PUP boys basketball Coach of the Year: Deer Lakes’ Albie Fletcher

At one time, Albie Fletcher appeared headed for a long career as a football coach, a job title that made perfect sense considering his success as a player.

Fletcher’s excellent career at Carnegie Mellon saw him become a four-year letterman and earn all-conference honors as a defensive back. Fletcher then coached at both of his alma maters, serving as defensive coordinator at Deer Lakes and defensive backs coach at Carnegie Mellon.

But Fletcher has a large family — he and his wife have four children — and the rigors of being a college football coach became too much. So, Fletcher decided to become an assistant basketball coach at Deer Lakes. And, wouldn’t you know, five years later, Fletcher, in his first season as head coach, helped coordinate the best season in Deer Lakes history.

There were lots of reasons to “Fear the Deer” this season, as Deer Lakes captured its first WPIAL championship and advanced to the PIAA championship game for the first time. The historic season has led to a historic honor, with Fletcher being named the very first Pittsburgh Union Progress boys basketball Coach of the Year. All WPIAL and City League coaches were considered for the award that was picked by the PUP sports staff.

Fletcher, 47, is a 1993 Deer Lakes graduate who spent four seasons as an assistant basketball coach for the Lancers under Terrance Parham. Parham did a terrific job himself before deciding to step down following the 2021-22 season. That opened the door for Fletcher, who guided the Lancers to a 21-9 record and a share of a section championship.

Deer Lakes had quite a few memorable wins this season. They included a 70-55 victory at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which ended the Chargers’ state-record 74-game win streak. The fifth-seeded Lancers nailed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to stun No. 1 seed Steel Valley in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals before beating four-time defending champion OLSH in the championship. Following four PIAA wins, the Lancers saw their season end with an 83-55 loss to West Catholic in the title game.

Fletcher and his wife, Tracy, reside in West Deer. Their children are “Straight A’s” — A.J. (21), Aiden (17), Aaron (12) and Austin (10). A.J. is a student at the University of Dayton and Aiden is a junior at Deer Lakes who plays for his father. Albie owns his own business, PMBA Consulting LLC.

Q: You were a football coach for a number of years. What made you go with basketball?

A: I was always involved in basketball. My wife and I run the youth basketball program here. The people running it decided to move on, so we took it over. I played college football and love coaching the sport, but it’s very difficult with four kids due to the recruiting, film work and traveling. It was tough and hard on my family. I wanted to put the focus back on home, and it just went from there.

Q: When you took this job, did you think this team was capable of having the success it did?

A: I don’t know if you could ever set out to think you’ll win the WPIAL championship and play in the state finals, but I never had a ceiling for this team. We just wanted to compete. We wanted to win a section title, get down to The Pete, and make a deep run in states. Those were the goals. We got down to The Pete and won that game, and the state run was beyond belief. I think we were playing our best basketball at the right time. It’s still surreal that we just played in Hershey last weekend. It’s hard to process. That state playoff run is so rapid. I’m still trying to process everything.

Q: Was there ever a moment where you had to pinch yourself to make sure it was real?

A: Yeah, I think when I was standing out on the court at The Pete and seeing the whole community in the crowd and realizing that we were playing in the WPIAL championship. Having the whole community behind us and me being a longtime Pitt fan, it was awesome.

Q: What’s your most memorable moment from the season?

A: For me, I think the win on the road at OLSH in December. I just felt like that gave our program such a boost of confidence that propelled us for the rest of the season. Sort of like a signature win. We saw the film and said, “We can play with these guys.” They prepared, they were focused, and we saw it come to fruition. It was definitely the most pivotal win for the season. You could see the belief from our kids.

Q: How much did the community embrace this team?
A: It’s hard to put into words. Anyone that was at one of our games or saw a film clip, you have to see it to appreciate it. I said it a couple of times, these kids lit the community on fire. The support that we’ve had, not only from the community, but the student body, the young youth players, the alumni, so many people reached out. That’s what it’s all about. I told them, “What you’ve done for the next generations of basketball at Deer Lakes is special,” and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude already.

Q: Where are your WPIAL and PIAA medals right now?

A: One is in my office and one is up in my bedroom. They aren’t displayed. I’m still digging out the mounds of bills and to-do lists from the last few months.

Q: What’s it like sharing this success with your son Aiden?
A: It was awesome. Anytime you have an opportunity like that. I’m harder on him than anybody, but that comes with the territory. During the medal ceremony at The Pete and in Hershey, it was a special moment.

Q: How neat has it been seeing your wife and children be a part of this?

A: Pretty amazing. My oldest son follows us, as well. He’s a former player. He supports us from college, and obviously Aiden being on the team. And the two younger boys play basketball. Them and their friends being there was really special. But I could do none of this without the support of my wife. She’s my biggest fan. My rock. She takes care of our crazy household for many months for me to pursue my dream as a coach.