Chartiers Valley ‘checked all of the boxes’ for new boys basketball coach Corey Dotchin

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 | 7:37 PM

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Corey Dotchin used to listen to podcasts on his drive to basketball practice, but he won’t have the time anymore.

“Now I’ll listen to them when I cut the grass,” said Dotchin, who was hired Tuesday night as boys basketball coach at Chartiers Valley, which gives him a much shorter drive from his home in Imperial.

Dotchin resigned at Highlands last month, saying he wanted to find a coaching job closer to home. He went 55-22 in three seasons as Highlands coach and twice led the Rams to the WPIAL semifinals.

Once he decided to resign there, the Chartiers Valley job emerged as a good fit for him.

“First and foremost was the location,” said Dotchin, adding that the school is about 8 miles from his work and 12 miles from home. “The big reason why I stepped down at Highlands was because of the drive and not being able to fully commit all of my time. Having a school that’s 10 minutes away from my house, I’m able to juggle personal life and get to the gym on a consistent basis with the kids.”

He and his wife, Leah, are expecting their first child in late August or September. There also was the allure of coaching a Colts program that’s won six WPIAL titles.

“They’re known for their basketball tradition and the players that they’ve had,” Dotchin said. “Tim McConnell was one of the best to coach in the WPIAL. That tradition kind of caught my eye.”

Before becoming coach at Highlands, Dotchin spent nine seasons as a Rams assistant under Tyler Stoczynski. He helped Highlands win a WPIAL title in 2020 and finish as the runner-up in 2016.

The Chartiers Valley school board hired him at Tuesday’s meeting.

Dotchin replaces Brandon Sensor, who resigned in February after six seasons. The Colts went 82-39 in Sensor’s first five years, but his final year was cut short after he was placed on administrative leave with six weeks left in the season.

The Colts finished 11-12 overall and lost in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

Dotchin said he planned to get started quickly with a player meeting and open gym next week. The Colts are also committed to play in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club league that starts in a couple of weeks.

“It fit everything that I was looking for,” Dotchin said. “It checked all of the boxes.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Chartiers Valley