Marko Thomas resigns position as Greensburg Central Catholic football coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 | 4:53 PM

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With four young sons, including a 1-year-old, and three of them active in multiple sports, Marko Thomas decided it was time to be a dad instead of a coach.

Thomas told his players Tuesday he has resigned as head football coach at Greensburg Central Catholic after two seasons.

Thomas, 42, felt he needed to dedicate more time to his family and his wife, Kerri.

“With four kids, there is so much running around,” Thomas said. “My wife has been so supportive. With the baby, and so much going on with the boys, I didn’t need to put any more of a burden on them.”

There are now four openings for head football coaches in Westmoreland County. Norwin, Greensburg Salem and Mt. Pleasant are looking to hire coaches in the coming weeks.

The Thomases own a day care center and are considering a second business venture, which also would require their full-time attention.

His sons, Landon, 13, Jaxon, 10, and Nolan, 7, play football, basketball and baseball. Youth sports, as any parent knows, can be a year-round investment.

“You tell yourself you can get by with missing one practice here or there, but it adds up and you’re not around as much as you want to be,” Marko Thomas said. “I can’t justify missing their games. I thought long and hard about this.”

With 1-year-old Devin joining the family, changing diapers and returning to Parenting 101 has been a blessing and a challenge.

“It’s been tough on my wife,” Thomas said. “She has sacrificed.”

GCC went 14-8 with Thomas in charge, making the WPIAL Class A playoffs both years. The Centurions lost in the first round each time, including a 36-15 loss to Rochester last season.

GCC won six straight and earned the No. 3 seed before finishing 8-3.

The team endured a trying postseason last year when two assistant coaches, B.J. Farrell and Joe Ostrosky, died within a few days of each other the week of the team’s playoff game.

The Centurions decided to play their first-round game against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

“That really took a lot out of me,” Thomas said. “It was really tough on the kids. We tried to rally around it as a team.”

Thomas coached 17 consecutive seasons — as an assistant at various stops and as the head coach at Connellsville for four years — before arriving at GCC.

“It will be a change, for sure,” he said. “Those first couple Friday nights (without football) will be different.

“I love the kids. They played hard for me, and I appreciated their dedication.”

The Centurions’ previous coach, Bret Colbert, also guided the team for two seasons.

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

Tags: Greensburg C.C.