WPIAL: Suspend coach or miss playoffs

using a former player to practice with the team before the game.

“As a league, we can’t suspend him, but we have informed Penn Hills that they will be denied entry to the playoffs if they don’t suspend him,” said Tim O’Malley, executive director of the WPIAL. “Their program will also be on probation for one year, they will lose a [preseason] scrimmage and also have to develop a plan for the future so this doesn’t happen again.”

Penn Hills lost to North Hills, 59-58, Feb. 25 at Plum. After the game, O’Malley said Derose was upset about the officiating and verbally abused Hampton athletic director Bill Cardone, who was the site manager for the game. The players also damaged the locker room, and Penn Hills will have to pay for repairs. In addition, Derose used expletives to criticize the officials to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

On top of that, Derose brought in a former player the week of the North Hills game to practice with Penn Hills in order to get ready for standout North Hills guard Nick Smith.

The PIAA adopted a rule in 2008 that bars teams from using players outside the team to practice. The main reason for the rule is liability. The PIAA established the rule after Dunmore used a junior-college quarterback to emulate Jeannette star Terrelle Pryor the week of the 2007 PIAA championship between Dunmore and Jeannette.

“What we cited as a board were three examples of [Derose] violating a code of conduct that coaches are held to,” said O’Malley. “The fourth issue was using the player to practice. But to Penn Hills’ credit, they selfreported that issue.”

Derose has been the coach at Penn Hills for two seasons.