Keeping busy
Connellsville AD Evans elected to WPIAL board of directors
Rich Evans wears many different hats within the Connellsville Area School District.
The 1998 graduate of Connellsville Area High School is the superintendent of schools, and the director of athletics and transportation. When not working his day job, which usually carries over into the evening, Evans is a member of the WPIAL cross country and track & field steering committees, and is active as a game manager for WPIAL football and basketball playoff contests.
Evans, who competed for the Falcons in track & field before attending college at Slippery Rock, where he continued his academic and athletic careers, has accepted another position as a member of the WPIAL board of directors for the 2026-27 school year. The WPIAL announced next year’s board at its monthly meeting on Wednesday.
Evans is aware of the position’s responsibility, but he graciously accepted after completing the application process that included a cover letter and resume.
“Being busy is the only thing that I know, and it’s the only way that I operate,” Evans said. “I say it all the time, ‘In my career, I have been very lucky because not too many people can go to a school district, graduate from it, come back and hopefully work their entire career there.’ I have been blessed to have had so many good people to work with over the years, and I’m grateful for it.”
Evans is one of three newly-elected board members. He will be joined by Southmoreland athletic director Brian Pritts and Seton LaSalle athletic director Kenny Klase. The trio will replace Alan Alcalde of Moon, who did not reapply, Peters Township’s Brian Geyer, who was recently hired as WPIAL assistant executive director, and Mt. Lebanon’s John Grogan, who is retiring at the end of the school year.
Evans is eager to work with a neighboring athletic director in Pritts.
“It is nice to have people on the board in the outlining areas for Fayette County,” Evans said. “Hopefully, that can distribute the representations for the WPIAL. I am happy for Brian.”
Evans’ ascension to his new position began in the midst of his athletic career. Following his graduation from PennWest California, Evans taught and coached from 2002-2007 before he moved to an administrative role within the district.
“I have had a love of track & field since middle and high school,” Evans said. “I was fortunate to have a very successful high school career, and that enabled me to compete at Slippery Rock before I obtained my degrees from PennWest California.
“When I took on my roles in administration, I had to move away from coaching, and one way to stay involved in track & field without coaching was to be on the steering committee. There was an opening on the committee, and I decided to apply. I have been on the committee since 2007. I was the new kid on the block when I started, but I am now the second longest tenured member of the track & field committee.”
Evans does his best to attend every Connellsville event possible, which is not possible as sports overlap, and he feels fortunate to have very supportive coaches.
“If I am able to be at as many varsity events as possible, then I am able to deal with potential situations as they happen,” Evans said. “It is much better to do that than trying to figure out a situation after the fact.
“When you have good coaches who work with you, that makes an AD’s job easier. I was also fortunate to have Jimmy Lembo as one of my mentors at Connellsville. When Mr. Lembo retired, I took over for him as AD and transportation director. Since 1991, Connellsville has only had two athletic directors; Mr. Lembo and myself.”
Evans appreciates the support from the former, current and future athletic directors who have reached out to him.
“The athletic director network in Western Pennsylvania is a very close knit group of people,” Evans said. “I feel like it’s very unique. Over the years, I’ve developed relationships with those people.
“I learned a lot from Tim O’Malley, who was the executive director of the WPIAL when I started. He was one of the first people to send me a text to congratulate me on being elected to the WPIAL board of directors. He was one of the key people in my life who would inspire me.
“We have come a long way since I began on the track & field steering committee in 2007. The WPIAL Individual Track & Field Championships were held at Baldwin during that time, and we would have to carry the copier out of the Baldwin AD’s office and put it on a John Deere Gator to get everything set-up to print out the results. Vince Sortino, who is currently the executive director of the WPIAL, was the Baldwin AD when I started.”