Cast in bronze: Community College of Allegheny County’s Bill Shay honored by former players, basketball community

Hero. Mentor. Teacher.

“If you can go through life and have someone say those three words about you, then you are a miracle, and you, are a miracle,” said Tim Grgurich, of Bill Shay, who dedicated his career to the basketball program at Community College of Allegheny County on Pittsburgh’s North Side on a video from an event on Saturday at the school. “You have communicated across generations and cultures. You have improved the quality of life for students, players and society as a whole. That is you.”

Before he began his speech, Grgurich walked away from the podium toward Shay’s wife Cindy and gave her a hug before kissing Bill Shay on the forehead.

Grgurich said the hug and kiss is from all of the former players and coaches impacted by Bill Shay.

“I could talk about you all day,” said Grgurich, a former college and NBA coach who lives in Las Vegas, who met Shay through Pitt basketball. “Wherever I traveled in my career it only happened because of you.”

Those words, “because of you” were the sentiment of the crowd of family, friends, players and coaches who gathered in the gym once again with Shay. Just like the good old days, some of the more than 400 men he led on and off the court in nearly four decades joined with his wife Cindy, their daughters Kyle and Erin Hynds and her husband Steve, athletes and friends from the basketball community to recognize Shay for his dedication to Community College of Allegheny County.

For 39 seasons, he took to the court to lead his players — and not just in wins — although he is the winningest basketball coach in Western Pennsylvania history.

Shay went 803-358. Every win came at Community College of Allegheny County. Loyalty kept him there even though he could have gone on to lead Division I, II and III programs. His heart and the dry erase board he drew up plays on were embedded in that gym and locker room.

“We are here to honor you, not because of your remarkable formal wins, but for your remarkable informal wins,” said Larry DiCicco, a former player. “You have 803 formal wins, but your informal wins far exceed your formal wins. Well done, coach.”

It was DiCicco, a North Side native who lives in Mt. Lebanon and played for Shay from 1973-75 who wrote to the school about the idea of the bronze bust at the place where Shay coached for 39 years from 1969 until he retired in 2009.

The bust was made in Italy. Matthews International Corp. handled the entire creative process. It was mounted on a granite pedestal by Gaydos Monument Co. in Canonsburg, which also took care of the installation.

The sculpture is on display in the Community College of Allegheny County’s field house lobby, where Shay walked through to reach the court. It has his overall record etched in the pedestal.

“It’s a privilege to be so honored,” said Shay, 87, from Mt. Lebanon.

Shay watched as his daughters removed the drape from the bronze bust after a 25-minute ceremony and food and beverages from Bistro To Go. Hynds, of Upper St. Clair, said she saw men cry because of how they feel about her dad.

“It was truly amazing to see how many people showed up to recognize him,” Hynds said. “Person after person got in line to speak to him. He was honored for being a remarkable human, and we heard many emotional stories about how he touched people and changed their lives for the better. He’s an inspiration.”

He will continue to inspire young people through a scholarship in his name. Remaining funds from a GoFundMe were presented to the school. It will remain open until Nov. 30 and any additional monies will go to the scholarship fund.

Shay, took the Community College of Allegheny County’s basketball post in 1968 after working as an assistant director with the Big Brother program for two years. He guided the team to a NJCAA Division II national title in the 1989-90 season and was named 1990 USA Today College Basketball Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania.

Shay is the author of the book “Do You Own You.” He co-authored another book with former North Carolina State and Arizona State coach Herb Sendek, who currently coaches at Santa Clara in California, “Education for Life” that deals with today’s student-athlete.

A former U.S. Marine, Shay was tough, but he also was fair, said DiCicco. He said he was talking to Shay about advice for DiCicco who was going to address attendees at the event.

“He told me, ‘be brief,’” DiCicco said with a smile from the event which showed a standing-room only crowd.