Gene Brisbane has been coaching high school and college athletes since being hired at his alma mater, Hempfield, in 1974.
“I was preparing for my first year when the late Bill Abraham called me in and said, ‘Gene, you’re coaching female girls basketball this year.’ I really did not want coach, but I did not have an option.”
Brisbane, 70, has been coaching either basketball or track ever since.
Brisbane will receive the Michael and John Ferrante Memorial Award for his work promoting sports and student-athletes at the 69th annual Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete banquet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Ferrante’s Lakeview.
He is part of the annual banquet that will honor 36 student-athletes, two each from the 18 high schools in the county, nominated for the Excellence Award, which is given to one boy and one girl. The banquet is sponsored by Judge Michael Stewart.
Brisbane has coached basketball as an assistant or head coach at Hempfield (boys assistant and girls head coach), Jeannette (head boys basketball coach), Greensburg Salem (boys assistant), Derry (girls head coach and track assistant), Seton Hill (track), Hempfield (track) and Westmoreland County Community College (women’s coach).
“It means a lot being selected,” Brisbane said. “I coached with a lot of great coaches. I learned a lot from them. It was a lot of fun, and I got to coach some great athletes.”
Brisbane coached Hempfield to numerous section titles. He helped revamp the WCCC program and made it a winner before leaving for Derry.
Brisbane is a 1970 graduate of Hempfield where he played football and basketball and ran track.
He graduated from Pitt-Greensburg in 1974 and earned a master’s at Pitt in 1979.
“I am proud of my achievements,” Brisbane said. “I am joining an elite group that have been elected in previous years.”
Last year’s Excellence Award winners were Kiski Area’s Eliza Miller and Hempfield’s Peyton Murray.
The county athletic directors voted on the 36 candidates and reduced the list to 12 finalists. They then voted to select the two winners, who will be announced at the banquet.
This year’s candidates were part of WPIAL and PIAA championship teams, claimed state and district individual championships and were among the top students in their classes.
Wednesday’s guest speaker will be former Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Jason Grilli, who played from 2011-14. He ended his career with the Atlanta Braves.
The sponsors are Excela Health, Drs. Geoff and Greg Bisignani and Ferrante’s Lakeview.
JOHN AND MICHAEL FERRANTE MEMORIAL AWARD WINNERS
1984: Frank Buscanics
1985: James Weir
1986: Robert Rodebaugh
1987: John Bacha
1988: Donald Hall
1989: Henry Funk
1990: Lawrence Dalla Betta
1991: Frank “Patsy” Malpezzi
1992: Oliver “Ollie” Molter
1993: Howard “Huddie” Kaufman
1994: Gary Garrison
1995: Robert Van Atta
1996: Ralph W. Snyder
1997: Ronald Peduzzi
1998: Joseph Mucci
1999: Judge Charles E. Marker
2000: William “Bill” Abraham
2001: Joseph E. Pellis
2002: Bob “Spike” Melago
2003: Ralph R. Conde
2004: Bob Trautwine
2005: William “Bill” Priatko
2006: James “Jim” Farrell
2007: Dave P. McNichol
2008: Ron Firment
2009: Gerald Page
2010: Patrick Ratesic
2011: Raymond Zsolcsak
2012: Tom Traynor
2013: Bob Murphy
2014: Carl Davis
2015: Art Tragesser
2016: Paul Schofield
2017: John Sullivan
2018: Bob Kalp
2019: Lynn Jobe
2020: Ron Colland
2021: Chuck Tursky
2022: Roy Hall
2023: LaRoyal Wilson
2024: Tom Evans