Lewandowski

BUTLER TWP — The opportunity was too good to pass up.

Joe Lewandowski was approved as the new Butler High School varsity girls basketball coach at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

“The opportunity presented itself and it wasn’t expected,” said Lewandowski, who began this season as the assistant coach for Dick Hartung with the Butler County Community College men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Lewandowski had served as Butler varsity boys basketball coach for seven years, compiling a 74-88 record with one WPIAL playoff appearance from 2002 through 2009. He was also boys varsity coach at Deer Lakes for one season.

He replaced the late Joe Spino as Hartung’s assistant coach this season. Hartung was Lewandowski’s assistant with the Butler varsity boys team.

“Dick has been a role model, a mentor, a second father figure at times to me,” Lewandowski said. “Every day at practice with him in the gym is like a coaching clinic. I talked to him about this job and he told me to go for it. He gave me great words of encouragement.

“I would not have gone after it otherwise. His (assistant) situation is being resolved and that’s important to me, too.”

Lewandowski has ample experience coaching girls in basketball.

“Joe has been working with girls youth basketball in our district for the past couple of years and has had ample success coaching girls for USA Basketball,” Butler athletic director Bill Mylan said.

“He is a good fit for the program and the transition should be smooth.”

Lewandowski has coached Butler girls in grades 3 through 8 for the past two years. He guided the USA Basketball U-18 girls to the silver medal at the FIBA 3-on-3 World Championships last summer and has led the team to gold medals twice before.

He was scheduled to take charge of practice today. Jerry Markle, a prospective assistant,, has been running the girls basketball practices since Dorothea Epps resigned as coach three weeks ago. Markle was approved as an assistant coach Tuesday.

Former Butler basketball standout Mark Maier, former BC3 and Moniteau player Ashley Brehm are Lewandowski’s other prospective assistants.

“It’s definitely a challenge, this situation,” Lewandowski said of taking over the program three days before its first game. “It will be challenging from the strategic side, but that’s the beauty of coaching.

“This is challenging to the ladies as well. They’ve been in flux, in limbo, not knowing what was going to happen. It’s a great life lesson to learn. You compete when you face adversity. That’s all you’re asked to do.”

Lewandowski will be joined by Markle on the bench for Butler when it opens the 2015-16 season at 3 p.m. Friday. The Golden Tornado will play Hickory in the Armstrong Tournament.

“We like the head coach to have input in who the assistants will be,” Mylan said. “We will recommend assistant coaches to the board next week.

“If a recommended assistant has already been involved in coaching here and has previous clearance, that person could be available to help out this weekend.”

Mylan said there were six applicants for the vacated head coaching position. Butler finished 7-15 last season.

Lewandowski is a history teacher in the district.