Former Aliquippa boys basketball coach's future remains in limbo after vote from school board
The future of the former Aliquippa boys basketball coach, who said he was blindsided when the school board voted against renewing his contract, remains in limbo.
On Monday, the Aliquippa school board held an emergency meeting to vote on Nick Lackovich's future. At the meeting, Lackovich faced the board that voted him out.
"I love my players and I'm very certain after they've all been polled since last Wednesday, they feel the same way," he said.
"This wasn't right," he added.
Lackovich said he was blindsided when the school board voted 5-3 against renewing his contract on May 21. During his tenure at Aliquippa across two different stints, Lackovich won eight section titles, four WPIAL titles and two PIAA titles. Lackovich had a record of 185-41.
On Monday, the board voted 4-3 to bring Lackovich back. But the former coach needed five votes to get a majority because the meeting started with nine people.
The board declined to comment Monday night, but Lackovich's former players had a lot to say after the meeting.
"He was a very positive role model to me," said Chucky Humphries, who played for Lackovich in 2016. "That has influenced me throughout my life outside of Aliquippa, how I carried myself in college to get my two degrees, to win championships in college, to play professional basketball. Now I am a father, and now I train and mentor kids. All that is rooted from what coach Nick has done for me."
"He was the first one that actually gave me confidence in myself because I didn't have any," said former player Branden Carer.
"I always got their back," Lackovich said. "I really hope they would have mine."
The board's next regularly scheduled meeting is on June 11.
