Ringgold hires Zmijanac as head football coach
Ringgold hired former Aliquippa head coach Mike Zmijanac as its new football coach during the school’s board meeting on Wednesday night.
Zmijanac takes over for Nick Milchovich, who stepped down after the 2017 season following four years of guiding the Rams.
Zmijanac, 74, made headlines when Aliquippa decided not to renew his contract after compiling a remarkable 237-36 record in 21 years with the Quips. That run included one PIAA championship and six WPIAL championships, and ended with 10 consecutive appearances in the WPIAL title game.
Ringgold signed the man who is considered by many to be one of the greatest coaches in WPIAL football history to a three-year contract with two option years.
Zmijanac currently lives in Mount Lebanon and is still the athletic director at Aliquippa, and will keep that job until the end of June.
Ringgold had reportedly hired a coach to replace Milchovich in December but the candidate pulled out before the school board could meet to approve the move. That was before Zmijanac applied after the Aliquippa school board ousted him in February.