Frank Sciolla’s coaching resume is a dazzling one.
His Pennsbury basketball squad has won six conference crowns during his 14 years at the helm and is well on its way to winning number seven. The Falcons boast a 54-game winning streak in the Suburban One League dating back to January 28, 2005, when they fell to neighboring Neshaminy (48-44). In addition, they are ranked number one in the state in the most recent Patriot-News of Harrisburg Class AAAA poll and 10th in USA Today’s Eastern Region poll, both firsts in school history.
Pennsbury’s 70-55 win over Council Rock South last Wednesday was win number 250 of a stellar coaching career for Sciolla.
But talk to anyone associated with the Falcons’ coach, and his impressive credentials are the last thing they mention. Sciolla, it seems, is not defined by wins and losses but rather by the difference he makes in the lives of young men.
Kurt Bergmann, a 2000 Pennsbury grad, played for Sciolla and went on to have a successful collegiate career at Randolph-Macon. He is now in his fifth season as an assistant coach at his alma mater.
“From the life perspective, he made me a better man,” he said. “I think that was a bonus playing under him.
“I came back because I wanted to be a part of it on the other side. I wanted to help kids like he helped me. That was one of my great motivations to come back and coach here. I love the game, but being able to be in a program where you’re doing more than just winning and losing was something that really appealed to me. I knew from experience that he provided that, and I think that’s a great tribute to who he is as a coach and as a person.”
Sciolla was honored during a brief ceremony after Wednesday’s historic win. Torrian Jones, a 2000 grad who was part of the 1999 District One finalist squad that lost to Jameer Nelson’s Chester squad, spoke briefly at the ceremony.
“One of the main things I wanted to emphasize is that he teaches you not only how to be a great high school player, but he teaches you the skills that will make you good at every level,” said the former Falcons’ standout. “Obviously, you’ve got to teach players dribbling drills, shooting drills and stuff like that, but he also teaches hard work, effort play – a lot of the intangibles.”
It is those intangibles, according to Jones, that make the difference.
“Even some of the simple things – he always teaches if you’re not 15 minutes early to practice or to anything, then you’re late,” Jones said. “It’s a professional mentality that he teaches at an early age, and when you carry it over to the next level, you realize how many other high school programs don’t teach that. You get praised for that.”
Jones was named captain of his team at Notre Dame University. He attributes that to the intangibles Sciolla taught.
“Something as simple as that made me captain of my team,” he said. “It helped me gain the respect of my teammates and coaches at every level, whether I was the best player on the team or just a role player.”
Dave Moyer, another former player from the class of 2000, is now part of the WBCB radio team that broadcasts all of Pennsbury’s games.
“I have been to college practices, I’ve coached at North Penn, and I’ve seen a lot of other high school practices and what they do,” he said. “From the weight lifting to the scouting to the seven guys on the bench keeping stats, it’s just a tremendous program that he’s built.”
Moyer admits that Sciolla’s impact on his own life was profound.
“I wasn’t the most model citizen off the court,” he said. “He was the guy, just like my parents – when you were wrong, he let you know.
“That’s something you don’t appreciate at that point, but when you look back, you think about how awesome it was. He’s got more relationships with his players, and after it’s all said and done, it’s all about the relationship he formed with you.”
It’s those relationships, according to Moyer, that draw his former players back.
“To get guys you’ve coached to come back and respect their opinion as coaches and to let them even coach with you is awesome in itself,” he said. “A lot of head coaches want it their way, and they don’t want to be challenged whereas Frank is a guy that even if the manager sees something, and he wants to come up and say something - Frank may or may not agree with it, but he’s going to take the opinion for what it’s worth.
“He’s going to look at what they’re saying and see if it is something that could not only make him better but make the team better.”
Jason Vegotsky, Class of 2005, starred under Sciolla at Pennsbury, and he is now playing at Bucknell.
“I think I appreciate him more now than ever before,” he said. “The biggest thing I remember that really sticks out in my mind is his charisma and ability to motivate kids that is truly one of a kind.
“Obviously, they have a ton of talent this year, but some of his best coaching is when he doesn’t have that talent. He gets the most out of his kids.”
Vegotsky points to his own development under Sciolla as a perfect example.
“Being a 6-1, unathletic white guy, I can tell you I was the best basketball player I could possibly be as a high school player, and I definitely attribute all of that to him,” he said. “Even on the college level, there are basketball minds, but some of the best basketball minds out there don’t know how to motivate, don’t know how to connect with their players.”
And that, according to Vegotsky, is not a reflection on his college coaches but rather is a statement about Sciolla.
