A visit with WPIAL champion coach John Neff
|
Background Info: John Neff's coaching career at North Allegheny began in 2004 when he was named head boys & girls track & field coach. Five years later, he took over as head boys & girls cross country coach. Neff has led the boys cross country team to seven consecutive titles from 2009-15. The Tigers boys track & field team has won seven titles (2004, 08, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18) with Neff at the helm, while the girls team has claimed two WPIAL titles (2004-05). Neff has also led the boys cross country tream to two PIAA titles (2010, 2014) and the boys track & field team to a shared PIAA title in 2018. Neff graduated from Forest Hills High School in Cambria County in 1994. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 after competing on the cross country and track & field teams from 1997-99. John Neff's WPIAL Memories. North Allegheny has banners for every sport that list the WPIAL and PIAA titles each team has won. The banners appear in the gym and on light poles in our parking lots. I see the WPIAL cross country banner every morning when I get to school. It's a tribute to how successful all of our sports programs are here at North Allegheny. Our goal every year, in cross country and track, is to win the WPIAL title. I've been fortunate to coach quite a few championship teams in my career. It's a great accomplishment for any program to win a WPIAL title. It shows just how hard the kids have worked to get to that level. Winning also gives the program credibility and allows us to build a winning tradition. We are blessed to have so many good programs at North Allegheny. John Neff's most memorable teams. In 2010, our boys cross country team won WPIAL and PIAA team titles. It had been 11 years since any WPIAL team won a PIAA title, so that was a really special team. Also, in 2009, my first year as cross country coach, we beat Baldwin by 2 points to win the WPIAL title. Every title is great in its own way. |