Upper St. Clair hires Suzie McConnell-Serio
Assistant assumes girls head coaching position
July is a milestone month for Suzie McConnell-Serio of Upper St. Clair. The two-time Olympian celebrates her birthday on the 29th. During that time frame, she’ll also become a grandmother as her oldest daughter, Jordan, is expecting a baby.
“We don’t know whether it’s a boy or girl but I think that’s good because I think it’s a great moment when the baby is born and you find out then,” McConnell-Serio said. “I’m excited for them to have that.”
McConnell and her husband, Pete, are thrilled, too, to become “babysitters” but they vow to continue pursuing their passions. Now fully retired, Pete spends time on the links. He is an avid golfer.
McConnell, meanwhile, is rabid about basketball and she has moved into the position her husband has held for the past 11 seasons. She has been hired as the head coach of the Upper St. Clair girls basketball team.
“I will have time to coach,” McConnell-Serio assured. “I’m not doing anything else. We’ll help take care of the grandchildren as my parents did for me with my kids.”
In addition to Jordan, the Serios reared three other children, Peter, Mandi and Madison.
“The bottom line,” she added of moving from assistant to head coach, “is I am passionate about the game. Basketball is a very big part of my life.”
The daughter of Tom and the late-Suzanne McConell was weaned on hoops. She played at Our Lady of Loreto Elementary School in Brookline with her sister, Kathy, before both went on to help Seton LaSalle win a district title and PIAA state championship in 1984. That squad was recently inducted into the WPIAL’s Hall of Fame.
“Being from western Pennsylvania, there is so much emphasis on winning WPIAL championships. There is nothing better than winning a WPIAL title in high school sports so being an inductee was exciting,” said McConnell-Serio, who also is an individual WPIAL HOF honoree.
“To get to go to Hershey and then compete for a state championship and win is something special, too,” she added.
Because McConnell-Serio had a special relationship with her brothers, Tom and Tim, she blossomed into a renowned collegiate player, an Olympian and a WNBA Hall of Fame honoree. Tom went on to become an elite college coach while Tim led SLS to a WPIAL runner-up title and Waynesburg University to a 27-2 record and an appearance in the NAIA Tournament while setting records for assists before racking up 662 coaching wins at the scholastic level complete with nine WPIAL titles.
While at Penn State, McConnell-Serio set NCAA Division I records for career assists, assists in a season and season assist average. She was the first Nittany Lion lady to garner first-team All-America honors. Then she went on to win a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, Korea and a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics while representing the United States.
McConnell-Serio played professionally for the Cleveland Rockers, earning WNBA Newcomer of the Year laurels and All-WNBA recognition.
She has coached professionally in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx and collegiately at Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh. She also was the girls basketball coach at Oakland Catholic High School. In 13 seasons, she racked up 321 victories complete with five WPIAL titles, three PIAA banners and five state championship appearances.
McConnell-Serio said that she will “draw” from all her experiences as she transitions from her position as her husband’s assistant to the head coaching slot at USC.
“Obviously there are quite a lot of experiences,” she said. “Being able to help young players become the players they want to be is the main objective.
“I want to help these players, these young ladies in their teenage years that are so impressionable, figure out what they want to do next. I want to help them get to where they want to go.”
While she admits to being far removed from her scholastic playing days, McConnell-Serio recalls one of her fondest high school memories occurred when the gold medal was hung around her neck after the Lady Rebels edged Strath Haven, 55-53, in overtime during the 1984 PIAA Class 4A final at the Hersheypark Arena.
“So long ago,” she mused. “Each championship is different and each is special. I know I have talked to Pete about this but putting that medal around the players’ necks and to see their smiles and share in that joy with them. In that moment, it is so rewarding as a coach,” McConnell-Serio said.
“Knowing you helped players accomplish that is a tremendous feeling and very fulfilling as a coach, but it’s up to the players to go out and win.”
The Lady Panthers and McConnell-Serio have work to do to attain the heights the former coach reached.
Pete Serio was 152-105 with nine of his 11 teams reaching the WPIAL playoffs. The Lady Panthers participated in four WPIAL finals. USC won the Class 6A title this winter and finished runner-up in the state after falling to Perkiomen Valley in the PIAA championship game.
USC graduated seven seniors, including Kent State recruit Rylee Kalacoy, from last year’s 23-7 club.
“My husband always said never follow a winner and I am doing exactly that,” McConnell-Serio said. “The biggest hurdle is maintaining that level of expectation and success after losing all those players. The question is who is going to step up and maintain that level.”
Continuity concerned McConnell-Serio. That was part of the reason why she decided to stick around after her husband announced his retirement. For the future of the program and for the players that remain, she returned to the bench.
“Having been a part of the program at USC, I enjoyed seeing its growth and watching Pete bring success. I’d like to continue that,” she said.
“I always assumed when he was done, I was done, too, but I didn’t want to walk away from the players still in the program,” she continued.
“USC is a great place. I enjoy working with the administration and the athletic director. Everything,” she added. “It’s a great opportunity to work with fantastic people. I am looking forward to it.”
McConnell-Serio is well aware of the extra duties she is now assuming. The post-game speeches, the pep talks, ordering gear, dealing with parents, giving interviews are all included in the routine of preparing for daily practices and games.
“All those years on the bench with Pete, I didn’t have to worry about all that. I truly enjoy the aspect of being able to coach. That’s what I enjoy most about high school,” she said.
McConnell relishes being the best, too. With her as USC’s mentor at the head of the bench, there will be lofty goals and objectives.
“In anything I have done and anywhere I have ever coached, I have had high expectations,” she stressed. “At USC, we want to win, be successful and compete for championships. That’s been the goal every season and that will continue,” she assured.
McConnell-Serio is already cementing the culture her husband has cultivated at USC. Currently, she is directing summer basketball camps for youth and teenage players. She noted that 90 percent of the attendees are from the community and that camaraderie instills success.
“These kids grow up together, start playing together at a young age and continue playing travel ball together. They build chemistry and I’m getting to work with these players and know who is coming through the program. That’s really important.”
Hiring a staff to assist her is vital, too. One of her assistants she assured, however, will not be her husband.
“Unless he misses it in the winter or he can’t golf anymore,” McConnell-Serio said with a hearty laugh. “He retired from teaching a few years ago and he’s retired from coaching now.”