STEPHEN “SKIP” KOSKOSKI
2023 NOMINEE – ATHLETE, COACH
Ringgold High School (’79)
Robert Morris University (’84)
- Starred in basketball (center) and baseball (pitcher) at Ringgold High School.
- Helped Ringgold boys basketball team win a section championship and advance to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA state tournament his senior season.
- Labeled the “fastest pitcher I ever had” by longtime former head coach John Kendra, Koskoski won 18 of 20 pitching decisions with an ERA under 1.00.
- He struck out 20 of 22 batters in a 9-0 seven-inning one-hit victory over Belle Vernon Area.
- Helped the Colonials win consecutive ECAC Metro South Division and ECAC Tournament championships with the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances in 1981-82 and 1982-83.
- A four-year letter-winner, he finished as the team’s career-leading rebounder with 608 boards, which now ranks eighth 40 years later.
- The 1981-82 basketball team was the first team to be honored with a spot in the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame.
- Starting center on 1982-3 team which won an NCAA Tournament play-in game 64-54 over Georgia Southern before losing by two points to Purdue.
- Led the 1983-84 team with 157 rebounds.
- Finished with 93 starts in 118 career games while shooting 54.4% from the floor (3-2-555) with 50 blocks.
Coaching
- He had a 23-year coaching career which included 13 years as a women’s assistant basketball coach at Cal U under three head coaches as well as scholastic head coaching stints with Ringgold’s girls and Charleroi’s boys’ teams.
- He started his coaching career with assistant positions at Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Belle Vernon, and Bentworth.