state game, and will face Berlin in a game that has been rescheduled for Thursday night at Altoona Area High School.

Assessment

I have not seen any of Gongloff's games in recent years, but it appears that he is doing the same things that made him successful in his earlier tenure at BC.

He is a disciplinarian who teaches tough, hard-nosed defense. He also preaches teamwork, saying that is what worked so well with his earlier teams.

Throwback to different era

In fact, Gongloff's coaching style is a reflection of a different era. He celebrated his 67th birthday this year, according to published stories, and did that with his 400th win.

However, he is tough with the girls, does not concern himself with hurting their feelings by yelling at them.

In fact, I am not certain what led to his leaving BC the first time, but I had heard through my journalistic grapevine at that time that some parents believed that he was too tough on the girls, yelled at them too much.

And this was shortly after he had won a state championship.

Back when Bob was a youngster, coaches yelled at players. Some even threw them around the locker room at times. They may have put them up against the wall if the player mouthed off or disrespected them.

Gongloff never did those things, but they were acceptable when he was a young man in the 1960s. It was a matter of toughness, I guess.

Times have changed

Today, coaches have to be a little more circumspect, more diplomatic. They must deal with parents and their complaints. In the old days, parents did not even attend games. [My mother saw me play one athletic event in my life -- and I was okay with that. In fact, I was happy with it. I was not playing for my parents, I was playing for fun with my teammates.]

Anyway, what Gongloff is doing today is apparently working at BC.

Did not do well in public school

One of the arguments against Gongloff is that he is doing well only because he is coaching at a private school.

After leaving BC, he coached for three years at Penn Cambria and compiled a 19-52 record (.267).

I will not go further on that except to say that from my coaching experience over almost a quarter century, when I went through four undefeated seasons but also two winless seasons, you need to have talent to win.

Right now, Carroll appears to have some talent. Their five losses came to outstanding LHAC teams, two to Forest Hills, District 6-AAA champs, one to District 6-AA champ Bishop McCort, and two to traditional state power Bishop Guilfoyle.

Is this enough to reach another state title?

We shall see.