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By BOB NOCEK; Times Leader Hazleton Sports Editor
Saturday, January 21, 1995 Page: 7B
HAZLETON — After 22 years teaching and 15 years as athletic director at
Bishop Hafey High School, Phil Andras found leaving wasn’t so easy.
“It was pretty tough saying my goodbyes to the kids and faculty,” said
Andras, whose final day at the school was Friday.
He’s leaving for a job at Leader Data Processing in the Valmont Industrial
Park in West Hazleton, where he’ll manage accounts.
“Another opportunity came along,” he said. “Today was my last day at
school.”
Andras made his decision to leave in early December, and informed the Hafey
staff and students by the second week of December.
“I wanted to give them about four weeks to try to cover some bases,” he
said.
Tom Kostic will serve as interim athletic director while the school
searches for a full-time replacement. Joe Clark has been hired to fill Andras’
teaching position.
Andras, who lives in Hazleton, has seen Hafey through some major athletic
department transitions in his 15 years.
The school started a football team just after Andras took over, and after
several years at the old Raiders field moved to a new field at the high
school, building a field house and setting up new bleachers.
Early in Andras’ career the Vikings became a basketball power, first in
District 11, then later in District 2 when they joined the Wyoming Valley
Conference.
But it’s the students, he says, that stand out.
“It’s always the kids,” Andras said. “There’s no question about it. The
rewarding aspect has always been the students.”
Andras said he plans to remain active at Bishop Hafey, where his son Jason
is a senior.
“I’m only leaving one arena,” he said.
Andras plans to continue development efforts and will remain as the
school’s ski club moderator.
“I don’t want to leave entirely, I just want to change a few things,”
Andras said. “In terms of working with youngsters, I’ll do that one way or
another.”
I
t was pretty tough saying my goodbyes to the kids and faculty.
Phil Andras former Bishop Hafey athletic director on his final day at
school
PHIL ANDRAS