Aug 19, 2014 3 min read

Guy Montecalvo will step down as athletic director at Canon-McMillan High School effective Aug. 30. Since 2003, Montecalvo served in the position as well as coached the football team for seven seasons. During his tenure, the Big Macs won nine WPIAL team titles and seven state championships.

Montecalvo, 58, served 36 years in public education. Before arriving at Canon-McMillan, he coached football at Washington High School, guiding the Little Prexies to two WPIAL titles and a PIAA championship in 2001.

Family played a key role in his decision to step down. Attending every sporting event left little time at home with his wife, Marie. Montecalvo also became a grandfather recently. Plus, his daughter, Laura, became the new girls’ basketball coach at Chartiers-Houston.

“I had to kind of weigh the financial benefits of retirement with my love of the affiliation with our coaches, our kids and my colleagues,” Montecalvo told the Observer-Reporter. “Life is short and I wanted to be able to enjoy some of the things I enjoy doing in my free time. I do it with reservations because I’m going to certainly miss a lot of aspects of the job and the relationships I’ve built.”

Montecalvo will remain at the school in a volunteer capacity to help ease the transition. He credited his staff, secretary Debbie Kretz, and middle school athletic directors Doug McKenry and Vince Faith, for his success at Canon-Mac.

Montecalvo has always enjoyed success. At Wash High, he was once the all-time leading rusher. He played football at Penn State and served as a graduate assistant coach for the Nittany Lions.

Hired in 1980 as the Wash High football coach, he steered his alma mater for 30 years, culminating in two state titles. With 225 career wins, he ranks second in Washington County history, behind the 265 victories by Jim Garry from Fort Cherry.

Montecalvo also served as track coach at Wash High. He led the boys to WPIAL team titles in 1998 and 2000 and the girls’ to the PIAA championship in 1996.

Though retiring from his AD position, Montecalvo has not ruled out a return to the sidelines as a coach. He has been working with the Big Macs’ football coaching staff, which is headed by Ron Coder, a fellow Penn Stater.

“I would leave the door open to something like that,” Montecalvo said. “I actually had a couple of job opportunities in the spring with football, but I had to turn them down because of obligations. It would have to be the right situation. I can’t imagine sitting around all year and just watching soap operas or game shows on television.”