Colleagues share fond memories of Phil Pergola

The longtime Mon Valley high school basketball coach died Saturday at 78.

The dean of all Mon Valley coaches is gone.

Phil Pergola, whose basketball coaching career spanned more than 50 years and six decades, died Saturday after a brief illness. He was 78.

Pergola was a head coach from 1970 through 2013 with stops at Mon Valley Catholic (1970-77), Charleroi (’7786), Ringgold (’86-04), California (’04-13) and then back at Ringgold (’13-20).

He was still a coach at the time of his death as he served the last three seasons as an assistant at South Park under head coach Chad Pappasergi, who was an assistant coach on previous Pergola teams.

Pergola amassed a career record of 640-569, including a 1990 WPIAL 4A championship and a 1995 PIAA 4A state championship, both with Ringgold.

He also had long playoff runs that ended just short of titles in 1990 when Ringgold lost in the WPIAL title game and in 2007 when his California Trojans team lost in the WPIAL 1A championship game.

A breakdown of his record by school shows a 92-70 mark at MVC, 120-105 at Charleroi, 134-81 at Cal and a combined 293-313 in two stints at Ringgold.

When word of his death began to spread around the Mon Valley, remarks from some of those who knew him most painted a picture of a great friend, mentor, leader, philosopher and coach with a keen sense of teaching the fundamentals of basketball.

And he did all of that while exuding unquestionable character.

Bruno Pappasergi, who played for Pergola all the way back in ninth grade at MVC and later coached with him for most of his career stops along the way, recalled Pergola as, “being like a second father to me.”

“When I was younger, he and his wife, Geri, took me everywhere with them,” Pappasergi said. “Whether it was out to eat or to see some event or a game, they took me with them. I learned so much from him, not only about basketball, but about life.

“He was a real treasure to anyone who knew him. I feel blessed to have known him the way I did. I think everywhere he went, he made it a better place.

“This is just a tough, tough loss. I honestly don’t know what I will do without him. I can’t begin to explain what life is going to be like for me without Phil Pergola in it.”

Jim Williams’ relationship with Pergola started when both applied for the Ringgold position in 1986.

“Phil got the job and then he turned around and asked me to be his assistant,” Williams recalled. “From that point on, I’ve pretty much been at his side wherever he coached.

“We broke it down with him handling the offense and me the defense and that was pretty much how it remained for around 35 years.”

Williams said Pergola’s easy-going demeanor made their union mesh well.

“We just clicked. I have no other way to describe it,” Williams said. “He knew so much about the game and he respected what I knew as well. Me accepting that assistant job under him back then was the best thing that ever happened. It all just worked.

“We became like brothers and we always talked about things through all these years. They just didn’t come any better than Phil Pergola.” “He preached the fundamentals of the game,” Pappasergi said. “Going all the way back to those days at Mon Valley Catholic up to coaching with Chad and I at South Park, Phil was a stickler for the fundamentals. He wasn’t flashy. No thrills. Just the fundamentals of the game, the basics and expanding on that. That’s what I will remember most about him as a coach. That and his demeanor.

“And what a caring teacher he was. When he passed, I sent out texts to about 40 former players and every single one of them answered me almost immediately. That’s how much he was loved and respected by his players.”

Very few coaches have been in the game as long as Pergola was, and subsequently, few have affected as many lives as he did.

Three people in that department include Joe Salvino, Don Hartman and Mickey Hornack.

Salvino, who has probably coached more against Pergola than any other coach during his celebrated career at Monessen and Belle Vernon Area, said Pergola got him involved in coaching.

“Phil was so important to all of the Valley basketball programs because he was so involved in the (Ringgold) undergraduate tournament and summer leagues at the YMCA,” Salvino said. “Years ago, he started an eighth-grade summer program around the Valley and I was asked to coach the Monessen team. From there, I just moved up.

“Phil was such a good guy, an easy guy to talk to. His passing is such a sad thing. He was a class act and will be missed by anyone who knew him.”

Hartman, who previously coached baseball at California, said when Pergola came to Cal, they hit it off real quick.

“I would sit in his office for hours and we would just talk about sports and life. And it didn’t get any better than that,” Hartman said. “I had lost my dad a few years earlier and Phil kinda filled that void for me.

“We met for breakfast frequently and texted and called each other a lot. I just talked to him Wednesday and he was asking me about my WPIAL softball plaque because he always got them engraved for me.”

Hartman is the softball coach at Frazier these days.

“It just hurts because we all have good friends and associates,” Hartman said. “But to me, Phil was way more than that. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt that way about him.

“Really, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like him.”

Hornack’s relationship with Pergola started out similar to how Williams’ did.

“Phil and I were finalists for the Charleroi job way back when. I was at Bethel Park at the time,” Hornack said. “At 6 p.m., he was named the coach and at 7:30 he was calling me and wanting me to come aboard as an assistant. Our relationship just took off from there and really flourished over the years.

“He led by example. He wasn’t a loud guy, but he had a way of commanding respect out of everyone he came in contact with.”

Hornack said it’s hard to explain the loss he is feeling today.

“There are certain forms of grief you feel for family and friends,” Hornack said solemnly. “This grief is different because to me Phil was both family and friend. I knew he was slowing down, but this news has really hit me hard. I just feel so bad.”

Viewing for Pergola will be held at Massafra Funeral Home, 40 Second St. Extension in Donora, from 6-8 p.m. Saturday and from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Sunday.

Anyone with any thoughts, opposing views or comments on this column can reach Jeff Oliver by emailing justjto@verizon.net.