A full house at a school board meeting often doesn’t bode well for the folks up front.
But to the relief of Baldwin-Whitehall board member Pete Giglione and his colleagues, the residents who packed the place in December 2023 came bearing positives.
“When I reviewed the phone-book-sized packet of letters that you guys had prepared and gathered, and all of the board members did, we were completely blown away by it,” Giglione said about the testimonials on behalf of the late Bob Gneuhs, a district softball coach for nearly four decades.
The outpouring resulted in Gneuhs’ selection to the Baldwin-Whitehall Athletic Hall of Fame, for which Giglione serves on the selection committee.
“Without question, it was the easiest decision ever,” he said. “But we knew we had to go above and beyond, and do more for him.”
Giglione was among those in attendance on May 7 for the dedication of Baldwin High School’s varsity softball field in honor of Gneuhs, prior to the Highlanders’ game against the South Park Eagles.
While coaching Baldwin from 1984 through 2021, Gneuhs led his teams to 24 section first-place finishes, 12 Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League titles and a state championship, according to district athletic director Tony Cherico.
Superintendent Randal Lutz acknowledged Gneuhs’ longevity at Baldwin.
“Today, with coaching, it’s pretty much a carousel of coaching, where folks come in for a couple of years, maybe build a résumé. They move on to something else, but aren’t necessarily connected to a space,” Lutz said. “Bob was connected here for so many reasons, but mostly it was just simply the love of the kids.”
Paul Hindes, a longtime friend of Gneuhs, spoke fondly of his fellow coach.
“One of the most cherished gifts was his passion to teach girls how to love to play softball, and I mean love to play the game,” Hindes said. “He shared his knowledge, his skills, his wisdom. He taught a work ethic that created and built a confidence and belief that lasted forever.”
Hindes called Gneuhs “truly generous, kind, humble and remarkably, never wanted anything in return, didn’t want any recognition.”
Jen Knezevich, Gneuhs’ daughter, agreed.
“This is so humbling, and my dad would not want any of this recognition,” Knezevich said, and she told the current Baldwin softball players: “I wish that you guys all knew him. He loved the game, and he loved every girl he coached.”
Among the young women coached by Gneuhs are Carly Santillo and Taylor Dadig, both 2018 Baldwin graduates who now serve as assistant coaches for the Highlanders. Carly’s father, Ron, is head coach, and Taylor’s dad, Steve, is another assistant.
“We need more individuals like Coach Bob Gneuhs in the world, and to name our field after someone so influential, so important to the fabric of our community, sends a great message that would resonate for years to come about our great district,” Carly Santillo said in a district release issued prior to the dedication.
“And to name a field after someone like Coach Bob, it would say a lot about the character of the individuals that step onto it, and the strong, confident student athletes that positively influence the world because of Coach Bob Gneuhs.”