Andy Urbanic (Football Coach 1964-1967)

After head coaching stints at Dillonvale and Triadelphia, Andy Urbanic turned in a magical four-year stint at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. His record with the Maroon Knights was a glittering 35-5-2 as his teams won four straight West Virginia Catholic High School Football championships. The brilliant run began with the 1964 season when Central Catholic compiled an 8-3 record, capped by a 28-20 victory over a favored Charleston Catholic powerhouse. In 1965, the Maroon Knights finished 9-0-1, marred only by a tie with highly-regarded South Hills Catholic (now Seton LaSalle) at Mount Lebanon (Pa.) Stadium.

Because of Central’s undefeated record in 1965, no playoff was held for the WV parochial crown. The following year saw Central finish with an 8-2-1 record and a Catholic playoff victory over northern panhandle rival Weirton Madonna. Urbanic saved his best coaching performance for last in 1967 as he led the Maroon Knights to the school’s first perfect 10-0-0 football record in school history and an Ohio Valley Athletic Conference title. It was Urbanic’s first OVAC title because, at the time, Central was competing in the conference’s largest division (Class AAA). Once again because of the team’s undefeated record no WV Catholic playoff game was held and Central again was named as the state champion.

Andy left the Maroon Knights after the 1967 season and returned to his native Western Pennsylvania roots. In 13 seasons at Penn Hills High School his teams won four WPIAL and state championships. After 21 years of high school coaching and a career record of 165-53-4 and five undefeated seasons, he spent five years as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh and four seasons at Akron University before becoming an associate athletic director, overseeing football operations and special projects at Florida State University.

Now retired, Urbanic was inducted into the Bethany College Hall of Fame in 1971, the Pennsylvania Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1995;and the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Recently, he received an All-American Football Foundation Award for outstanding administrative contributions for football.