Anthony Macario moves from one familiar situation to another.
The 2005 Pittston Area graduate leaves an assistant coaching position at his alma mater to take over as the new head basketball coach at Wyoming Area, his employer.
Macario spent the last seven seasons coaching in Alan Kiesinger’s Pittston Area program, first on the middle school level, then with the freshmen.
“If it were a position anywhere else, I probably wouldn’t have applied,” Macario said. “I had such a great relationship with Alan and the players and everyone over there.”
Pete Moses left the Wyoming Area program he rebuilt and brought to within a game of a state tournament appearance to take the head coach position at Wyoming Seminary.
“I wasn’t actively pursuing a position elsewhere but when it opened up close to home at some place where I’m at every day and have a great rapport with the students, having taught a bunch of them, it felt like the timing was right for the move,” said Macario, a Middle School English teacher at Wyoming Area.
The Warriors went from 0-13 in the WVC and 0-23 overall in the season before Moses arrived to 30-30 and 45-49 in four seasons that he was head coach. The team won its first District 2 playoff game in 11 years in his last season.
Wyoming Area was 10-7 and 15-10 during the 2017-18 season when the majority of the playing time went to players who have since graduated.
“There is no question that the program is moving in the right direction, but there’s also no question that we have almost zero experience coming back in varsity positions,” Macario said. “I look forward to that. It’s basically a fresh start for everybody, including myself.”
Ian Gilmartin, a 1,000-point Seton Catholic scorer and former King’s College player, will serve as junior varsity coach and varsity assistant. Skip Stocknick will be another assistant. Bernard Edmonds, a Wyoming Area graduate who played at Wilkes, will coach the freshmen.
“ … Our summer turnouts have been great,” Macario said. “We’ve got guys anywhere from ninth grade to 12th grade who have been in the gym working. One of the other reasons why I pursed the position is that I know within the school, there is a lot of talent there.
“I look forward to an opportunity to try to tap into that talent. It’s a challenge for me, a challenge for the players, but a challenge we’re looking forward to.”
Macario said his the team’s offense will cater to the available talent while he teaches what he develops what he hopes will be aggressive and smart defensive approaches by his players.
