Football coach Shawn Liotta leaving Burrell for arena team in Wilkes-Barre

TribLive TribLive Mon, Dec 2, 2024 • 05:14 PM

Coach Shawn Liotta looks on during a 7-on-7 competition in July at Burrell High School.

Football coach Shawn Liotta has stepped down at Burrell to coach a new indoor football team in Wilkes-Barre.

Liotta, 44, led the Bucs for seven seasons, going 26-45 with three WPIAL playoff appearances. Last season, Burrell went 2-8 overall and 2-4 in the Class 3A Allegheny 7 Conference.

Liotta has a long history coaching indoor football, including a total of nine seasons with successful teams in Erie and Wheeling.

The yet-unnamed Wilkes-Barre franchise will play in Arena Football One, a new 12-team league that absorbed the eight teams that finished last season in the troubled Arena Football League. Play is scheduled to begin in March.

“It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Liotta said.