ROBERT JUNKO

Bob Junko, currently defensive tackles coach at the University of Pittsburgh, began his athletic career as a wrestler, football and baseball player in Washington, PA.

He was captain of the Trinity High School football team, winning All-Conference, All-WPIAL and All-State honors. He was a member of the Big 33 team that defeated Texas for the only Pennsylvania victory in the series.

He was a Section champion and WPIAL finalist wrestler in 1964, and was a catcher on the Section champion Hiller baseball team, with most runs batted in and most home runs scored that season. In his senior year, he was selected Trinity’s Most Valuable Player in football, wrestling and baseball.

In 1964, Bob accepted a scholarship to the University of Tulsa to play on the Golden Hurricane football team. While at Tulsa, he earned honors twice as a Missouri Valley Conference selection, and in 1967, was twice named Associated Press Lineman of the Week and was a third team All-American pick.

Junko began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Tulsa in 1968; became freshman coach, coached linebackers and then became defensive coordinator. He moved to Texas Christian University in 1976 as linebacker coach and defensive coordinator and became assistant head coach. He came back home, to the University of Pittsburgh in 1982, then left in 1985 for Northwestern University. He became defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 1988, later assuming similar responsibilities at Kent State.

He returned to Pitt in 1997.

Coach Junko is proud of the fact that he has recruited more than 100 student athletes from Western Pennsylvania as scholarship players for teams where he has been coaching – among them have been he and wife Judy’s three sons. Jeff and Mike played for Akron; and Jay is currently a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh.