Earlier this offseason, veteran boys basketball coach Paul Sapotichne showed a desire to get back on the bench for the upcoming year. The Oakmont resident applied for a pair of open positions nearby - in his home district of Riverview, as well as bordering Plum. While those opportunities fell through, Sapotichne is indeed returning home, as he was hired last week to reprise his role at Greensburg Salem.

“Greensburg, though I wasn’t born and raised here, is like my hometown now,” said Sapotichne, who previously guided the Golden Lions for 29 years. “If I could’ve had any pick in the WPIAL if the jobs opened…it would’ve been Greensburg Salem.”

His first stint at Greensburg Salem produced nearly unparalleled success, as he won 399 games, including an appearance in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in 2009.

Following his tenure at GS, Sapotichne moved on to Riverview, where he led the Raiders for six seasons. He stepped away in 2021, however, as he battled health issues, including cancer.

As his condition improved the past few years, he frequently attended games in the area, and found the urge to coach again.

“I still have something to give back to the game,” he stated.

Because the Greensburg Salem position opened later than usual after Cam Auld’s departure to Norwin, Sapotichne didn’t initially apply. But after some encouragement from a former Golden Lions player, as well as a former Greensburg Salem principal, he put his name into consideration, and was hired last week.

“I went from being retired and having little to do – my big decision was where I was going to have lunch – to now having meetings on top of meetings,” he joked.

With the start of the season just a few months away, Sapotichne hopes to quickly assemble his coaching staff and acclimate himself to the new roster. He’s also embracing the coach-player relationships that have evolved considerably since when he started his career more than four decades ago.

“I think that they will respect me, and I’m the kind of coach that I will treat them like my own – like my kids. But I also told them that I have disciplined my children before,” he revealed.

He inherits a team that went 4-18 last season, including just a pair of section wins. The veteran coach has already proven that he can turn a struggling program into a perennial contender, though, as he went 2-22 in his inaugural season during the first stint at Greensburg Salem, but turned the trajectory around within a few campaigns.

Sapotichne has both short-term and long-term goals in mind, with the latter being notable since he’s now in his 70s.

“I have no exit strategy,” he stated. “I plan on staying as long as I physically can stay.

“My first goal is to become competitive,” he continued. “I want people to look at say ‘Jeez, they’re a tough out.”’