WPIAL Coaches Corner – Zach Skrinjar

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, February 12, 2017 | 4:52 PM

In this feature titled “Coach’s Corner”, I will be interviewing a different coach every week and asking them questions about their personal life and about coaching. Hopefully their answers will not only shed some light on how they coach their respective teams, but also allow readers to get to know the men behind the fields/courts.

This week highlights Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zachary Skrinjar. Coach Skrinjar is in his 8^th season as head coach of the Foxes, after four years as an assistant. Also a social studies teacher in the North Hills school district, Coach Skrinjar is hoping to bring Fox Chapel their first WPIAL title in 40 years. Let’s take a look inside Coach Skrinjar’s corner:
 

1. Who was your favorite sports player growing up and why?

I’m a big Pirates fan, and I always liked Andy Van Slyke, he played hard and I loved to see him play defense and make diving catches. He played the game the right way and was a team player.

2. What do you usually do for Valentine’s Day?

Playoff Pairings meeting this year! But usually dinner and a movie with my wife.

3. What words of wisdom would you pass onto your childhood self?

Learn from your mistakes, embrace life and its challenges, enjoy where you are at the moment, and buy a lot of stock in a “little” company named Apple.

4. What TV show is your favorite right now?

Modern Family.

5. What are some of your pet peeves?

Negative people.

6. If you could take only 3 things to a deserted island, what would they be?

Gold Bond Powder, Cell Phone, Aiello’s Pizza.

7. What is the most important thing you try to preach to your players every year?

Being unselfish, playing in the present – Know your Role; Do your Job – That’s a sign we put up 8 years ago that all of our players touch before coming onto the court.

8. This is your 8^th season as the head coach of Fox Chapel. What was it like to take over as the head coach for the Foxes after four years of being an assistant?

Anytime you take over as a head coach, one of the biggest transitions is the change in your responsibility. Not only are you in charge of the varsity program but you also need to work on developing your future player’s at the younger levels. I’m very lucky to have a great group of assistants. I feel we do a great job of preparing the varsity guys as well and keeping our eyes on the rest of the program.

9. What is your proudest moment as a high school basketball coach?

On the court probably our playoff run in 2015. Off the court when the players come back to check on the team and the relationships that I have with our former players.

10. What do you normally do in the offseason?

I enjoy going to our friend’s pool, Pirate games and traveling.

11. What was your most embarrassing moment as a high school basketball coach?

None really come to mind at the moment – knock on wood.

12. The Foxes are one of the top teams in 6-A this year. Winning a WPIAL title would bring Fox Chapel their first championship in 40 years. What would that mean to the school and the program?

It would be a dream come true. Especially doing it with the group of players and coaches that we have this year.  The players and our staff have really bought in and to see them be rewarded with a WPIAL title would be such a special accomplishment.

13. How did you decide you wanted to coach basketball?

My dad coached CYO hoops for many years, and I really enjoyed watching him coach. I watched the time and effort he put into coaching even on that level, it taught me a lot about the importance of always being prepared and regardless of the situation that you owed it to your team to give them your best all the time, to put them into a position to be successful. I was also very lucky to have great grade school, high school and college coaches who were all positive influences on me, and fostered my love of the sport. At some point when your playing days are done, you still love the game and you want to stay involved. I felt that for me coaching was the next natural step.

14. How important has your family been throughout your coaching career?

My family has been everything. They have supported me since day one and have never missed a game that I played in or have coached. I talk to my dad after every game and I love doing that, and I get to coach with my brother Gabe. It’s always been a family and group effort with us and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

15. Tell me about how you balance being a basketball coach at Fox Chapel and a social studies teacher in the North Hills school district.

It works out well. I’m so lucky to work for two first class school districts. With the ability to communicate through technology it has been very easy to get any information about the team that I need from FC or my players. It’s funny because I have actually taught a lot of the current NH hoops guys so I enjoy watching them play as well – I still remember having cafeteria duty and talking to Nick Smith and Luke Chutko when they were 7^th graders about the Buccos.  All of my NH teacher friends are also very supportive of what I do at FC (except when we play NH). In 12 years at FC I have built up quite an extensive wardrobe, so I usually wear FC gear on dress down days, and sometimes I get some remarks from my current students but it’s all in good fun.

Tags: Fox Chapel