Hall of Fame

 

The Seton LaSalle Catholic High School Hall of Fame honors alumni and faculty of Seton LaSalle, Elizabeth Seton, and South Hills Catholic High Schools with notable accomplishments through their professional and personal lives. These accomplishments are exemplary and tangible demonstrations of the values embodied at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School.

The first awards were presented in 1991. At that time, John T. Cicco was also honored with a special award. Though he was not an alum, he had been so devoted to the school and was a lifetime advocate of Catholic education. It was at that time that the John T. Cicco Lifetime Achievement Award was created in his name and is now given during the Hall of Fame event.

 

 

 

 

After graduating from Seton LaSalle Catholic High School, where he excelled as a football player, Lou began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1985 as a freshman coach. He worked under three head coaches before becoming the head coach in 1993. During his tenure at Seton LaSalle, Lou compiled an impressive 82-47-1 record, securing two WPIAL titles in 2002 and 2004, and leading the team to a state title game in 2002. His tenure included eight playoff appearances and four conference championships. In 2005, Lou took on a new challenge as the head coach at Montour High School, marking one of the most significant decisions of his career. Over 20 years at Montour, he established himself among the WPIAL's greatest coaches, with his teams reaching the playoffs 16 times, advancing to the WPIAL title game five times, winning one WPIAL championship and compiling over 200 career wins. Lou currently serves as both the Athletic Director and head football coach for the Montour School District. In addition to his coaching roles, Lou has contributed significantly to the broader sports community, serving on the WPIAL Softball Committee for 10 years, as president of the MAC Athletic Conference, and as a member of the Southwest Conference Athletic Directors. He is currently the president-elect of the WPIAL Athletic Directors Association. Lou's influence extends beyond the field; many of his former players have returned to coach alongside him, and he has helped over 100 players secure college football opportunities, often with financial aid.

 

 

 

Ralph is an accomplished higher education administrator, educator, author, and consultant. His exceptional leadership journey began in high school and continued through college, where he earned multiple awards and served as student government president at both Seton LaSalle and Duquesne University. He advanced into administrative and faculty roles at Villanova University and Rutgers University, where he currently serves as Assistant Vice President for Organizational Leadership in University Academic Affairs. He also holds faculty appointments in the Department of Communication, Ph.D. Program in Higher Education, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and Executive MBA Program at Rutgers. Ralph has authored and edited 10 books and over 50 journal articles and book chapters. Some of his books include Post-Crisis Leadership: Resilience, Renewal, and Reinvention in the Aftermath of Disruption; Leadership in Digital Contexts; A Guide for Leaders in Higher Education: Concepts, Competencies, and Tools; Leadership in Academic Health Centers: Core Concepts and Critical Cases; and Crisis Leadership in Higher Education: Theory and Practice. He is president of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), an organization of colleges and universities throughout North America dedicated to advancing excellence in higher education through change, innovation, and continuous improvement. Ralph serves on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and co-leads the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science Team Science Core. He also volunteers with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as a member of the Advisory Committee for the John Cardinal Foley Chair of Homiletics and Social Communications. He is an active member of the International Leadership Association and National Communication Association, and he is the recipient of numerous national and local teaching, research, and service awards. He resides in Bucks County, PA, with his wife and three children.

 

 

 

MaryBeth joined Seton LaSalle Catholic High School in 1979, its inaugural year as a co-educational school, as a physical education instructor. Over her distinguished 43-year career, she also served as head coach for the girls volleyball and softball teams, securing 1983 and 1984 WPIAL softball titles, and as an assistant coach for the girls basketball team, contributing to the 1984 WPIAL and state championships. Mary Beth was also an assistant Athletic Director and worked with Chuck Rutter, Brian Geyer, and John Ashaolu. She also had the joy and privilege to moderate her own childrens’ teams when they played Rebel sports and chaired the Physical Education Department during her tenure at Seton LaSalle. As an American Heart Association CPR Instructor, MaryBeth certified all freshmen and sophomores as part of the Health curriculum. MaryBeth’s involvement and dedication to the Seton LaSalle community extended beyond coaching and teaching; she contributed as a ticket taker, chaperone, mentor to young girls, and committee member. After retiring, she continues to serve as a substitute teacher, extending her influence and positive impact on the Rebel student body for nearly 50 years. Her caring nature, positive attitude and even temperament have touched generations of students.

 

 

 

Marianne, a Betsy Award winner at Elizabeth Seton High School, was recognized as the outstanding senior student for her service, school spirit, leadership, and academic excellence. She co-edited the school newspaper, was a National Honor Society member, and received an academic scholarship to Mount Mercy College. After earning a Master’s in Deaf Education, Marianne dedicated 34 years to teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing children throughout the South Hills. She co-authored a series of Sign Language Workbooks and served as both a volunteer and Board member with the American Instructors of the Deaf. Her dedication to Catholic education and faith is evident through her work at St. Agnes and St. Gabriel Church, where she taught elementary education and preschool ministry. Marianne also chaired the St. Gabriel parish raffle for 15 years, was Treasurer of Our Lady of Hope Christian Mothers for two years, and co-founded the Women of Seton. She played a key role in establishing the Elizabeth Seton Legacy Scholarship, which began awarding financial assistance to Seton LaSalle students in 2008. Supported by the Women of Seton and endowed through the Pittsburgh Foundation since 2015, the scholarship provides $4,000 annually to four female students at each grade level and has provided over $200,000 to date. Marianne has been deeply involved in the scholarship’s planning and operations since its inception. In addition to her educational and philanthropic efforts, Marianne has volunteered with the Friends of Forbes Hospice and Forbes Hospice.

 

 

 

John's remarkable journey began in high school, where he excelled both academically and on the football field. His exceptional performance earned him a spot at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he continued to distinguish himself in the classroom and as a player for the Midshipmen football team. Graduating in 1976, John embarked on a distinguished naval career, serving on destroyers in the Atlantic Fleet and later at the Navy Antisubmarine Warfare Center. Throughout his naval service, John received numerous accolades, including the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Battle Efficiency E, Atlantic Fleet ASW Award, Admiral Arleigh Burke Prize and National Defense Ribbon. He was the first in his class to earn the Surface Warfare pin. He also achieved the Rifle and Pistol Expert (sharpshooter) award and was promoted ahead of schedule to Lieutenant and then to Lieutenant Commander. After leaving the Navy, John attended Notre Dame Law School, where he made the Dean's List and served on the Law Review Editorial Board. For the next 30 years, he dedicated himself to serving as a state and federal prosecutor in Northern Indiana. During his tenure, he tried over 125 criminal jury trials, including 31 murder trials and 2 death penalty cases, with only three acquittals. His commitment to justice was recognized when he was named Citizen of the Year by the Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers for his advocacy work with families of murder victims. John's expertise extended beyond the courtroom as he taught trial advocacy skills for the National District Attorney Association and the Department of Justice. He has also served as the National Security and Domestic Terrorism Coordinator for the Northern District of Indiana, focusing on federal child victim felonies such as child prostitution, child pornography, online enticement, and kidnapping. For the past 18 years, John has been a dedicated prosecutor in these critical areas. In addition to his legal career, John has taught as an Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame Law School for the past decade, developing and instructing courses in Cybercrime Law and Cybersecurity Law.

 

 

 

Kevin is one of the most celebrated athletes to graduate from Seton LaSalle Catholic High School. He played a pivotal role in leading the 1988 Rebels to a State Championship and the 1989 team to a WPIAL title. In 1989, he earned First Team All-Conference honors and was named to the WPIAL Finest Five, averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game. He also made the Pittsburgh Press Scholastic Honor Roll and competed in the prestigious Dapper Dan tournament. Kevin received a full basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, a premier college basketball program under the legendary Coach Dean Smith. At UNC, he was a key player on the 1993 National Championship team, led the ACC in blocked shots as a senior, and won multiple college tournaments. Following college, Kevin spent several seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings and also played professionally in Europe. He later transitioned to coaching, leading his U14 youth team to a North Carolina State Championship. Kevin continues to coach and is active in community service, volunteering at the Children’s Cancer Center at UNC and contributing to the MLK Center in Atlanta. He has also donated UNC basketball memorabilia to numerous charities. Professionally, Kevin is now an award-winning pharmaceutical salesman.

 

 

 

Paul’s passion for space exploration began early as he worked at Buhl Planetarium and Observatory and tutored classmates in physics during his time at Seton LaSalle. He earned a BS in Physics from Duquesne University and an MS in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Astronautics from George Washington University. Paul played a key role as a maneuver analyst in the Deep Impact project, which successfully directed a spacecraft to collide with comet Tempel 1. He also contributed to MAVEN, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, which focused on understanding Mars’ upper atmosphere. During his decade-long work with the Cassini spacecraft, he designed hundreds of maneuvers contributing to the discovery of ice plumes on Enceladus and methane lakes on Titan. As the Juno Mission Navigation Team Lead, he oversaw the space probe orbiting Jupiter. Paul has received numerous awards from JPL(Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and NASA, including the prestigious NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal in 2023 for his work on Juno. In addition to his groundbreaking work, Paul has shared his expertise through mentoring programs for NASA BOYS and NASA GIRLS, as well as through educational outreach to grade schools, middle schools, and Seton LaSalle Catholic High School STREAM events.