Coaching basketball is his passion.
Ed Manfredi, a retired Brentwood High School teacher, is 63 years old. He has coached basketball for 42 years.
“I retired from teaching seven years ago,” said Manfredi, a Jefferson Hills resident and assistant coach at Belle Vernon. “But I'm still teaching because coaching is teaching, and teaching is coaching. Coaching is fun; it keeps you young. I'm always learning the game and having fun. The day I don't have fun is the day I quit coaching.”
Manfredi's three daughters, Christina, Michelle and Jess, have had distinguished basketball careers. His wife, Judy, who taught at South Park Middle School for 36 years, has been the anchor of the family.
“Basketball has been very good to me and my family,” Manfredi said. “I coached all three of my daughters. My wife (Judy) knows how much I love coaching and has supported me 100 percent.
“All three of my daughters have coached. Christina served as an assistant at Serra Catholic when they won the WPIAL and state championships. Michelle has coached at the college level (DI and DII). And Jess, who is still playing at Penn State Greater Allegheny, coaches a Metro AAU team.”
The lifestyle in the Manfredi household has been non-stop, and hectic at times, over the years. How exactly did Judy's support system work?
The daughters' comments proved most interesting:
• “Chauffer to/from practices and games, (provide a) cheering section.”
• “Being there every step of the way; learning and understanding sports that I never knew anything about.”
• “Going to games (even when a family member is coaching but not playing); riding other players (to practices or games).”
• “Travelling to our games, even to Albany, Niagara Falls, New York City, Florida, Kansas, New Orleans and Germany.”
• “Being sure physical, mental, emotional needs were met.”
• “Family dinner most days.”
• “Lots of foot rubs, too.”
“Chrissy, Michelle and Jess have participated in basketball, soccer, softball, track and field and volleyball,” Judy said. “Put all of this with CCD classes, Girl Scouts and dancing school (until grades 4 and 6), and we were quite busy.
“During one season, Chrissy and Michelle each were on at least five teams — PHARA basketball, Pleasant Hills Middle School basketball, Metro basketball, Jefferson soccer and Cup soccer — while baby Jess tagged along with us.”
Manfredi attended Bishop Boyle High School from 1967-71 and said he “tried playing basketball” at the Homestead-based school, and fell in love with the game.
“In fact, (then-Bishop Boyle) coach Franny “McGee” Mannion was the reason I became a teacher and coach.” Manfredi said.
His first coaching position was in 1976 at Lebanon Junior High in the West Mifflin Area School District.
“I started my teaching career in West Mifflin. I taught at the elementary and middle schools,” Manfredi said. “When West Mifflin North and South merged, I was laid off after 10 years of teaching. I took a position at Brentwood, where I taught reading and social studies, but still coached at West Mifflin.”
Manfredi started the girls middle school basketball program in West Mifflin.
“I was very fortunate to have coached with some great coaches who taught me the game,” he said. “At West Mifflin, I worked with Nick DeRosa, Jack Ruffing and Bernie Tenant. Then, at Brentwood, with Bob Plewa and Gary Cramer. Now, at Belle Vernon, with Lisa Fairman.”
Manfredi, who earned a bachelor's degree in education at Duquesne and a master's degree at Penn State, has coached girls for 30 years and boys for 12 years. He also has coached AAU and recreational basketball teams.
“I liked coaching the girls because they listen (better),” Manfredi said. “When I first started coaching, we did not have the 3-point arc. It was a different game, I like the easy 3 — take the ball inside, get fouled and make your foul shot. Too many players and coaches think basketball is all about shooting the 3. There is more to the game: defense, rebounding, ball-handling, hustling and team play.
“In my 42 years of coaching, I have become very close friends with many college coaches. They all will tell you shooters are a dime a dozen, but ‘basketball players' are very few. They can teach you to shoot, but they cannot teach you to be a player. I always tell the story of my daughter Michelle who played D-I and played pro ball: It was a high school game at Shady Side Academy; she played the whole game and did not score a point. I did not know she didn't score until Coach (Bill) Cleary called me and told me. He was watching the game film and noticed she did not score. But, she had 10 steals, 14 rebounds, 16 assists and 5 blocked shots.
“This is basketball.”
In 2005, Manfredi founded the Metro AAU basketball program. It started with one team, and has grown to 14 with 12 girls' teams and two boys' teams.
“I got involved with AAU Basketball because of my older daughters Christina (PA Hoop Stars) and Michelle (Western PA Bruins),” Manfredi said. “Our goal is to develop good, fundamental basketball skills, which will provide the necessary tools for the players to carry their game to a higher level of competition. I like to say ‘we teach basketball.' We believe success is not given, but earned through hard work, dedication and focus.
“Many of our coaches are high school coaches. We presently have 16 student-athletes playing at the college level. I take great pride in this and will do everything possible to get that player to the next level.”
Many area high schools have Metro players on their varsity or junior varsity teams, including Baldwin, Bethel Park, Belle Vernon, Brentwood, Thomas Jefferson, South Park, West Mifflin, Serra Catholic, Steel Valley, Seton-La Salle, West Allegheny, Chartiers Valley, Wilson Christian Academy and Greensburg Central Catholic.
“We are always looking for basketball players,” Manfredi said. “AAU Basketball will provide lifetime friendships for both players and parents.”
The energetic and always affable Manfredi also has found time in his impassioned career to coach high school soccer for 20 years — eight years at Thomas Jefferson, 12 years at Serra Catholic — as well as middle school and high school track at Brentwood for eight years.
He also served as assistant athletic director at Brentwood High School.
Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.
