Double Duty
There are days in the winter when Freeport boys basketball coach Sean Devinney is thankful for his espresso machine. With him going from one job to another, it helps provide a much-needed energy boost.
“It can make for some long days,” Devinney said. “Sometimes I’ll come to practice on a few cups of coffee and everybody thinks I’m a little crazy.”
This past season — his first at the Yellowjackets’ helm — Devinney steered his crew to a 13-10 overall record and an upset win over Uniontown in the first round of the WPIAL Class 4A tournament.
He also works full-time as a fireman for the City of Pittsburgh, specifically out of Engine 30, which maintains the West End. He runs into something different every day.
“You never know when that call comes in just what you’re going to encounter,” Devinney said. “Sometimes, it can be as simple as helping somebody up or it can be as serious as an extreme fire. The fact of not knowing how each day is going to go keeps it interesting.”
Devinney grew up in Lawrenceville and played basketball at Central Catholic before continuing his hardwood career at Thiel. He planned on trying to find a teaching job in the area after graduating until a friend keyed him in on an open graduate assistant coaching job at Robert Morris.
By day, he attended classes, working toward a master’s degree in special education. His experience as a hoops mentor for the Colonials opened his eyes to a future in the profession, but making a living took precedent.
He migrated to teach outside Arlington, Va. for two years before returning home to do the same at Highlands. He helped coach at Chatham University and Fox Chapel before landing his position at Freeport before last season.
Meanwhile, he chose to leave behind his job as an educator. The change, he said, was one of the best decisions he’s ever made.
“The competitive nature in me kind of came out in terms of just wanting to help people and help my community,” Devinney said. “My family has a big love and commitment to our neighborhood and our city.”
Devinney graduated from the eight-month firefighter academy toward the end of October 2018, joining the same profession his grandfather, George, had once worked in as a department captain for Pittsburgh’s Engine 6.
He can’t easily count how much time he spends between both jobs during the basketball season. He works 24-hour shifts at the station one day and gets the next three off, a flexible enough schedule for him to spend some time in the gym with his team.
“We understand what he’s doing is bigger than basketball,” said Mike Bolla, a crewmate of Devinney’s who’s gone to support the ‘Jackets on a few occasions. “You can see the genuine love he has for his players and that his players have for him ... He’s going and doing something to benefit others.
“That’s why we all got into the job of being a fireman, is to help people.”
In between calls, basketball strategy is what normally occupies Devinney’s mind.
“There’s a lot of odd times that I may be watching film, sometimes in the middle of the night if it’s my turn to stay up,” he said. “Firefighting allows me the time to put the time back into the program ... I’d rather be doing that than watching the TV.”
The sacrifices that his wife, Samantha, makes for him to coach on the side don’t go unnoticed. The couple’s daughter, Keira, celebrated her first birthday in March.
“She gives up a lot for me to be able to coach and she knows it’s something that I love,” Devinney said. “I think she just likes to see the joy that I have in it ... I don’t know if she ever paid attention to a basketball game before we met.”
Devinney was one of four finalists for the 2021-2022 Butler Eagle Boys Basketball Coach of the Year award.
