One of the most successful girls basketball coaches in the history of the WPIAL is moving on to the college ranks.
Jonna Burke is leaving her job as gym teacher and girls basketball coach at Shady Side Academy after accepting the head coaching position at Bethany College.
“I’ve been thinking about coaching college basketball for the last 10 years or so,” Burke said. “I just haven’t had the opportunity.”
“The easy part was saying yes to an opportunity that I’ve wanted for a long time. The hardest part is leaving my team. They are a special group of kids.”
Burke left her alma mater at Bethel Park in a surprising move before the 2021-2022 season to take over a Shady Side Academy program that was a combined 8-25 over the two previous seasons, including a 1-10 record in post-covid season of 2021.
She quickly turned around the struggling program and made the Bulldogs a Class 3A contender by her second season.
In her five years at SSA, the Bulldogs were 114-24 with WPIAL Class 3A championship runs in 2024 and 2026.
So after 31 years of coaching high school basketball, why make the move to college now?
“Obviously, I’m not getting any younger,” Burke said. “I just felt like it’s kind of now or never.”
Following a playing career at Bethel Park and Pitt that eventually led to hall of fame inductions at both Bethel Park and the WPIAL, she began her head coaching career at Butler in 1995.
In eight seasons, the Golden Tornado were 123-89.
She left to take over at her alma mater and quickly made Bethel Park a contender year in and year out in the old Quad-A and then Class 6A.
She coached the Black Hawks for 18 seasons and left with a record of 360-107 with one WPIAL championship.
That title came in 2013 after No. 3 seed Bethel Park defeated Norwin, Penn-Trafford and Gateway to reach the finals.
The Black Hawks flew past Chartiers Valley in the Class 4A finals, 47-34, to win the school’s first and only district crown.
“I think the most important things any of my successful teams have done are work hard and care about each other,” Burke said. “I know that seems simple, but good things tend to happen with shared vision and a love for your teammates.”
Burke takes over a Bethany program that is coming off a successful season.
The Bison finished in third place behind South Division co-champs Washington & Jefferson and Saint Vincent with an 11-5 conference record and a 17-10 mark overall.
In the President’s Athletic Conference playoffs, Bethany defeated Allegheny College in the quarterfinals, 65-55, and then lost in the semifinals to Saint Vincent, 78-60.
”I’m looking forward to the challenge of a different level of basketball,” Burke said.
Burke has coached over three decades in the WPIAL and has a record of 597-220 with three WPIAL championships.
“I’ll miss the relationships with the kids and the camaraderie with my fellow coaches,” Burke said. “But the thing I’ll probably miss the most is high school playoff basketball. There is just something special about the postseason in Western Pa.”