Three years ago, Avoca native Alan Kiesi

Three years ago, Avoca native Alan Kiesinger realized a dream.

The lifetime basketball junkie was named the head coach at Seton Catholic after serving as an assistant there for a few seasons under then head coach Joe Long. Kiesinger was all set to continue the success the Eagles had under his former boss as he guided the Eagles through a solid regular-season in the Wyoming Valley Conference during his first year.

Seton Catholic closed under the Scranton diocese-wide consolidation of schools and Kiesinger was out of a job.

“I loved Seton,” said Kiesinger. “It was a great situation and all of the other coaches were great. I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Looking back, the 1994 grad of Pittston Area might have been in the right place at the right time.

Kiesinger got back on his feet quickly, taking an assistant coaching position on Patriots’ Head Coach Jim Blaskiewicz’s staff the following year. After serving two years on Blaskiewicz’s staff, Kiesinger was promoted to take over the varsity team at his alma mater when Blaskiewicz resigned shortly after last season.

“I believe my style of coaching is a mix of all the people who have influenced me throughout my coaching years,” said Kiesinger, acknowledging his former high school coach Stan Waleski, along with Long, Blaskiewicz and former Seton girls’ coach Margie Pace. “I was very lucky to work with such well respected coaches.”

But Kiesinger doesn’t limit himself to only the teachings of those he coached with or was coached by. He describes himself as, “a sponge,” when it comes to coaching basketball, and admits to being a student of the game.

“Every coach is a thief and I am not excluded,” said Kiesinger. “I have learned a lot from scouting teams and watching different coaches.”

The 33-year old is ready for the challenge of taking the Patriots reins, and has an idea already of how he is going to build his program.

“As long as you have athletic players, defense is easier to control,” said Kiesinger. “You never know what kind of offensive players you are going to have. But everyone can play defense.

“Every kid wants to score, but it really comes down to who can stop their man and produce on the defensive end.”

Two weeks into his first season wearing red, white and blue as the head man, Kiesinger is excited for the season to tip-off and plans on coaching the Patriots for years to come.

“There is more pressure as a head coach but I am in a great situation,” said Kiesinger, who will make is Pittston Area debut on Saturday night at Old Forge when the Patriots take on Northwest at 6:15 p.m. in the opening round of the 10th Annual Anthony “Badger” Marseco Memorial Boys’ and Girls’ Tip-Off Tournament. “I plan on staying at Pittston for as long as they will have me.”

PD Pittston Area Sports

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