Dutch Harvey returning to coach Yough softball team

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, December 5, 2019 | 2:00 PM

Yough was in Dutch, so it brought “Dutch” back.

Art “Dutch” Harvey has returned to lead the Cougars softball program, which he had run until June when he resigned.

He had been the coach for six seasons but decided to go in a different direction. That direction became a U-turn when Yough’s position could not be filled.

Kelsey Kuhns was hired in October but resigned after less than a month on the job to take a full-time teaching position at West Allegheny.

Harvey, meantime, was thinking about taking root elsewhere. He applied for the Latrobe opening but did so with a curious eye toward Yough’s situation. He withdrew his name from Latrobe and reapplied at Yough.

Now, he is set to begin his second tenure with enthusiasm and a rebooted passion for the program.

“After preaching loyalty and taking pride in your school’s program, it was hard to imagine going to Latrobe,” Harvey said. “When they called and offered, I decided to practice what I have been preaching for years and return to Yough.

“Latrobe is a bigger program, with probably the best pitcher returning in the state this year (Jordan Tallman) along with tons of talent and far more players available. But in the end, it came down to loyalty to the program I helped shape and mold and the players I have coached at Yough.

“I wish Latrobe nothing but the best.”

Harvey has a record of 94-30 at Yough and led the Cougars to a PIAA championship in 2016. The team won four section titles (2015-18) and finished second in the WPIAL twice (2015, ‘17).

He hopes to keep the bar raised in Herminie.

“A lot of times, the teams with tons of talent don’t win. Look at the Cleveland Browns,” Harvey said. “It comes down to coaching, discipline and organization. I know what we have here, and what we have coming up, and we will contend because these girls buy into our coaching and program.”

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

Tags: Yough