Pavlechko Remembered as ‘Phenomenal Coach and Even Better Person’

Ron Pavlechko, a longtime State College Area High School football coach and athletic director, died on Friday in State College at the age of 71.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pavlechko family at this time,’ current Little Lions football coach Matt Lintal wrote on Twitter. ‘Coach Pav was a phenomenal coach and an even better person. So grateful for the immeasurable impact he had on so many of us in the State College Football community and beyond.’

A native of Austintown, Ohio, Pavlechko was an offensive lineman at Penn State, where he earned three varsity letters before graduating with a degree in secondary education in 1971. He received a master’s degree from Penn State in 1973.

Pavlechko joined State College Area School District in 1971 as an English teacher and assistant football coach. In 1977, he became head football coach, leading the Little Lions for the next 19 years.

During that time, State College had undefeated regular seasons in 1981 and 1992, the latter team advancing to the PIAA semifinals. The Little Lions won 116 games during his tenure.

Current State College Athletic Director Chris Weakland, who worked with Pavlechko for more than 20 years as an English teacher and coach, said Pavlechko brought out the best in people.

‘He had such a great presence about him,’ Weakland said. ‘When you were in his presence, he lifted people up.

In 1996, Pavlechko became the school district’s full-time athletic director, overseeing the sports program until his retirement in 2011.

‘Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a great leader in our school district and community,’ an athletic department statement said. ‘Thank you Coach Pav for your enduring legacy, remarkable impact and intense commitment to our district students and coaches.’

Weakland said Pavlechko stressed the importance of connecting with students on a personal level every day, something Weakland now emphasizes to coaches.

‘My very first year with Ron he said ‘Make sure you have a personal contact with every player every single day. That is your goal.’ At first I thought he was crazy. I thought, ‘That’s impossible,’’ Weakland said. ‘Then I watched him do it at football practices, going around and talking to each kid. I’m standing there talking to other coaches and realizing, shoot I should be out there talking to these kids. He did it. I challenge our coaches today to do the same thing: connect with our kids at a personal level. Talk with them everyday and make sure it has nothing to do with the sport you’re playing. Talk about class, their life, their home. That’s a goal we have with our kids everyday and that’s something I learned from Ron Pavlechko.’

Weakland added that Pavlechko had the same kind of impact in the classroom and everywhere else he went.

‘He has such a lasting legacy on so many people’s lives. Not only just our student athletes and our coaches but also the average citizen,’ Weakland said. ‘He worked as an English teacher with some challenging students that needed someone to guide them and strengthen them and he served that role.’

Pavlechko served on the Board of Directors of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame and the Board of Directors of the Centre County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

‘Our thoughts are with the friends & family of letterman and former State College Area HS head coach Ron Pavlechko,’ a tweet from Penn State Football said. ‘He had a tremendous impact on the local football community and beyond.’

He is survived by his wife, Barb, two sons and three grandchildren.

Visitation will be held 5-8 p.m. Friday at Koch Funeral Home in State College. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, according to his obituary.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the State College Area School District’s ‘Ron Pavlechko-Gwen Washington Heart of a Lion Fund’ in care of the Centre Foundation, 1377 Ridge Master Drive, State College, PA 16803, or online.

‘Ron is kind of larger than life in many regards,’ Weakland said. ‘When you lose someone who is larger than life it leaves a void. His legacy is going to live on, but you can feel a void with his absence.’