GCC hires La Roche’s Salih as girls basketball coach

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, July 31, 2018 | 11:45 PM

Well traveled and ready to take on another new challenge, Samuel Salih will be the next coach of the Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball team.

Salih was announced Tuesday by the Diocese of Greensburg as the replacement for Joe Eisaman, who resigned in April after five seasons. Salih will take over the program starting Wednesday.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to become the next leader of the great program at Greensburg Central Catholic,” Salih said in a news release.

Salih has coached the women’s team at La Roche College for the last four years, including as interim head coach a season ago.

An Allderdice graduate, he has been coaching for 23 years, 18 at the high school level with stints at Vincentian (boys and girls), East Allegheny (girls) and South Fayette (girls),

East Allegheny won a WPIAL title in 1999, when Salih was an assistant there.

Salih, also active in AAU programs in Pittsburgh and Wisconsin, coached at Oregon High School (Wisc.) and led that program to its first regional title in 25 years.

“Sam is described as a good program builder and a very good influence on and role model for young people,” GCC athletic director Dan Mahoney said.

GCC went 90-40 under Eisaman and never missed the WPIAL or PIAA playoffs. GCC has made the WPIAL playoffs 18 consecutive times and has appeared in the state postseason in 14 of the last 15 years.

Salih, who attended Knoxville Bible College (Tenn.), currently is working on a sports management degree at Southern New Hampshire.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.