Scott Lang

It may have ended far too soon, but Scott Lang’s life was rich while it lasted.

Lang graduated from Mars High School in 1988. He went on to coach the La Roche College men’s basketball team for 14 years, tallying 150 career wins and leading the team to a conference title in 2004.

Tragically, Lang died last December after suffering a heart attack during practice. He was 41.

He will be posthumously inducted into the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 16. His older brother, Mike, will accept the honor.

“That’s going to be a tough night,” said Mike Lang. “I’m proud to be accepting the honor for him. I just wish he was here to see it.”

Mike and Scott Lang grew up in Valencia. Their family was heavily involved in sports.

“We were a big baseball family, but Scott really fell in love with basketball,” said Mike. “He started playing in middle school. I was two years ahead of him, but I spent most of my time on the bench. He was definitely the better player.”

Scott Lang also played football and baseball in high school, but his heart remained on the hardwood.

“I think it was the team aspect of 5-on-5,” Mike said. “Not that the other sports weren’t team sports, but the mental part of basketball in addition to the physical, I think Scott was attracted to that.”

Scott Lang graduated from Mars High on the program’s all-time assist list. He starred for two seasons at Butler County Community College before transferring to Clarion University and playing the rest of his collegiate career for the Golden Eagles.

“I know that Scott played a lot up there (Clarion) and he loved the school,” Mike said.

After college graduation, Scott Lang saw an opportunity to use basketball as a vehicle to improve people’s lives.

“After he became a coach, he worked with kids from inner-cities through basketball camps and recruiting kids from places like Newark and Cleveland,” said Mike. “Basketball was a by-product of what he was trying to teach them. He’d stop at a McDonald’s with some kids and before they left, he would make sure they cleaned up after themselves. He would see that they thanked the manager for a nice meal and they always had to have their shirts tucked in.

“He wanted to see them able to move on and do the right thing, live the right way.”

Knowing Scott touched so many lives has helped the Lang family cope with his death.

“We believe there are no accidents in life,” Mike said. “We’d rather have him here, but there are still blessings every day because of my brother.”

Note: The 2011 inductees will be honored at a dinner at Mars Middle School prior to the Sept. 16 home varsity football game against Hampton. A $20 ticket buys admission to the dinner and the football game. For details, call 724-625-9380.