For more than two decades, Brad Wetzel’s teams have played at a fast pace, employing an up-and-down style from which Latrobe rarely deviated.
When teams played the Wildcats, they had to be ready to run.
Wetzel, though, is finally ready to slow it down.
The approach of next year’s team will be up to his successor. The veteran boys basketball coach is resigning after 24 seasons.
Wetzel came to the decision around Easter time while relaxing at his camp site along Little Juniata River not far from State College.
“It’s time to step away, for now,” Wetzel said. “Who knows for how long. I am not closing the book or anything. It’s time for someone else to take over.”
A former teacher at Latrobe, Wetzel, 57, is a behavior coach at River Rock Academy in Indiana, a fairly recent life change that weighed heavily in his decision to step down.
“That was one of the main reasons,” he said. “It became difficult to make it back to school (time for practices). I know the kids so well, which made it doable. But the strain was not something I was used to.”
Another key reason was freeing up time to watch his son, John, play football at Pitt. In the past, he did his best to find time to follow his daughters, Sadie and Gracie, while they competed in track and swimming.
“I hope my family forgives me for all these years,” Wetzel said. “I have neglected so many things, but they have been so supportive.”
Wetzel finished with a record of 310-226 with 17 WPIAL playoff appearances and three PIAA postseason trips. He had 13 winning seasons, won five section titles, and coached numerous college-level players, including four who played at the Division I level in Matt Cullen (Navy), Reed Fenton (Lehigh), Austin Butler (Holy Cross/Charlotte) and Bryce Butler (College of Charleston).
This season, Latrobe finished 10-13, winning a preliminary round playoff game over Mars before losing to Thomas Jefferson in the first round of the playoffs.
The frantic pace was something that became identifiable with Wetzel.
“Back when I started, scores were in the high 40s and low 50s,” Wetzel said. “I wanted to get up and down. There were some traditional Wildcat fans who thought we weren’t playing defense, when in reality we were playing extremely aggressive defense. I always liked the style.”
The Wildcats went 22-2 in 2015-16 and made the WPIAL semifinals. The team finished 20-6 last season and reached the WPIAL quarterfinals before a brief state run.
In 2016-17, the first year of six classifications in the WPIAL, Latrobe finished 19-4 in Class 6A.
Wetzel posted his 300th win in the PIAA Class 5A first round last year when the Wildcats defeated Exeter Township, 64-58.
“That was neat,” Wetzel said. “I remember that great bus ride. I didn’t know it was my 300th win until it happened.”
It was the team’s first state playoff win since 1990.
He said he is proud of a few benchmarks.
In 2004-05, the Wildcats broke a 20-year playoff-win drought with a victory in the preliminary round and raised a section title banner in 2008-09 for the first time since 1988-89. That team finished 19-4.
Forging a connection with his players will always stay with Wetzel.
“I take pride in, with very few exceptions, the players who went on to play collegiately,” he said. “They weren’t awestruck by the speed of college basketball.
“I am so grateful for the relationships. The guys who invite you to their weddings or when they call you to tell you about their first kid.”
Wetzel is the third high-profile coach in the WPIAL to step down in recent days, joining Jim Rocco (North Catholic) and Matt Clement (Butler).
Asked if he would recommend a successor at Latrobe, he mentioned two of his assistants as candidates in Nick Bobula and Ryan Yarosik.
Bobula was a team manager at Pitt. Yarosik was a head coach at Penn-Trafford.
“I hope they want it,” Wetzel said,” and I hope they get considered.”