The lights didn't go off in the weight room once Shaler football coach Jon LeDonne resigned in May.

Players, coaches and other concerned community members kept the program moving forward.

Incoming senior wide receiver Michael Battaglia appreciated the help.

“Summer lifting was kept going because the school hired a certified trainer to help lead lifting until we got a coach to lead it,” Battaglia said. “After our coach was chosen, they decided to keep Mr. (Blake) Schaub and his program until our season starts.”

Shaler's school board also decided to stay within the district for a new coach, hiring middle school football and boys track coach Jim Ryan last week. Ryan, who graduated from Shaler in 2000, has been a teacher in the district since 2008.

He will take over a program that hasn't made the playoffs since 2007 and went 2-27 in three years under LeDonne. Shaler had an especially tough season in 2016, going 0-10 and scoring a total of 70 points. The Titans were shut out four times.

Ryan, who played collegiately at Slippery Rock, is excited for the opportunity.

“I applied for the head job last time it was open. It didn't work out in my favor,” Ryan said. “I've always been invested in the program in some way, shape or form. Being from here, playing football here and coming back and coaching here after college, it's something I saw value in and it was important for me to make it better.”

Improvement can come in a variety of ways. Being the track coach will provide Ryan an opportunity to find more athletes to join the team. Ryan said his main goal is to be competitive in a section with perennial heavyweights Central Catholic, North Allegheny and Pine-Richland.

Senior linebacker Parker Kilgore said he believes Ryan's roots will help off the field.

“What I think he will bring back to the program is the fact that he's a teacher and a local guy, so the team will probably get a lot more support now from the teachers in the school and the community, which really wasn't there during LeDonne's period of time as a coach,” Kilgore said.

Building off that support will be essential for a rebuilding program. It will be difficult for Shaler to challenge for the playoffs or a section title this season, but Ryan said getting everyone on the same page will make for a smooth transition.

“We kept the middle school workouts going,” Ryan said. “We had a couple guys step up at the high school and kept the varsity workouts going. I think it was a smooth transition, and it's going to be different faces, different playing and different philosophies.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

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