Mick Vecchio, Rick Pennypacker, Rick Taylor, Terry Bupp, Tom Nola, Pat Monroe and Jerry Wasilack to be inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 29
Written by: Billy Splain on May 20, 2022.
The Pennsylvania Scholastics Football Coaches Association is proud to announce the PSFCA Hall of Fame, Class of 2022
Mick Vecchio, Rick Pennypacker, Rick Taylor, Terry Bupp, Tom Nola, Jerry Wasilack and Pat Monroe will be inducted into the PSFCA Class of 2022 Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 29. The ceremony will be held in the auditorium at Bishop McDevitt high school at 3pm. The ceremony is open to the public. For those unable to attend, this event will be live streamed on Big33.org. Check the website Saturday, May 28 for the link.
For a list of all PSFCA Hall of Fame members visit https://big33.org/psfca/hall-of-fame/members/
Mick Vecchio
Mick won 11 league championships and transformed both the Governor Mifflin program and Berks football during 26 seasons as head coach. His switch to a Veer-style Mid-Line Option offense triggered a wave of success which saw the program win eight league titles in a nine-season stretch and had rival teams adopting similar offensive systems.
Mick retired as head coach following the 2017 season with 181 victories, third-most in Berks football history. He was named Berks County Coach of the Year five times — 1996, 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2017. He was inducted into the Berks Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He compiled a 181-115-1 record.
Mick’s teams won a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 championship in 1996, then 10 more championships after moving to the Berks Football League in 2004. Mick’s final season as head coach, 2017, was one of his finest; it included a win over rival Wilson, a 49-14 win over eventual District 3 champ Manheim Township and a district semifinal win against the state’s top-ranked team, Harrisburg.
Mick’s 2006 team set school record for victories (12) and points scored (373). A year later it matched the wins record and set a Berks County record for points scored (542). From 2010-2015 Mifflin set a record by winning 35 straight league games. Including 18 seasons as an assistant coach, Mick has been associated with the program for 44 seasons, beginning in 1972.
Mick was a two-time All-Berks center at Muhlenberg, graduating in 1968. He went on to captain the team at Moravian College where he earned all-league honors as a center and the school’s scholar athlete award. Mick is thankful for the support of his wife, Chris; sons Mike, Frank and Doc, each of whom played for him; the many dedicated assistant coaches who helped maintain the program; and all of the young men who played for him over the years.
Rick Pennypacker
Rick Pennypacker is a 1972 graduate of Spring-Ford High School where he was three sport athlete. He was a standout linebacker and offensive tackle his junior and senior years and helped Spring-Ford win their first football championship in 1969. He earned a football scholarship to West Virginia University where he played under the legendary coach, Bobby Bowden. Rick was a three-year letterman at WVU earning a BS in Health and Physical Education in 1976.
Upon graduation from WVU, Rick accepted his first teaching and coaching position in Pocahontas County, WV. From 1981 through 1988, Rick was an assistant and head coach in Virginia.
In 1989, Rick was hired as the head football coach at Pottsgrove where his successful career began in earnest. In 1990, he led the Pottsgrove Falcons to their first PAC-10 Championship in school history. While at Pottsgrove, his teams won nine PAC-10 Championships, four District 1 Championships, and achieved six undefeated regular seasons. His over-all record was 237-99-3. He was named Coach of the Year numerous times by Philadelphia and area media, and was awarded the Nike AAA PA Coach of the Year as well as a two-time District 1 Coach of the Year. Additionally,
Rick was inducted into both the Montgomery County Coaches and Tri-County Chapter Halls of Fame. In 2016, Pottsgrove named the high school football stadium in his honor. He was a victorious assistant coach in the Big 33 Game and East-West All Star Game.
Rick acknowledges the hard work and loyalty of his coaching staff and the many talented athletes he coached during his career. He and his wife, Anne, have been married for 46 years and are the proud parents of three children, Elizabeth (wife of Nathan), Ross (husband of Lisa), Matthew (husband of Candice) and five grandchildren without whose steadfast love, sacrifice and devotion, none of his success would have been possible.
Rick Taylor
Rick was a 1965 graduate of Haverford High School. He was an All League and All County performer in football, basketball and baseball. He attended West Chester University where he played baseball and 1 year of basketball. He graduated in 1969 with a BS in Heath and Physical Education and a Masters of Education in 1972. Rick was hired in 1969 at Springfield High School, Delaware County as a Health and Physical Education teacher. He was an assistant coach in football and baseball.
He took of the interim head coaching position in football in 1977 and 1978 and was named head coach in 1981 and remained so until 2000. During his tenure at Springfield, he produced two Central League champions in 1989 and 1994 while compiling 129 wins. Rick was named Coach of the Year in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1994 and led Springfield to its first state playoff appearance in 1994.
While at Springfield, Rick also coached baseball for 10 years before accepting the position as pitching coach at St. Joseph’s University. He coached former Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, who won a World Series with the Phils. Rick also coached Mike Scioscia who played for the LA Dodgers, managed the LA Angels and managed the 2021 men’s Olympic baseball team. He has been honored by both Haverford and Springfield High Schools, with his induction into their Athletics Hall of Fame as an athlete and a coach.
It is with great pride, that he accepts this honor on behalf of the many athletes and coaches who have made this possible. Most importantly, he shares this honor with his wife and two children who have supported him throughout this journey.
Terry Bupp
Coach Bupp is a 1965 graduate of William Penn High School in York and a 1969 graduate of the University of Richmond. Following his graduation from Richmond, Terry served in the United States Army before beginning his career as a mathematics teacher and football coach in the West York Area School District in 1973. Terry was destined to be a West York Bulldog until his retirement in 2006. Terry coached football for thirty-three years, the last twenty-four as Head Coach.
