Rich Piccinini enters his fourth season as an assistant coach with the W&J football team for the 2019 season.
Piccinini spent the 2011-15 seasons as the head football coach at Peters Township High School where he led the team to the AAAA Great Southern Conference Playoffs during the 2011-13 seasons, the most consecutive playoff appearances in school history and tied for the most overall playoff appearances in school history. Piccinini also coached 26 players to all-conference level, five on the First Team, and produced the only First Team All-State player in school history. He was invited to speak at the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic and the Pittsburgh Coaches Corner Luncheon and was nominated as the head coach for the Tri-County All Star Game. Piccinini also was the author of a published article in American Football Monthly and also served some time as the weight room supervisor and a youth camp director.
From 2009-10, Piccinini served as the Assistant Coach/Secondary Coach of the Upper St. Clair High School varsity team where he helped coach the team to a AAAA Great Southern Conference Playoffs appearance. Piccinini was in charge of coordinating the defensive pass game and organizing and developing the defensive pass game plan and daily practice schedules.
Prior to Upper St. Clair, Piccinini served as the Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Seneca Valley High School where he helped lead the team to a AAAA Northern Five Playoff appearance. In 2006, five of his 11 defensive starters were named an All-Conference Defensive Team (one First Team) and in 2007 had seven of 11 defensive starters on an All-Conference Defensive Team (three on First Team). During his tenure, his defense improved by 18 less points per game. Piccinini liked to mix up his defensive schemes as he coached 4-4, 4-3 and 3-5 sets.
From 2003-05, Piccinini served as the Head Coach for the varsity football team at North Catholic High School. While there, Piccinini also served as the weight room supervisor and athletic study hall coordinator. In 2004, he produced the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League regular season passing leader and was named the head coach for the Northern Area Football Coaches Association North All-Star team where he defeated the City team, 41-3.
Piccinini served as the Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator of the varsity football team at Carlynton School District from 2000-02 where he designed overall game plans for the team and was responsible for organizing daily practice schedules. The team made an appearance in the WPIAL playoffs during the 2001 season.
From 1997-99, Piccinini served as the offensive coordinator at Sto-Rox School District where he was responsible for weekly game-planning and play-calling and designed plays for various offensive styles including the Spread, Pro-Style, Power “I” and Wing “T”. His offense ranked second in Class AA in 1997 and led the 1997 team to an undefeated season and a WPIAL playoff appearance.
At Keystone Oaks School District, from 1991-96, Piccinini served in multiple roles as he was the Defensive Ends and Linebackers Coach from 1991-92 and the Offensive Coordinator from 1993-96. He taught defensive sets and techniques as the defensive ends and linebackers coach and was responsible for passing game schemes under Head Coach John Durham when he served as the offensive coordinator.
Since 1988, Piccinini has been responsible for coaching technique and evaluating talent for college-level players at Metro Index Football Camps in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Piccinini received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Duquesne University in 1990. During his four years at Duquesne, he was a four-year starter, letterman at defensive end and team captain. During his senior season, Piccinini was named an ECAC Division III Player of the Week, made honor roll and was a Pennsylvania College Football Magazine Honorable Mention All-State. In 1991, he was invited to a free agent tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Piccinini attended Keystone Oaks High School from 1984-86 where he played quarterback and defensive end. He was a WPIAL Parkway All-Conference Honorable Mention and, in 1986, was named team MVP, Almanac Newspaper “Fabulous 22”, Almanac Player of the Week and was the 13th-rated quarterback in the WPIAL.
