CRANBERRY TWP — Applications came from all over the country. The job was filled from right next door.

Cranberry Township resident Patrick O’Shea, 47, an eighth-grade teacher at Seneca Valley and an employee of that school district for 24 years, is taking over as head football coach at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.

O’Shea was offensive coordinator under Jason Gildon at CWNC the past two seasons. This is his first head coaching position.

Gildon’s contract was not renewed at the end of last season. The former Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker was 17-6 in two years as Trojans head coach.

“We received more than 50 applications for the position and interviewed eight applicants,” CWNC athletic director Mike Burrell said. “Patrick is a great representative of our school and he has vast knowledge of football.

“He was the perfect choice for the job and in leading this program forward.”

CWNC finished 6-5 last season, losing 71-28 to Neshannock in the WPIAL 2A quarterfinals. That snapped a string of four successive seasons in which the Trojans reached at least the WPIAL semifinal round.

The team was 47-5 during that stretch, including an unbeaten 2013 season that resulted in WPIAL and PIAA championships.

“There is so much history there,” O’Shea said. “The first few days after I was named head coach, I received e-mails from North Catholic alumni dating back to 1944.

“It was pretty emotional, reading through all of them. My wife and I spent three or four nights reading through and answering every one. There were more than 50 of them.”

O’Shea’s father graduated from North Catholic in 1959. O’Shea is the father of seven children, including son Keegan, a senior at CWNC, and son Finnegan, a sophomore center-defensive lineman with the Trojans.

“It will be special, having a chance to coach him,” O’Shea said.

O’Shea is a 1987 Seneca Valley graduate. He served as an assistant under numerous Raider head coaches, including Terry Henry, Rick Shepas, Mike Buchert and Don Holl.

O’Shea was team captain and football MVP during his senior season at Seneca Valley.

“I have a lot of fond memories as a student there and it’s a great district to work for,” O’Shea said of Seneca Valley.

He also looks forward to being the head coach of a Catholic high school.

“I not only get to talk to the kids about football, but about our faith as well,” O’Shea said. “It’s a privilege to help young men to grow and help shape their lives.

“The unique part of this will be in summer practice, when players come in from all over the place ... Shaler, Ambridge, Beaver Valley, Butler County, etc ... and they don’t know each other.

“We will all get to know each other, learn about each other and work together. We want to win. No question, we want to win.”

Besides his years as an assistant coach at Seneca Valley and CWNC, O’Shea spent years as an assistant football coach at Laurel.

He takes over at CWNC after spending 25 years as an assistant coach.

“Patrick is an exemplary person, high quality in every way,” Burrell said. “He will represent our school well.”