Union H.S. basketball coach reignites public vs. private debate with postgame comments

Union basketball coach Mark Stanley said he wasn’t trying to spark a firestorm with his critical comments at the WPIAL finals but instead shared out loud thoughts other public school coaches keep to themselves.

Moments after losing to Imani Christian in the WPIAL Class A boys championship, Stanley said it was “not fair” his team had to play a private school that added a number of transfers in recent months.

His words reignited a public vs. private debate that’s simmered for years.

“You’ve got much more well-known coaches than me that believe the same way I do, but I don’t know if they want to go that route,” said Stanley, adding he understood why coaches wouldn’t want to step into the fire. “Just from the tweets alone, you could see it’s a hot topic.”

Union basketball coach Mark Stanley on #WPIAL championship loss to Imani Christian.

“I don’t know if it was the third quarter or back in September when they got more guys in. … Bring in some more. I can’t stand it.” pic.twitter.com/1ixo9Wd9Qf

— Chris Harlan (@CHarlan_Trib) March 3, 2023

A Twitter video of Stanley’s comments was watched almost 150,000 times, and his words drew a heated back-and-forth between social media users with differing views. Stanley has a Twitter account, too, but said it’s used mostly for checking scores.

“I’m not going to get into that (online debate),” Stanley said. “I read some. Some said my haircut was from the 80s. That’s when I graduated. I’m just glad I have hair.”

Most comments were about his words.

Stanley has coached his alma mater for 16 seasons in two stints, so he understands the plight of the small public school. Since 2008, only one true public school has celebrated a WPIAL Class A boys title.

That was Monessen in 2017 and ’15.

Union was the WPIAL runner-up for the second year in a row. The Scotties lost in the finals last season to Bishop Canevin, 59-45, and this winter to Imani Christian, 64-41.

“We’ve been up against that for quite a while,” Stanley said. “I guess you could say it’s been building. People say it was not the right time and place (to make a statement). I get that, too, but when is the right time and place?”

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• Imani Christian surges past Union to win 1st WPIAL title

Imani outscored Union, 16-0, in a third-quarter stretch Thursday, but in the news conference room at Petersen Events Center, Stanley highlighted another reason he saw for the loss.

“I don’t know if it was the third quarter or back in September when they got more guys in,” he said Thursday. “Bring in some more. I can’t stand it.”

After the game, Imani coach Omar Foster pushed back against Stanley’s comments.

“Have some class with losing and class with winning,” Foster said. “We haven’t said anything negative about any of his kids or him, ever. Have some class.”

Stanley said he wasn’t breaking any new ground with his analysis, downplaying his comments as “a Class A quote by a Class A coach.” He said his complaints were with the overall PIAA system rather than with Imani.

A year ago, Union defeated Imani Christian in a WPIAL semifinals.

Two of Imani’s starters this winter transferred into the school since. One was ruled ineligible by the WPIAL but later cleared by the PIAA. Those two combined for 28 points in the finals.

“They’re not doing anything wrong. It’s not against the rules,” Stanley said. “But I do believe it’s not an even playing field.”

Stanley said the PIAA transfer rules seem inconsistent. He has heard from many supporters since speaking out Thursday.

“I think a lot of people want to say it and have that conversation,” he said. “At the end of last year at the state championships, coaches said the same thing with the Philly schools. I get it. I feel their pain, too.”

Public school advocates have argued for separate playoffs for so-called nonboundary schools, which include private, parochial and charter schools. The PIAA has called that idea a nonstarter under current state law that requires the association to treat public and private schools equally.

Stanley made his comments on the first day of the three-day WPIAL finals, setting a tone for the weekend. A day later, after losing to Deer Lakes in the Class 3A boys final, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart coach Mike Rodriguez brought it up.

“If you want to ask me about recruiting or public-private, our theater arts department had a wonderful recruiting class this year,” Rodriguez said with a laugh. “They’re doing a play, ‘Big Fish.’ They had a wonderful recruiting class. If you want to know about our recruiting this year, you can print that.”

The loss to Deer Lakes ended OLSH’s run of consecutive WPIAL titles at four. Rodriguez said he has heard the public vs. private discussions but has stayed out of the debate.

“I feel bad for the other guys if they feel that strongly about it,” Rodriguez said. “More power to them. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don’t get involved in any of that.”

Among the 12 WPIAL titles awarded this past weekend, eight went to public schools, three were private schools and one was a charter school.

Stanley stood by his postgame comments but said in hindsight he wished he also had emphasized just how well Imani Christian had played in the championship game.

Imani is the second-smallest school in WPIAL boys basketball and has two starters 6-foot-9 or taller, including a sophomore with major college offers. The Saints defeated WPIAL Class 6A champion Central Catholic in the regular season.

“I love how hard they play defensively,” Stanley said, “and their sideline fast break kind of reminded me of Waynesburg in the Rudy Marisa days. That kind of got lost. I feel bad about that.”

Stanley has three sons on Union’s roster, including two seniors. He said the dad in him probably showed after the loss.

Next up for Union is a PIAA first-round matchup Friday with District 10 runner-up Kennedy Catholic. If Imani and Union play again this winter, the rematch would be in the state semifinals.

In case there is a rematch, Stanley already apologized to his players in advance.

“They’re going to have to have my back,” he said, “because I put them up against it. Imani is going to be fired up if they see us again.”