Defensive guru: Long-time coach Berish played key role as defensive coordinator for PIAA champion Leopards
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A 1990 Belle Vernon graduate, Brett Berish was a 5-foot-7 dynamo while playing for the Leopards as a wing back and defensive end under Bill Connors.
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Belle Vernon defensive coordinator Brett Berish (right) and his father Bob Berish hold the WPIAL Class 3A football championship trophy the Leopards won this season.
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Brett Berish has coached under Matt Humbert for two years at Ringgold and since 2014 at Belle Vernon. Berish started his coaching career in 1990.
Brett Berish bleeds Belle Vernon green and gold, from his days as a player to his coaching career.
Berish was a 5-foot-7, 135-pound dynamo for Belle Vernon as a wing back and defensive end for the Leopards under coach Bill Connors.
BVA posted a record of 7-3 when Berish was a sophomore in 1987. In 1988 the Leopards were Big Nine Conference co-champions with a 7-4 record. In Berish鈥檚 senior campaign in 1989 they were Big Nine Conference champs finishing with a record of 10-2.
鈥淚 was 5-7 and lucky to be 150 pounds when I played,鈥� Berish recalled. 鈥淐oach Connors liked guys like me, tough, hard nosed, gritty-type kids. Basically at the end of the day I was maybe slightly above average during my playing days. If it wasn鈥檛 for Coach Connors I probably never would have got to play for a lot of other guys. My life would have gone in a different direction that鈥檚 for sure.
鈥淗e a big influence on my life. It was playing for him and after I was done playing for him I really didn鈥檛 have much interest in going to college to play football. I started coaching with Jesse Cramer and Connors was still at BVA and thought it would be a great idea if I was coaching at the junior high and middle school and it just took off from there.鈥�
Berish has found memories of his playing days with the Leopards.
鈥淲e were co-champs and champs my junior and senior seasons,鈥� Berish said. 鈥淲e had a great bunch of guys on those teams.鈥�
Berish played a lot bigger than his size.
鈥淚 was a linebacker in middle school and my sophomore year they moved me to defensive line and I had a lot of success,鈥� Berish said. 鈥淐oach Connors had a lot of success with smaller guys down in trenches. I loved to play the game and I used my quickness and football IQ to great advantage.鈥�
His teammates appreciated what Berish brought to the table game in and game out.
As a teammate Michael Metikosh remembers Brett Berish: 鈥淯ndersized individual but had that will-to-win attitude. Would play any position to help the team win. Played linebacker in Junior High and moved to defensive end in high school where he learned how to play the position, such as how to take on a pulling guard. He learned how to use his size to his advantage. Brett had a tenacious, non-stop motor.鈥�
After high school Berish embarked on a coaching career and got a college education which led to a rewarding professional career.
鈥淚 went to Westmoreland Community College and worked for Weightman Construction,鈥� Berish explained. 鈥淚 worked for them all through college. I got an associate degree in liberal arts and then went to Cal U and ended up with a teaching degree. In 1997 I started working with at risk youth at the Center for Community Resources based out of Butler. We are in every county in the state. Right now my title is SAP Coordinator. We cover the 14 school districts in Washington County.鈥�
Berish has had an interesting coaching timeline as an assistant football coach.
鈥淚鈥檝e coached under Bill Conners (BVA junior high 1990-1992), Tony Ruscitto (BVA junior high 1993), Gary Dongilli (BVA middle school 1994 thru 2000), Jesse Cramer (BVA 2001 thru 2005), Guy Montecalvo (Canon-McMillan 2006), Randy Walters (Bentworth 2007), Tim Brenen (West Mifflin 2008), Aaron Krepps (BVA 2009, 2010, 2011), and Matt Humbert (Ringgold 2012 and 2013, BVA 2014 to present),鈥� Berish said.
鈥淚 was lucky enough to start my coaching career when some of the best old school coaches were on their way out of the game. I鈥檝e seen many different styles and definitely what 鈥渘ot鈥� to do in my years. For the record, Bap Manzini, Guy Montecalvo, Barry Duhnam and Joe Kroskie were the biggest influences on my defensive coaching career.鈥�
Coaching, like life, is full of ups and downs. One the biggest downers for Berish was getting fired at Belle Vernon after the 2011 season.
鈥淚t a tough pill to swallow because the defenses were really good and I had coached Aaron Krepps,鈥� Berish lamented. 鈥淟ook, at the end of the day he had to do what he did and I think his decision speaks for itself. I love Aaron and I wish him nothing but the best. I coached him and he鈥檚 one of my kids. I was more hurt than anything that it played out the way it did, but I never would have ended up with Matt Humbert and that has turned out really well.鈥�
Humbert guided Belle Vernon to 12-2 record, a WPIAL Class 3A championship and the first state title in school history when the Leopards staged a goal line stand to preserve a 9-8 win over Neumann-Goretti.
Berish, the architect of the Leopards鈥� stout defense, spoke about the effort.
鈥淚t was pretty special, and we will remember it forever,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne-yard line against a South Philadelphia Catholic school. The defense didn鈥檛 give up a point. I am so proud of everyone.鈥�
It was fitting that the defense came up big. Heading into the PIAA championship game, which was played at Cumberland Valley High School, the Belle Vernon defense had not given up a point in the second half of a game since the third week of the season.
The game was a tight defensive struggle, as BVA gained 215 yards on 59 plays while limiting Neumann-Goretti. to 140 yards on 48 plays.
It boiled down to the great goal line stand by the Leopards.
In the closing moments the Saints were mere inches from scoring on consecutive plays and possibly winning the championship, only to be thwarted when quarterback Mekhi Wharton fumbled at the goal line and Aiden Johnson recovered the ball for the Leopards at the one-yard line to seal the win and state crown.
鈥淚 told them there is a thing called football justice and it finally went our way,鈥� Berish stated. 鈥淭hose kids refused to quit. This was one of the quickest defenses I鈥檝e ever coached in my life. Adam LaCarte had a big hit on the quarterback and Anthony Crews came in and swiped the ball out and Johnson picked it up and it was absolutely incredible.鈥�
Berish, 51, gave credit to the woman behind the man, his wife of 20 years Mary Lou. Berish has two stepdaughters, Alexis and Liza. Berish also gave a shout out to his boss Barb Mazza at Center for Community Resources for being so understanding about his coaching career.
Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert gets the last word on what winning a state title meant for his long time defensive coordinator.
鈥淭his is such a good experience for him because he鈥檚 a Belle Vernon alum and native,鈥� Humbert said. 鈥淗e has a lot of pride in that community. Brett鈥檚 the best defensive coordinator you could ask for. There鈥檚 never an argument between us. If there鈥檚 something I see or like, he鈥檚 always receptive to it. I think it鈥檚 very deserving for him for all the time and energy that he put into it.鈥�
George Von Benko鈥檚 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday editions of the 缅北禁地. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.