RIMERSBURG, Pa. – One of the most successful coaches in District 9 history, Don “Coach” Stemmerich, passed away Thursday, April 12. He was 91 years old.
When Stemmerich retired from coaching basketball at Union High School in Rimersburg he was the all-time winningest coach in District 9 history with 638 career wins, which still stands as the third-most in D9 history.
The head man at Union, where he taught Math, from 1955 through 1993, his teams were 638-288 and won nine District 9 titles and 12 league championships while finishing second in District 9 three times and qualifying for the PIAA playoffs 14 times. His 1967 and 1974 teams finished second in the state.
Stemmerich was the recipient of the 1974 Rimersburg Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year Award” and his fellow coaches voted him Coach of the Year several times.
A pillar in the community, Stemmerich served several years as mayor of Rimersburg.
Born in Pittsburgh, Stemmerich went to Wilkinsburg High School but didn’t play basketball in high school instead playing at churches around Wilkinsburg.
“I loved basketball,” Stemmerich told the Leader-Vindicator in New Bethlehem in a 2014 interview. “I played in those churches (around Wilkinsburg) and they all had gyms and we’d go there and play basketball. But I wasn’t very tall. That was the problem. Wilkinsburg was a big school and we graduated 500 kids. I was only probably 6-foot-1 my sophomore year and skinny as a rail, and my family weren’t sports enthusiasts and my three brothers didn’t even think about sports. But I loved it.”
Wanting to be a teacher, Stemmerich went enrolled at Clarion State Teachers College (now PennWest Clarion).
By this time, he was 6-foot-7, and Clarion Athletic Director Waldo S. Tippin saw this tall young man playing intramurals.
“I was rebounding and getting above everybody and that’s when he saw me and even though he wasn’t the basketball coach, he was the football coach, he said why didn’t I go out for the basketball team next season,” Stemmerich told the LV. “How many times did you hear about a high school kid who never played high school basketball before making a college team?”
The rest is history.
Stemmerich was a sensational player for the Golden Eagles from 1951-53 leaving the team as the school’s all-time leading scorer at the time with 1,070 points.
He led the Golden Eagles in scoring both as a junior and senior and his 22.5 ppg as a senior in 1953 still ranks eighth in school history while his 21.3 ppg as a junior still ranks 10th. When he graduated, those were the top two marks all-time in school history.
Stemmerich scored a then school-record 38 points during the 1951-52 season in a win over Thiel at Harvey Hall in Clarion. That was one of four 30-point games that season for Stem.
During that 1952 campaign, Stemmerich led the Golden Eagles to a 17-0 regular-season record and an overall mark of 19-1. Clarion advanced to the NAIB Tournament (later the NIAA) for the first time in school history before losing to Utah St. despite 22 points from Stem.
His last-second shot in the NAIB District 30 championship game against Millersville gave the Golden Eagle a 50-49.
Stemmerich was also an outstanding baseball player for the Golden Eagles and had a tryout with the New York Yankees in 1953 while also being drafted by the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA in the 11th round in 1953, Stemmerich ended up entering the Army curtailing any professional basketball career.
“I wanted to be in professional sports,” Stemmerich told the LV. “I had a chance because I was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA in 1953. I didn’t know what to do. And I also had a tryout with the Yankees that summer. I did that for four years at Clarion too.
“That all went by the boards because I had a deferment from the Army waiting for me and we had to go to the service after graduating from college. I didn’t mind it, but I had so many good opportunities and things to do with my life, but you had to go. That was all there was to it.”
Stemmerich was stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia. While in the Army he played basketball and baseball for the base teams.
Stemmerich was inducted into the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. He was inducted into the Western PA Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
In his spare time, Don enjoyed playing golf, horseshoes, and bowling at Ragley’s Bowling Alley. He was a very active member of the Lions Club and American Legion Post 454 where he served as Chaplin in the Military Funeral Honor Guard where he participated in over 200 military funerals.
Stemmerich was a Sunday School teacher for over 54 years. He served as a lay leader for over 25 years at the Rimersburg United Methodist Church. He not only coached but provided individual tutoring and counseling. The kids in Sligo were truly blessed for the 25 years that he ran the summer program. He had arts, crafts, pet shows, and every afternoon they picked teams and played basketball.
Stemmerich was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” (Lewis) Stemmerich, whom he married on Aug. 15, 1953, and who passed away on Oct. 4, 2008, his four brothers, Robert, Richard, Clifford and Victor and dear friend Mark Rummel.
His memory will be cherished by his son, Greg L. Stemmerich of Dubois; daughter, Heidi J. Wimbush and husband, John of Virginia Beach, VA; grandchildren, Holly V. Stemmerich; Breanna M. Wimbush and Kyler L. Wimbush and his wonderful caregivers.
Family and friends will be received from 6 – 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, 2023, and from 2 – 4 and 6 – 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at the Donald A. Stemmerich Gymnasium, Union High School, 354 Baker St., Rimersburg, PA 16248, where a Rimersburg Lion’s Club service will be held at 7 PM on Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Additional visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of services at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023, at the Rimersburg First United Methodist Church, 399 Main Street, Rimersburg, PA 16248, with Rev. John Bargar officiating.
Interment will be in Rimersburg Cemetery, Rimersburg, PA where military honors will be presented by American Legion Post 454 and VFW Post 7132.
Memorial contributions may be made in Coach’s memory to Clarion P.A.W.S., 11348 US 322, Shippenville, PA 16254 or to Veteran’s Memorial Park, 231 Monterrey Road, Rimersburg, PA 16248.
