PETER J. DALEY, SR.

The late Peter J. Daley, Sr. had a successful career as a competitor and coach. He was born in Brownsville, Pa. one of five sons, three of whom played Division I College Football.

He was a 1939 graduate of Brownsville High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and track. In 1941 Daley enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served on the aircraft carrier USS Essex as a gunner’s mate in the South Pacific through 1945.

He was in fifteen major battles and distinguished himself by earning a Purple Heart for injury and a Sliver Star Unit Citation.

He played football at Pitt from 1945-1948, was the starting halfback and was heralded by coach Wes Fesler as Pittsburgh’s “Bantam Back”.

Daley started his coaching career at Ellsworth High School, where he coached football, track and basketball along with teaching Physical Education and Health. His 1949-1950 football team won the Class C WPIAL Championship and his basketball team won the Class C Championship in 1951.

In 1952 he coached football, track and basketball at Centerville High School. His Centerville football team won the Class B Championship in 1956. Daley left Centerville in 1959 for Bethlehem Center High School where he continued to coach football, track and basketball. His high school football career ended in 1963 although he continued to coach basketball and track until his death in 1969.

Daley had a short stint as backfield coach at the University of Miami, under Andy Gustafson and served as a field scout for Penn State under Rip Engle and held a summer coaching camps with Penn State assistant coaches, Joe Paterno, T.J. White and Earl Bruce. He also served as field scout for the professional football Pennsylvania Mustangs. Daley’s football coaching career ended with a record of 86 wins, 36 losses and 8 ties for a .692 winning percentage. He was inducted into the Tri-County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Class 2004.

He earned a B.S. in Education, Masters in Education, (Adoptive Corrective Physical Education) and was completing his Doctorate at the University of, Pittsburgh when he died.