City AD leaves for Chartiers Valley job

After 14 years as the City League’s athletic director, Mike Gavlik now will run an athletic department at a WPIAL high school.

Gavlik was hired as athletic director at Chartiers Valley. He starts Oct. 14, succeeding Angie Potthoff, who left to become director of operations for the women’s basketball team at Notre Dame.

Gavlik, 43, started working in the athletic office of the Pittsburgh Public Schools in 2003 and was hired as City League athletic director in 2005, succeeding Vern Phillips. As athletic director, Gavlik oversaw sports programs for all six City League high schools and 22 middle schools.

“I’ve loved my time here in the City League,” Gavlik said. “It was just a new opportunity and a new challenge that came up. Chartiers Valley is an attractive school that just built a new middle school and renovated their high school. Their athletic facilities are very good, and they have a history of having good programs.”

Gavlik, his wife, Kelley, and three children live in the North Allegheny School District. Pittsburgh Public Schools now is accepting applications for Gavlik’s position.

When Gavlik took over as City League athletic director, the league had 10 high schools. Now, the City has six.

“I haven’t really reflected that much yet, but there were so many unique opportunities,” Gavlik said. “Obviously, Schenley’s basketball run [to a 2007 PIAA championship) was definitely a highlight. But there were little things, too, like running games at PNC Park, Heinz Field and Petersen Events Center.

“But just the relationships that were built are memorable and to be able to still see some of the athletes we had. I mean, DeJuan Blair [former NBA player from Schenley] and his brother, Greg, were just at University Prep’s football game last weekend. The week before, [Pitt player] Theran Coleman came to a game to watch his brother play at Brashear. Out of nowhere a week ago, [former Steelers quarterback] Josh Dobbs showed up at a football game. He knew one of the coaches at Westinghouse. But that’s one of the great things about the City, you just never know what’s going to happen.”

City League athletics have changed greatly in the past three decades. Student participation in many sports has dropped. Years ago, it used to be that some City League teams were competitive with WPIAL teams in a few sports. Perry won a PIAA football championship in 1989. But besides basketball, the City has mostly struggled to be competitive with WPIAL teams the past decade or two.

There is an opinion among some that the City League should fold and join the WPIAL. Gavlik said currently there is no such talk among the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education. Actually, some City League schools are in the WPIAL now in sports such as boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and tennis. But in the high-profile sports of football and basketball, the City League is not part of the WPIAL, although some City teams play WPIAL schools in non-league games.

Gavlik is neither for nor against the City joining the WPIAL for all sports.

“There have been some teams, like the Allderdice basketball teams recently, that could’ve done really well in the WPIAL,” Gavlik said. “But I think it has to be looked at sport by sport, and school by school.”