Liotta resigns as Colonials’ head football coach
Shawn Liotta will have a much shorter commute this upcoming high school football season.
Liotta resigned Monday evening after two seasons as head coach at Albert Gallatin. Liotta, who lives in Lower Burrell and made a 140-mile daily round-trip commute to Albert Gallatin, has accepted the head coaching position at Burrell High School.
“I was hired today (Tuesday) to be the head coach at Burrell High School,” Liotta said. “I have lived in Lower Burrell and in the school district for the past 10 years, and my daughter is also a student in the district, so I will be able to spend more time with her and my wife.
“There were times when I wouldn’t see my daughter from when I tucked her into bed at night on Sunday till I came home Saturday afternoon following our JV game. I will only be making a four-mile round trip.
“I am also excited to coach at a school with such a rich tradition. Burrell has been a little down the last few years, but we are ready to build it back up. It is such a great school to work for.”
The Buccaneers haven’t been to the playoffs in five years, but Liotta inherited an Albert Gallatin team in 2016 that was on a 24-game losing streak. Liotta helped the Colonials snap the drought with a 26-20 victory over county-rival Uniontown in Week 8.
“He (Liotta) was doing good things and moving the program forward,” Albert Gallatin Athletic Director Duane Dupont said. “He worked very hard to move the program in the right direction, and he was a good football coach. We appreciate the time and effort.”
The win against the Red Raiders was Albert Gallatin’s only triumph in Liotta’s first season, but the Colonials improved with two victories last season, and were competitive in most of their games.
“I really want to stress this: I loved every second of my time at Albert Gallatin,” Liotta said. “It was an amazing two years with some great kids. I will always be an AG fan, and I hope these kids continue to improve.
“I want to thank the current superintendent, Chris Pegg, and the past superintendent, Carl Bezjak, for everything they did for me. I also want to thank Duane Dupont and all of my coaches, plus those in the school board and all the parents and boosters.”
Liotta doesn’t know who will be his replacement, but he has a recommendation.
“I think Rich Kolesar would be an asset to the program,” Liotta said. “He was one of my assistants and did a great job. I respect that the school will do their own search, but I think Rich would do a great job.”
Liotta wasn’t satisfied with three wins in two years, but was with changing the culture of the program, and building up his players’ character.
“AG is now a respected program, and I am more proud of what the kids did off the field,” Liotta said. “We had a lot of kids on the honor roll and they worked so hard. I wasn’t satisfied with three wins, and even though the kids may be in a little bit of shock right now, they are resilient and will bounce back.
“We were able to beat our county rival (Uniontown) twice, and also beat a playoff team in West Mifflin. That was a game where we weren’t given a chance.”
Liotta wants to see the Colonials continue to progress, despite moving up to Class 5A this upcoming season due to realignment.
“My message to the kids was to give the same work and dedication to their new coach as they did to me when I came in,” Liotta said. “The kids will buy in. They are already in the weight room, and Coach Tyler Naulty has been doing a tremendous job with the kids. I’m sure the kids will be fine.”
Liotta knows there may be some criticism for leaving after being granted a contract extension, but he didn’t want to pass up the chance to coach at Burrell.
“When opportunities present themselves, you have to go after that opportunity,” Liotta said. “I know the timing wasn’t great for Albert Gallatin, but timing is never really great when there is a coaching change. I gave everything I had at AG for two years.
“My family plays a big role into my decision. There would be a week during the season when I wouldn’t see my daughter. She would be asleep by the time I got home from work, and I would be gone by the time she got up for school.”
Dupont is confident the players will bounce back, and is confident Liotta’s successor will continue to make strides in improving the program.
“The timing is difficult and extremely tough on the kids,” Dupont said. “These kids are resilient, and we hope the transition can be smooth. They did it two years ago when Coach Liotta came in, and I am confident they will do it again. We have posted the position and the search is ongoing.”
Liotta will continue to coach against Uniontown, as the Buccaneers host the Red Raiders in Week 3.
“I will be coaching against Uniontown again,” Liotta said. “Coach Cedric Lloyd is a fine man and does a great job with those kids, but we will be ready. I am ready to get out to the schools and see if some kids want to play football.”
Liotta made his mark in the WPIAL as an offensive coordinator at Clairton. The Liotta-led Bears broke a Pennsylvania scoring record with 958 points, and an average of 58 per game in 2014.