The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League threatened to hold Greensburg (Pa.) Central Catholic High’s boys’ basketball team out of the playoffs if the school doesn’t suspend its coach for bumping an official, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report. Except, footage from a local television broadcast appears to clear the Centurions coach.

 

The WPIAL ruled Monday that Greensburg Central Catholic coach Greg Bisignani bumped official Mike Tucci after a 66-63 loss to McKeesport (Pa.) on Jan. 18 and issued stiff penalties after another official and two seemingly unbiased area administrators — North Catholic athletic director Mike Burrell and Gateway principal Bill Short — reportedly corroborated Tucci’s claim that an irate Bisignani made contact with him. ”We have no jurisdiction over personnel at schools,” WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley told the Post-Gazette, placing Bisignani’s team on probation through 2014-15 and recommending he attend a coaching seminar. “That’s a district issue. But we do have jurisdiction over schools. Greensburg Central can do what they want. But if they choose not to follow our directive, then they will be kept out of the postseason.”

 

The WPIAL is reportedly demanding a three-game suspension. Seems a bit harsh once you watchWestmoreland Sports Network’s video of the alleged incident. While Bisignani can be seen expressing his displeasure to the official on the tape (Tucci told the WPIAL that Bisignani shouted, “you’ll never work another GCC game again; you need to let the kids determine the game”), the coach attempts to avoid contact with Tucci, who backs up awkwardly in Bisignani’s direction as he tries to enter the handshake line and greet McKeesport’s players — all of which he told the WPIAL at Monday’s hearing. “There was no contact,” Bisignani said via TribLive.com. “Absolutely no contact.”

 

A third official reportedly even backed Bisignani. However, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Tucci, who has been refereeing for more than three decades, countered by telling the local high school athletics governing body that the incident has “affected me horribly. I have a very uncomfortable feeling as soon as I step on the floor.”

Here's the video.

 

 

Y! SPORTS

 

No bump by the coach. He tried to avoid the official.

 

One of my pet peeves for officials is when they dont bolt the floor as soon as the horn sounds. There is NO reason to stay on the floor.

 

Why?

 

Example: Let's the say the coach in question was the winning coach. His team won by 1 but he's still upset about calls. The official , thinking he's Mr Nice Guy, takes the ball to the scorer's table. While doing so the coach says "you effing stunk it up tonight."

 

Whack! Technical. Now the losing team shots two shots. Makes both. Ballgame.

 

Sure the coach should have never said it BUT the official's job BY THE BOOK is to get off the floor immediately.

The WPIAL is so far off base in this deal that they need professional intervention of some type.

 

From what we can see in this recording, the coach did nothing that coaches don't do every game in verbally complaining to an official. The official, as Clyde points out, puts himself square in the middle of the coaches & players and then when the coach attempts to walk around him, the official backs & wheels right into the coach. Are they going to suspend the official for being the one that initiated the contact?

 

Every coach in that association should scratch that official in the future. Guys like him have no business wearing a striped shirt. The official's job is to implement the rules of the game while making as little impact on the game while doing so. A great official typically is noticed as little as possible. Guess this official wanted to make sure he was available to be noticed one last time instead of running off the court with his fellow officials.

The video is proof the coached did nothing to deserve a penalty. What's wrong with those guys??? It appears the referee even initiated the contact by backing into the coach.