PUP girls basketball Coach of the Year: Union’s Rob Nogay

When it comes time to decide on the Coach of the Year for a given season, simply handing the award out to whoever coaches their team to a WPIAL or state title would be an injustice.

There are several factors that come into play when it comes to the teams that go on to win championships, and not all rosters are created equal — let alone the facilities and resources at a coach’s disposal at any given school. In the eyes of many, taking a once-downtrodden program on a deep playoff run and setting a new standard at a school is more impressive than a coach at a big-time basketball factory who continues to win year after year with a rotating cast of elite players and blue-chip recruits. But if the coach of the upstart program comes up short of winning a WPIAL or state title, is it fair to reward them over another whose team brought home all the hardware?

Fortunately for the voters here at the Pittsburgh Union Progress, Union coach Rob Nogay and the Scotties made things easy on everybody this year.

By guiding Union to its first WPIAL and PIAA championships in program history in his fourth year at the helm, Nogay completed one of the most astonishing turnarounds by a team in any WPIAL sport in recent memory. The Scotties posted a combined record of 14-112 in the six seasons prior to Nogay’s arrival in 2019, and they only finished 5-17 in his debut season.

Three years later, they stand at the top of the mountain in Class 1A — and they don’t appear ready to descend anytime soon.

Union finished with a combined record of 45-9 over the past two seasons, reaching the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals a year ago before going all the way this season. The Scotties defeated section rival Aquinas Academy, 52-35, in the WPIAL Class 1A title game Feb. 4 at Petersen Events Center, then capped off their historic season with a 46-29 win over District 4 third-place finisher Lourdes Regional in the PIAA Class 1A final Feb. 24 at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. Union posted a fourth-quarter shutout in the state championship game to put the finishing touches on a 17-game winning streak to end the season.

For each of these reasons, Nogay is our 2022-23 girls basketball Coach of the Year, as voted on by the PUP sports staff. All WPIAL and City League coaches were considered for the inaugural award. The PUP caught up with Nogay to discuss the most memorable moments of his team’s remarkable journey and what the Scotties’ unforgettable season meant to the community they represent.

Q: Has the reality of what you accomplished this year started to sink in yet?

A: It’s definitely starting to sink in. We got back to school yesterday and today, so I think it’s actually starting to sink in for myself and our team. A lot of congratulations from teachers and people who weren’t able to make the trip. Still a great feeling, for sure.

Q: Was there a nice welcome party waiting for you when you got back?

A: There was. We got back on Friday at about 7 p.m. We had a huge portion of the community here. They had some fireworks for the girls. It was a nice reception for them to come home to.

Q: What does it mean to do this at such a small school in such a tight-knit community?

A: It’s definitely special. This group of girls were freshmen when I got hired. To see their hard work and dedication pay off — the underclassmen look up to those kids. They set the standard for us. It’s very, very special. I’m also a Union resident. I live here, my kids go to school here. It’s a great feeling. I couldn’t be happier for these girls.

Q: Does it make it any more special to win the state title as one of only three public schools to do so this year?

A: I think it does. Again, it’s just, the moment is so special for us. Being a small public school, I think that definitely enhances it a little bit. But just to win the championship is special for us and for our kids. I don’t know if we think about that as much right now. I don’t know if they think about public vs. private. Just thinking about how we accomplished what a lot of teams don’t get to accomplish. I told them in Hershey, “This is as far as you can go. There’s nothing left.” We sent them out on the highest note you can send them out on.

Q: Can you believe the freshmen who went 5-17 are graduating as WPIAL and state champions?

A: If I told you I didn’t [believe it], I’d probably be lying. I didn’t know that we would necessarily be state champions, but I knew this group was special. … Obviously, that was a dream we had together, and it worked out for them. I don’t know if I would have told you four years ago that we would be state champions, but this group was going to do everything they can and give everything they have to try to get to that point.

Q: Is there any reason to think you can’t be even better next season?

A: There’s not many reasons not to think that. I think we’re going to be pretty good. We have some returning players. We’re definitely going to cherish this moment and enjoy it while it lasts before we look ahead to next year. … I have some younger girls coming up, and I think they’re willing to put the work and the time in as well. Hopefully they can make their own niche in Union girls basketball and we can be successful and see how it goes.

Q: Can you describe how vital Kelly Cleaver was to the team this year?

A: I don’t know if I can put it into words. I’ve said in a couple other interviews that in my opinion Kelly Cleaver is the best [Class] 1A player in the WPIAL, and I would even say she’s the best [Class] 1A player in the state. She has so many different talents. Not only is she a scorer but on the defensive side of the ball — Kelly’s offense feeds off of her defense. We had her up on top of our press, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on them with layups.

Kelly is a complete player, and I know Kelly is going to continue to work this offseason, and she’s only going to be better next year. It’s hard to put into words just because Kelly is willing to do anything. She played sick for us in the state semifinals. She’s willing to do anything we ask her to do. She’s definitely a special player and a special kid.

Q: Kylie Fruehstorfer scored 20 points in the WPIAL championship game and 19 in the state finals. Have you ever coached anybody more clutch than her?

A: Kylie is a big-time player. She was built for big-time situations. That’s the best adjective you can give her — she’s clutch. I don’t know if I’ve ever coached anyone who produces more in that situation on that big of a stage. Kylie got pushed into a situation pretty early for us, and she only got better.

Q: What will you miss the most about this group?

A: Again, this is my first group. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye to them, but again, they went out on the highest moment you can go out on. I think what I’ll miss the most about the group in general is just the close-knit, family atmosphere we had. With the season being that long, we’re together more than they’re probably together with their families. It’s a tight-knit group. They were there for each other. They were there through the ups and the downs. We had some rough patches when we were 6-6.

Q: What would you have said if somebody told you when you were 6-6 that you were going to win your last 17 games in a row?

A: I think the group in that room believed that we could. We challenged ourselves with that non-league schedule. … We lost to Shenango, who won the WPIAL [Class 2A] championship, we lost to Blackhawk, who was in the [Class 4A] state championship, lost to Trinity, who is an excellent [Class] 5A team, lost to Canevin once down there at the buzzer, lost to Neshannock.

I’m sure there were a lot of people on the outside who didn’t think that would be possible, but inside that room, we believed that competition and some of those losses were going to propel us to a successful season, and they definitely did. There were growing pains, and we learned from them, but they made us better.

Q: What will be your lasting memory from this season?

A: Probably two memories. The first, seeing that team lift the WPIAL championship trophy, and then seeing them lift the PIAA championship trophy.

Q: I’m guessing the one that comes with the giant chocolate bar is a little bit sweeter, isn’t it?

A: I would say the one with the chocolate bar, for sure. We were in uncharted waters [in Hershey]. We had never won a WPIAL, so that one at the time was the sweetest. But I don’t know that anything can beat going out to Hershey and winning the state championship. … Just sitting back and watching those captains hoist the trophy with their teammates and seeing the look and the smiles on their faces, that’s a lasting memory, for sure.