Piccinini out as Peters Township football coach
After back-to-back seasons with two wins, Peters Township will have a new head football coach in 2016.
The district to open Rich Piccinini’s job as head varsity football coach, effective immediately. The Indians finished 2-7 this fall, missing the postseason for a second consecutive season while playing with an injury-depleted roster. Based on the PIAA’s enrollment parameters for six classifications, Peters Township is expected to compete in 6A during the next two-year cycle.
Piccinini had an 18-30 record in five seasons at Peters Township and was the first coach in program history to reach the WPIAL playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Though the Indians reached the postseason from 2011-13, they did not win a playoff game.
With standout running back TJ Kpan injured and starting a large group of underclassmen, Peters Township struggled in WPIAL Class AAAA this season. It averaged just 14.6 points per game and the Indians’ two wins came against teams with a combined record of 4-15.
Piccinini was hired to replace Nick Milchovich as the Indians’ head coach in 2011 after several stints throughout the WPIAL. He was the head coach at North Catholic from 2003-05, and worked as an assistant coach at Seneca Valley, Sto-Rox, Keystone Oaks and under Jim Render at Upper St. Clair.
Following the 2013 season, which ended with a first-round playoff loss to McKeesport, Peters Township lost 22 seniors and after going 2-7 in 2014, it lost five starters on offense and defense, including Cory Owen, a highly-recruited quarterback and defensive back.