Athletics

York's Parrish Petry named PSUAC men's basketball Coach of the Year

Petry named conference's top coach for the third time

Parrish Petry, Penn State York's head basketball coach, has a serious talk with his team during a timeout at the PSUAC semifinals and championships, held Feb. 18-19 at the York campus. Petry enjoys winning but is also all about the life lessons learned on the court. This is the third time he has been named Coach of the Year in men's basketball by the PSUAC. Credit: Dave McLaughlin / Penn State. Creative Commons

YORK, Pa. — It is all about the team for Parrish Petry, head coach of the Penn State York men’s basketball team. That’s why being named the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) Coach of the Year for the third time, in his opinion, is less about him and more about his assistant coach and players.

“It is nice to be recognized by the other coaches in the conference for this award, as it is a reflection mostly on the accomplishments of our players and assistant coach, Matt Rotonda,” said Petry. “We win as a team and we lose as an entire group. Our team was very successful this year, and I am happy that we were able to share many positive experiences together.”

With a record of 15-1 in conference, there was no question that the men’s basketball program provided an exciting season for its fans and the hope of a fourth championship. Under the guidance of Petry, this young team finished as the top seed in the conference in the regular season, with an overall record of 19-7.

York did not capture the PSUAC championship this year, falling to Penn State Greater Allegheny, 60-58, in the title game on Feb. 19 at home in the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.

Petry became the head men’s basketball coach at York in the 2008-09 season and has built a program now recognized for its consistent success.

He was first named Coach of the Year in 2012-13, when the men’s team won the PSUAC championship for the first time in campus history, and earned a trip to the national tournament in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The PSUAC championship belonged to York again in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Petry earned a second coaching award in 2014-15, and made it a trio of awards by capturing the 2016-17 honor.

"Coach Petry is the epitome of what you want in a coach in that his level of commitment goes way beyond just knowing the game, which he obviously does, but perhaps more importantly than that is the way that he cares about his players,” said Jeff Barkdoll, athletic director at Penn State York. “He wants his guys to succeed not just on the court, but in life as well, and he does a wonderful job of mentoring them in that direction. Since this is his third time being chosen as Coach of the Year, it tells you just how respected he is around our conference, and here at the York campus."

Coaching honors are nothing new for Petry; he was voted Coach of the Year four times in York County. Prior to coming to Penn State York, he racked up more than 24 years as a high school coach in both York and Lancaster counties. During his time as the head boys’ basketball coach at Red Lion High School, the team enjoyed the greatest success in the history of the school, earning five division championships, playing in two Division 3 AAAA finals, three state tournaments, and finishing in the eastern semifinals in 2004.

Petry also knows what it is like to be a high school and collegiate athlete. A graduate of West York High School, Petry was a three-sport athlete in basketball, baseball and football, earning all-league honors in each sport. He also was voted one of the top 10 athletes in West York history. At Shippensburg University, Petry was a four-year varsity athlete and earned all-conference first team honors in his junior and senior years.

He earned a bachelor of science in mathematics from Shippensburg University and a master’s equivalency in education from Millersville University. He is a mathematics teacher in the Hempfield School District in Lancaster County in addition to his rigorous coaching schedule.

To learn more about athletic programs at Penn State York, visit sports.york.psu.edu. In addition to men's basketball, the campus offers baseball, women's basketball, men's soccer, women's softball, and women's volleyball.

Last Updated February 22, 2017

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