Giachetti graduates to college game
Over his nine years as the head coach of the Waynesburg Central softball program, Lou Giachetti took a pretty good team and made it into a very good team. During his time at the helm, the Raiders secured a position as one of the top teams in both Class AA and Class AAA with the help of his long-time assistant Ed Cross and some of the best players in the school’s history.
The program reached its pinnacle in 2005 when the Raiders made one of the most memorable playoff runs in WPIAL history to claim the AA gold. WCHS won each of its four playoff games by a single run, culminating in a 3-2 victory over arch-rival Washington.
Now, Giachetti is looking to take another pretty good team and make them into a very good one, but he’ll have to do it in a completely different landscape.
Earlier this week, Giachetti officially became the head softball coach at Waynesburg University, ending 11 total years – two as an assistant – at WCHS. Giachetti resigned as head coach at Waynesburg Central several weeks ago.
“Coaching at the college level was something I’ve wanted to try,” Giachetti said. “I see the talent on the roster and it’s an intriguing opportunity to coach some of the players I coached in high school and coached against.”
Giachetti replaces former head coach Terry Acker, who spent eight years at the helm.
Ironically, the two pitchers that faced each other in the 2005 WPIAL finals are both on his roster for the 2009 campaign. WU senior and WCHS grad Autumn Minor and Amanda Baughman, a Washington grad and sophomore for the Yellow Jackets, are two members of a team that made it all the way to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships this past spring.
Some other familiar faces included Baughman’s high school teammate and fellow soon-to-be sophomore Amber Pivik, and Bre Kokladas, a junior who played on a Deer Lakes team that fell to WCHS during their run to the crown.
Along with his team’s run to the WPIAL crown, Giachetti’s resume as a high school coach includes four section championships, including winning the title in the ultra competitive ranks of Section 4-AAA this past spring and trips to the PIAA tournament in 2005 and 2006.
Waynesburg University Director of Athletics Rudy Marisa commented on the school’s latest hire.
“We have hired a man with proven success as a high school coach,” said Marisa. “We have those same hopes as he joins our coaching staff this the upcoming season.”
While Giachetti, himself a Waynesburg College grad, is excited about a new chapter in his coaching life, he admits that leaving his position with Waynesburg Central was a difficult choice to make.
“It’s a really tough decision to make when you’re there 11 years, nine as a head coach,” Giachetti said. “I’ve have some wonderful players over the years. The school has been wonderful. The fans and the community gave us unbelievable support.”
The impact of the change will be softened somewhat as Giachetti is bringing two members of what has become his last senior class with him to the Jackets. Star pitcher Lauren Minor, younger sister of Autumn, and first baseman Nikki Coleman have both said they will play for Giachetti next year.
Coleman consistently hit in the middle of the Raider order over four years as a starter and was one of the better defensive first basemen in whichever section WCHS was in during her time in high school.
Minor brings some impressive credentials with her from her senior season. She went 12-3 with a no-hitter and seven shutouts. She recorded 135 and ended the season with a miniscule 0.45 ERA.
Another Greene County native is looking to be a member of Giachetti’s first team at Waynesburg as 2007 West Greene grad Alyson Clarke is planning on transferring before the start of the 2008-2009 school year.
The new head coach added that a good bit of the recruiting has already been taken care of. He also felt very strongly about his group of 16 expected returning starters.
“I’m no dummy,” Giachetti said with a laugh. “I feel very positive about the players that are coming back. I saw what they did at the end of last year. There is a lot of talent coming back and our pitching will be very strong.”
As far as his coaching staff, Giachetti said that he expects it to be assembled over the next month or so.
To date, no replacement for Giachetti had been hired at Waynesburg Central.
NOTE: Giachetti is the third former WCHS coach to be hired by Waynesburg University this calendar year. He joins new wrestling coaches Ron Headlee and John Yates. Dave Sarra, the defensive line coach for WU, is also a former head football coach at Waynesburg Central.