Longtime girls tennis coach retires as Hempfield gets fall coaching staffs in order

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, May 4, 2020 | 7:42 PM

Hempfield Area School District is looking for a couple fall sports coaches.

The jobs opened when girls tennis coach Jerry Way retired and girls soccer Adam Shaffer resigned.

Hempfield is also looking for a new athletic director after Greg Meisner resigned in April.

Rick Bowen is acting as interim athletic director.

The district recently posted the job in the newspaper and is accepting applications.

The Hempfield School Board must hire all fall coaches because each coach in the district works on a one-year supplemental contract.

Way, who coached the girls the past 18 years, said it was time to step away. The 69-year-old has been the Norwin boys assistant coach the past three seasons.

“I kind of got worn out,” Way said. “I got quadruple-bypass surgery in 2017, and it took something out of me. I got tired easier.”

Hempfield won seven section titles under Way’s tutelage.

“We never really had stars at Hempfield,” Way said. “We had solid teams. I knew when the girls jelled, we’d have a good team.

“I enjoy teaching and developing kids. Who knows? In a couple years, I might want to coach again.”

Way said he’s proud of the players he coached at Hempfield. He also coached the boys for more than 10 years.

“I like the development part of coaching,” Way said. “I got tired of all the PIAA and WPIAL restrictions.”

Shaffer, who teaches at McKeesport, felt the drive to Hempfield was becoming more difficult.

Hempfield also needs to hire coaches in cross country, football, boys soccer, field hockey, girls volleyball and golf.

The status of wrestling coach Tom Dolde is unclear. He coached the Spartans the past two seasons.

Dolde was suspended for two days in February for undisclosed reasons, then reinstated so he could earn his 300th coaching victory. He and assistant coach Mike Kirkling changed places for the individual tournaments.

Dolde did not return a phone call.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield