WPIAL seeks to interrogate Mike Tomlin, Joey Porter about transfers

… sons transferred after Gildon was fired 

The board of directors of the Western Pa. Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) is questioning the transfers of the sons of Steelers coaches Mike Tomlin and Joey Porter from North Catholic High School.

The WPIAL has set a hearing for May 3 when the coaches and others must testify about why their sons -- or relatives --  transferred.

The answer is simple. The only reason that the two players were playing at North Catholic in the first place was because former Steeler Jason Gildon was the coach. Now that Gildon has been fired and a new coach hired, and that coach just happens to be white, the athletes -- who are not Catholic -- transferred to North Allegheny and Shady Side Academy.

In short, if the transfers were for athletic intent, they will not be eligible to play in the league this fall. "The board's No. 1 concern was the timing of the transfers and the new football coach. (The board members) just have some questions that they want to ask the families,” Executive Director Tim O'Malley told the Tribune-Review.

O'Malley went a step further in an interview with the Patriot-News that was released today. "The date that the hiring of the new football coach at North Catholic was announced coincides with the day those transfers were announced," O'Malley said.

There's the rub

So, the reality is that Mike and Joey were angry than their buddy Jason was booted out of his job, so they picked up their kids and left immediately. Those transfers had everything to do with athletic intent.

Porter has a son and nephew who played there last year, Joey, Jr. a sophomore, and his nephew, Amosis, a freshman. Michael Tomlin was a sophomore and transferred to Shady Side Academy, which he had attended previously.

Important to note here is that the "students" did not wait until the semester had ended. They transferred immediately after Gildon was fired.

If the athletes are declared ineligible, they will not be permitted to participate in football next season.

Tomlin had another son, Mason, who was a freshman, but did not play last year. He also transferred to Shady Side and was declared eligible immediately because he did not play at NC.

O'Malley told Jacob Klinger at the Patriot News that "The board of directors decided there wasn't enough evidence to grant them that eligibility, after initially reviewing their transfer paperwork and documents."

Will the WPIAL have testosterone to do the right thing?

The obvious situation here is that these transfers were made for athletic intent. The question is whether the WPIAL, which is usually strong and consistent on these transfers, will have the guts to declare sons of Steeler coaches ineligible.

The WPIAL did not do anything about Porter's disgraceful actions in being removed by police from a game last fall. By this fall, however, the NFL might do the right thing by its personal conduct policy and eliminate him from his coaching job.

I doubt that either will happen, but I have been wrong before on these questions.

North Catholic should learn about this, too

I do not believe that Catholic schools should hired only Catholics to coach there. However, when you go outside, you have to be certain of the character of the person you are hiring.

I am not going to question Gildon's character, but some of the things that happened there in the past two years negatively reflected on him, and that is one of the reasons that he was dismissed.

Certainly, Porter's actions last fall were a tremendous embarrassment to the school, too, and that has left a black mark on them.

So, the whole Steeler mentality is gone, but it has left its imprint on the program.