Family support key for Straub throughout coaching career
900-237.
Those numbers represent the current win-loss record of Elk County Catholic High School Crusader basketball head coach Aaron Straub following the team’s 46-44 2OT victory over the Ridgway Elkers on Friday night.
It is an incredible accomplishment for a coaching career that dates back to the 1982-1983 season. According to information announced at ECC after the conclusion of Friday’s game, Straub is the fifth coach in Pennsylvania basketball history to reach the 900-victory milestone.
In addition to now achieving 900 wins as head coach of the boys’ team, Straub hit the 900 career wins milestone last season in a game against Otto-Eldred. His career victories include 27 as head coach of the girls’ team between the 1980-1981 and 1981-1982 seasons.
In a career that has spanned several decades, one of the constants for Straub has been the support of his family, especially his wife, Joanne, who has been by his side since the beginning of his coaching career.
“I can’t do it without their support,” Straub said of his family. “When you think about it, I’ve sort of run the gamut from when I started out. I found out that I got the head coaching job in 1982 on the day that I got married, so there’s sort of a tie there. That morning, we had contract signings and I was offered the job that morning. I got married that night, and certainly, Joanne has been with me every step of the way, and without her support, I certainly could not have done it.”
Aaron and Joanne are the parents of three children: AJ, Doug, and Allison. All three attended ECC, with AJ and Doug both playing for the Crusaders and contributing to a number of the victories in their father’s career win-loss total.
“To have an opportunity for my three kids to go here, and to have an opportunity for them to all play basketball and to coach my two boys and then to watch my two boys go on to have really successful college basketball careers – there have been a lot of different phases to the last 40 years,” Straub said. “I feel blessed to coach here at the school, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many outstanding players and so many outstanding fellow coaches.”
As for the 900-win milestone, Straub deflected the credit to the Crusader basketball program in general.
“It’s not a magic show. The bottom line is we have a great grade school program, and that’s the formula. We have great coaches starting at the third grade level, and we get outstanding players that know how to play. That’s the key,” Straub said.
A number of the players who have come up through the program have later returned as assistant coaches, including both of Straub’s sons. Doug is currently still an assistant coach for the varsity team.
“That’s fun to watch them (former players) coach and give back to the program,” Straub said.
Looking to the future, the announcement made at ECC on Friday night following Straub’s latest milestone indicated that he has been averaging 22.5 wins per year as head coach of the Crusaders, so future milestones are not far off.
Another generation of Straubs is also waiting in the wings to make their own mark on the Crusader basketball program. Aaron and Joanne currently have six grandchildren. Their son AJ and his wife Lindsey are parents to sons Easton and Kendall and daughter Skylar, and Doug and his wife Michelle are parents to oldest daughter Gia, son Grayson, and youngest daughter Remi. Both of Straub’s sons, and daughter Allison Filippini and her husband John, were in attendance at Friday’s game to witness his latest coaching milestone.
Aaron is the son of Vic and Dot Straub of St. Marys.