When Penn-Trafford girls basketball coach John Giannikas was sidelined with an injury near the end of the 2024-25 regular season, Chuck Fontana and his fellow assistant coaches had an opportunity to guide the Warriors for a game.

Next season, Fontana will be leading the program for each and every game, as he was hired last month to replace Giannikas, who stepped away from the program after 19 years at the helm.

“At first, I kind of wasn’t sure,” revealed Fontana of serving as a varsity head coach for the first time in his lengthy coaching career.

However, the incredible success that the team enjoyed last season, combined with the opportunity to take on an expanded role, albeit briefly, helped steer Fontana’s decision.

“He wasn’t a micromanager. He (let) us coach,” said Fontana, noting that two other valuable assistants – Pat O’Reilly and Bella Long – will return to the bench in 2025-26. Another former PT standout, Olivia Rizzo, will also join the staff this campaign.

While Fontana was alongside Giannikas the past three years as a varsity assistant, he served as a volunteer coach with the middle school program prior to that. He also boasts coaching experience at his alma mater, Jeannette, where he was hired by current Greensburg Salem girls coach Rick Klimchock.

Fontana played football at Jeannette, and learned under a bevy of successful coaches. He also coached football at PT, and preceded Kerry Hetrick as the school’s athletic director.

“I was lucky to play for a lot of great guys and coach under a lot of great guys, and I kind of take some things from them and put it on my own spin,” Fontana detailed.

On the heels of a 25-2 campaign, which also included a perfect regular season for the first time in program history, the Warriors will have big goals again for the upcoming season, despite the change at the top.

“We played as a team last year, and that got us where we were,” Fontana stated.

“John built it into the program we have now,” he continued. “I want to continue that tradition.”