Greensburg Salem's Klimchock awarded for work at Penn State Behrend

Once a pint-sized 4-year-old who dribbled past older — and much taller — kids at the Greensburg YMCA, Chris Klimchock progressed at his own pace and blossomed into a polished basketball player.

He became one of the WPIAL's top point guards at Greensburg Salem and elevated to an all-conference backcourt leader at St. Vincent.

All the while, at each stop along the way, he waited his turn — despite obvious potential nudging him forward. But he never got ahead of himself.

Now an assistant coach at Penn State Behrend, Klimchock is paying his dues again and learning a much different side of the game. And his peers are watching, closely.

Klimchock recently was named to the Under Armour 30-Under-30 list, presented by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The list recognizes the country's on-the-rise coaches under age 30 at all levels of college basketball.

Klimchock, 26, recently completed his first season at Penn State Behrend. The award surprised him. He still has no idea where the nomination came from. But he humbly accepted it because it is part of the next progression in the next phase of his basketball life.

“Basketball has been a part of me for as long as I can remember,” Klimchock said. “To be on the coaching side now has been an incredible experience. When you play the game, you think you know everything. But coaching has showed me how much more to the game there is.”

Klimchock spent his first two years of college basketball at Edinboro before transferring to St. Vincent.

He also was a student assistant coach at St. Vincent for a year and served two years as an assistant at Regis College (Mass.).

“I have had so many great mentors, starting with my father (Rick) who has been there every step of the way,” Klimchock said. “I have had so many great coaches to look up to.”

Rick Klimchock is a former boys coach at Jeannette, girls coach at Franklin Regional and St. Vincent men's assistant.

Chris started as a ballboy at Jeannette. His father never imagined he one day would make a national coaching watch list.

“It means a lot that Chris is following his passion,” Rick Klimchock said.

“Chris is so kind, humble and devoted. He learned from coach D.P. Harris at SVC, whom he played for, and has had two fantastic mentors in Nate Hager at Regis and Dave Niland at Behrend — great coaches and great human beings. Chris has the same characteristics he had as a player. That will take him far.”

Rick coaches the eighth-grade boys at Greensburg Central Catholic where his nephew, Asa, is a sophomore starter on the varsity.

“I've learned over the years that coaching is about establishing relationships,” Rick said. “That is what I told Chris. People wonder what I teach him. Heck, I ask him for advice now.”

Those who know Chris Klimchock go right to his gentlemanly nature, calm demeanor and court smarts.

“Chris has a passion for the game and understands that the game is about relationships and loyalty,” said Harris, who coached Klimchock for two years. “His work ethic goes beyond the court as he was an outstanding student and really represented our core values of academics , basketball and character.

“Chris is going to find himself as a Division I assistant very soon and one day, a very successful head coach. To say I am proud of him is a understatement.”

Klimchock also was a member of the Hoop Group Elite staff at Albright College and is a member of the NABC.

“I want to be a sponge and soak it all in,” he said of his progression in coaching. “I am still forming (a coaching identity). I pick and choose what I like wherever I go. I have had offensive-minded coaches and others who liked defense. It's the best of both worlds.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.