“He has the basketball mind of a college coach, but at the same time, he has the ability to motivate and connect with his players on a personal level,” Vegotsky said. “Coach Sciolla is now one of my best friends.
“The ability to do that and still maintain the coaching leadership – nobody messes around with him. He maintains that professional attitude but is able to connect with you on a personal level.”
It’s hardly a secret that Sciolla is also the master motivator.
“He finds ways to motivate us by using things that are really important to us,” said junior Jesse Krasna, who also spoke at Wednesday’s ceremony. “I’m not really sure what it is. He just has a knack for getting us fired up.
“He’s a really passionate person himself, and it spreads to us.”
Mention Sciolla to senior Eddie DiRugeris, and the first word that comes to his mind is dedication.
“He has two kids, he’s also a teacher, and he’s always grading papers,” the Falcons’ senior guard said. “He puts so much time into us as far as lifting and getting to practices early.
“Whenever we need him, he’ll always be there to talk to us. His life is so busy, but he dedicates his life to us. We have to realize how great it is that he sets the time aside for us.”
Sciolla gives his players more than simply his time.
“He cares about his players as if they are a part of his family,” Krasna said. “He treats us like we’re his kids, and he expects us to treat him with respect as if he was our father.
“He does a great job of making sure we have our priorities straight.”
Sciolla is well-known for his efforts off the basketball court as well. The Literacy Pep Rallies –held annually at the district’s elementary schools – encourage youngsters to develop a passion for books and reading.
“He prepared me not only for college basketball, but he also prepared me for situations in life,” Bergmann said. “I was a very shy kid in high school, and some of the things we did – like pep rallies in the elementary schools – really got me out of my shell and helped me communicate better with people.
“On top of that, I became a better basketball player and was more prepared going into college than any of the other guys in my recruiting class.”
Sciolla, according to Moyer, is a straight shooter. He says what he means and means what he says.
“What gets me is his outright honesty,” Moyer said. “He’s going to let you know that you were wrong, and when you’re right, he’s going to let you know that you’re right.
“If you need help, he’s there to help you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, he’s going to be the guy you go to. You can tell in a conversation that he’s genuine and sincere, and that he’s there for the kids.
“He doesn’t care about the (54)-game winning streak. It’s not the winning and losing he’s there for. He’s there for the relationships and the building of young men. That’s the thing I get out of it the most. Obviously, he wants to win, and the league championships are awesome, but if he could give that all up and just keep the relationships – that’s what he will look back on and remember the most.”
And so will his players. The 250 wins are just a bonus for doing things the right way.
What they say about coach Frank Sciolla:
“Everybody is going to say, ‘Pennsbury’s got the most talent,’ but they didn’t win a league title during the 20 years he wasn’t there. 1980 was the last league title, and now he has seven in a row. It’s not the talent.
“He’s a guy that’s going to work tirelessly. He’s not afraid to change. When he has Levoy Allen, he runs a different offense. When he has Dalton Pepper, he runs a different offense. He’s not afraid to ask questions. He’s a guy that will go to other coaches and ask their opinion. He gets his players to buy into him – then they’ll play harder and play his way. I think that’s key.”
--Dave Moyer, Pennsbury Class of 2000, Member of WBCB 1490 AM broadcast team
“He’s a teacher, and he’s a basketball coach. I guarantee you he’s the smartest teacher and basketball coach in the country. It’s unbelievable how smart he is just on a human level, and he really brings that into basketball as well.”
--Jason Vegotsky, Class of 2005
“He stresses that every game is an important game, and we have to come out and play as hard as we can, and we have to play the right way. All the kids realize it. Other schools get up for some games, and they know other games aren’t as important. He really stresses that every game is so important, and that’s what really made him win so many games.”
--Pennsbury senior Eddie DiRugeris
“He’s pretty unique in the fact of how dedicated he is to make his team good every single year, no matter what players he has. Right now, he has Dalton Pepper, and he’s had great players in the past, but even when he doesn’t, he uses the same approach.
“It’s almost a family-type atmosphere he creates, and everybody buys into it because they believe in what he does. His record speaks for itself.”
--Torrien Jones, Class of 2000
“When I was playing for him, it was his third or fourth year, and he had a lot of youthful energy. That’s something he still has, which is tough because this is year 14. He still has that enthusiasm to coach. He has the enthusiasm of his players.
“He’s got his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in all the kids’ lives, which I think is something not all coaches do very well. He’s great with that.”
--Pennsbury assistant coach Kurt Bergmann, Class of 2000
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