He compiled an outstanding won/loss record of 154 wins, 85 losses, and 3 ties as head coach. His teams were competitive at the county, district, and state levels. During his career, the Bulldogs won 8 YAIAA League Championships and earned 7 entries into the District III Tournament. In both 1988 and 1991 Coach Bupp’s teams won District III AA Championships and entered into the State Tournament. His 1997 team was District III AA silver medalist.
The 1988 State Tournament appearance was the first for any York County School. He was also proud to be chosen head coach for 2 York County vs Lancaster County All Star games in 1990 and 2005.Terry accrued many accolades for his coaching. Coach Bupp garnered Division II Football Coach of the Year honors 8 times and WSBA radio Coach of the Year in 1992.
Terry was also inducted into the York Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 for his coaching achievements. Sharing this honor with his assistant coaches is important to Coach Bupp. Although Terry’s accomplishments as a football coach are numerous, it must be noted that above all else, Terry has always been an exemplary role model for his students in the classroom and his athletes on the field.
Tom Nola
W. Thomas “Tom” Nola exemplifies what it means to be a leader in football and in life. He is a man who is dedicated to his players’ successes over his own. As the head football coach at Clairton Senior High School, Tom answered the call to lead the football program, resulting in a record-breaking sixty-six win streak by the Bears. He carefully explored his players’ talents and guided them to be the best football players they had the potential to be. This attention to ability and talent resulted in his team appearing at the WPIAL championships seven times and winning six. The Bears also won four Pennsylvania State Championships.
Tom’s talent as a coach earned him accolades such as Steelers Coach of the Year, twice, inductions into Heinz Football Hall of Fame, the Italian American Coaches Hall of Fame, WPIAL Hall of Fame, and serving as a Big 33 Assistant Coach.
Outside of his football coaching accomplishments, Tom has also been named University of Pittsburgh’s Teacher of the Year, as the bond he shared with adolescents extended from the football field to the history classroom. Tom was often noted as being the students’ favorite teacher.
In his free time, Tom has always been an avid athlete himself. He continues to play softball well into his retirement, both in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Daytona, Florida.
Most of all, however, Tom enjoys spending time with his family. His greatest inspiration comes from being a loving husband to his wife, Eileen, father to Brooke and Bethany, and grandfather to Jaycee, Austin, Spencer, Baylee, Enzo, Dylan, and Lilianna. Acting as his rock, Eileen would never miss a kickoff, and his mother, Jan, would attend games to support her son, well into her seventies.
Tom would like to thank his family, friends, and football players for all of the joy and opportunities over the years.
Jerry Wasilack
Jerry’s football career began at Jessup High School, where he played from 1953-1956. After being chosen to play in numerous All-Star Games he continued his playing career at East Stroudsburg, where he was named Captain. His senior year East Stroudsburg won the PSAC championship.
In 1965 he was hired by the Lakeland School District to teach Physical Education and serve as head football coach. In his 20 seasons as head coach he compiled a record of 143 wins and 62 losses. During the 1960’s success was not immediate. It was during this decade that the seeds were planted which would bloom into numerous championships at Lakeland high school. Jerry worked tirelessly to improve players, staff, and facilities, often serving as not only coach, but as equipment manager, trainer, and even bus driver.
During the 1970’s the hard work began to pay off. In 1971 the Chiefs won their first Suburban conference championship. The next eight years would yield six more conference championships. In addition to this the Chiefs began to establish themselves as powers in the Eastern Conference as well. They demonstrated this dominance by achieving an unprecedented three consecutive Eastern Conference championships in 1975,76, and 77. After the 1976 season the Chiefs were chosen by UPI as the number 1 team in the state. In 1978 Jerry was named “Sportsman of the Year” by the University of Pittsburgh’s Golden Panther Club of Northeastern Pa.
After dominating the Suburban Conference in the 1970’s The Chiefs headed to the Big 11 Conference in 1980, winning or sharing the conference championship in 1980, 1981, and 1982.
Jerry retired from coaching after the 1984 season, but continued to serve the Lakeland School District as a guidance counselor, and athletic director until his retirement in 1997.
Pat Monroe
Pat is a 1978 graduate of Duquesne High School where he participated in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, Pat was a member of two consecutive undefeated teams and a WPIAL championship. He earned All-WPIAL and All-State honors as a running back and was selected to play in the Big 33 Game in 1978. Pat was awarded a football scholarship to Penn State where he was a four-year member of the football team. He went on to earn a graduate degree in School Psychology from Duquesne University.
After ten years working with delinquent and dependent adolescents in residential treatment, Pat returned to the Duquesne City School District as the School Psychologist. He became the head football coach in 1992 and held that position until the high school was forced to close following the 2006 season. During his tenure at Duquesne his teams won five conference titles, two WPIAL championships, and the PIAA championship in 1993 and runner up in 2005. Pat continued his head coaching career at South Allegheny High School where he was the School Psychologist and Special Programs Coordinator. He led his team to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 26 years. Pat served as the Big 33 head coach in 2015. He was the West head coach for the PSCFA East/West game in 2014. Twenty of Pat’s players received NCAA division 1 football scholarships, and numerous others continued their student-athletic careers at the division 2 and 3 levels.
Pat is extremely grateful to all those who worked alongside him throughout his career enabling him to achieve the success he experienced. The coaches, trainers, managers, ADs, statisticians, and camera men all played a big part in not only the success but also in the enjoyment he experienced along the journey. He genuinely appreciates the efforts and dedication of the 214 Duquesne Dukes and the 134 South Allegheny Gladiators who accepted his direction and mentoring. He has lasting memories of each and every one of them. Pat reserved the highest level of gratitude for his wife Becky and his two wonderful daughters, Sarah and Caitlin, for their sacrifice and support throughout the years.