Successful Belle Vernon boys soccer coach Miele resigns

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, January 18, 2021 | 5:40 PM

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Rob Miele said the adage is true. When it comes to the tail end of coaching stop, you just know.

Miele is stepping down as the boys soccer coach at Belle Vernon after four seasons.

He finished with a record of 57-14-4 with two section titles and four playoff appearances. He holds the best winning percentage by a coach in program history (.787).

Miele also coached at Elizabeth Forward, where he was 18-15-4 with one playoff trip.

Overall, his record is 75-29-8.

Belle Vernon finished 14-3 this season, losing 2-1 to Indiana in a shootout in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.

Miele said he wants to spend more time with his family: his wife, Kaila, and his 11-month-old son, Luca. Diverting attention from them was, at times, troubling to Miele, almost as much as not being able to be around his team more.

Miele and his wife are teachers at Elizabeth Forward.

“I didn’t feel like I could give the time I have in the past,” Miele said. “I think the thing I’ll miss the most about coaching here was the relationships you build with the kids. Once we really start in June, we’re together anywhere from four to six times a week for two-plus hours a day — you really know these kids. Then, certainly just the game, the atmosphere, coaching high school sports is a special thing that I never took for granted.”

Forever a Leopard, thank you BVA! #HML ???? pic.twitter.com/62H1A8FAFm

— Coach Miele (@BVABoysSoccer) January 18, 2021

Miele posted on Twitter: “I’m very convinced that you’re going to be judged on how you are as a husband and as a father and not on how many games you’ve won. From a little boy who played youth soccer at Cedar Creek Park … to (coaching at) The Beach at The Weir, Belle Vernon Area Soccer has been a huge part of my life.”

Miele, who uses social media to keep fans up on Leopards news, recently started a side business, “Sideline Designs,” which will help high school sports programs promote team and player accomplishments on social media.

Miele started using graphics when he coached at Elizabeth Forward in 2015-16 and later became the social media director for Century Soccer.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon