Mt. Lebanon recognizes beloved basketball coach
Dick Black with Dale Cable, Bob Bennett and Larry Lebowitz
Dick Black with his wife, Betty, and their three sons: David, Doug and Deron.
On a day celebrating all things Mt. Lebanon sports, the Blue Devils recognized one of their finest. At a morning ceremony on Nov. 25, the school district honored Richard “Dick” Black for his contributions. From 1961-1997, he served as a math teacher and the varsity boys’ basketball coach.
“He was a tremendous coach and teacher but a better person. Highly principled and strong in integrity” said Bob Bennett, who played on Black’s first and only WPIAL championship club.
During a basketball coaching career that spanned 37 years from 1961-1997, Dick Black accumulated these numbers and achievements at Mt. Lebanon High School
- 622 wins, 251 losses
- 18 section titles
- 1961 WPIAL championship
- 4 WPIAL finals
- 2 PIAA Final Fours
- 33 winning seasons
- 2 WPIAL Coach of the Year Honors
- 1968 Pennsylvania Coach of the Year recognition
- 0 technical fouls
- 4-time President of Pennsylvania Basketball Coaches Association
- Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame inductee, 1992
- Beaver County & Midland Sports Halls of Fame
- Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame
Bennett was just a junior then in Black’s inaugural season as coach. Bennett went on to play for Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. Though miles removed from Mt. Lebanon, the California resident has never forgotten the lessons his mentor taught him.
“After my father, Coach Black was the most influential male in my life,” Bennett said during the evening’s Hall of Champions Celebration.
Noting he was a teacher first, Bennett added that Black always stressed the fundamentals, never singled out players for criticism and remained a steady influence during chaotic moments on the court.
“Zero technical fouls,” Bennett said, noting Black’s most impressive statistic.
Bennett added, “In games, he let us play. He didn’t scream at people and in practices, he instructed us always in a positive manner so that we gained confidence.”
Mike Miller certainly gained confidence under Black’s guidance. The 1974 graduate held the scoring and rebounding records at Mt. Lebanon until Tyler Bluemling came along and set the points record in 2001. Dale Cable, Class of ’75, noted that Miller set the standards back when there was no 3-point line and freshmen didn’t play varsity then, resulting in three years of action.
Yet Miller had the audacity to take a shot against future pro legend Moses Malone during the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. “He blocked it,” said Miller, who played at George Washington University. “It went all the way back to half-court.”
“You should have driven on him,” Cable said.
“I thought about it,” Miller quipped. “But (Malone) was better than me.”
While he surpassed him, Bluemling would never say he was better than anybody. Attending both ceremonies, he said that it was great to see and meet guys from the ’60s and ’70s together with those from the ’90s and today.
“Seeing the different years coming together is a tribute to Coach Black,” Bluemling said. “He is the link that keeps the guys together. What they did for Coach Black was awesome and well deserved.”
Sloane Astorino thought so, too. The director of advancement for Mt. Lebanon’s Century of Excellence Campaign said the school wanted to honor Black for his service and dedication in much the same fashion it paid homage to deceased wrestling coach George Lamprinakos.
During the ceremony, Black received a plaque, which will be displayed in a “place of honor” outside the gymnasium. Astorino added that plans are to eventually “establish” a scholarship in Black’s name.
“Dick Black is such a worthy person,” she added. “Such a gentleman and great individual that we were really pleased to honor him.”
The honor was all Black’s. He loved his years at Mt. Lebanon, seasons that produced 622 victories, 18 section titles, four trips to the WPIAL finals, two visits to the PIAA Final Four and multiple inductions into prestigious Halls of Fame.
But there is no place like home for Black, his wife, Betty, their three sons, David, Doug and Deron, and seven grandchildren.
“(Mt. Lebanon) was the best place in the world to teach and coach. And it still is,” he said.