North Hills Athletic Director Stepping Down

North Hills School District’s Director of Athletic and Activities is stepping down after more than 20 years. Since assuming the athletic and activities director position in 1992, Dan Cardone has become a nationally recognized and respected figure in athletic administration acquiring numerous local, state and national honors. 

“When I came to North Hills, I saw myself as a caretaker of a proud tradition of athletic excellence, and it was a goal to preserve that legacy. I consider it a privilege and an honor to have served North Hills School District, and I am thankful to the great families and residents of Ross and West View who allowed to me serve them,” said Cardone.

During his career, Cardone was chosen as a Sports Ethics Fellow by the Institute of International Sport and Positive Coaching Alliance at Stanford University. He also was named National Sportsmanship Director by the Institute for International Sport and inducted into the Hampton High SchoolHall of Fame and the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame last spring.

He was named one of the Top 10 Athletic Administrators in the country by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association in 2006 and Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Regional Athletic Director of the Year in 2003. He launched the Student Athlete Leadership Academy and initiated the yearly WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit that since 2009 has taught thousands of student athletes lessons about respecting the game.

During his time at North Hills, he assisted with the improvement of athletic facilities that included the renovation at Martorelli Stadium and Athletic Complex, addition of a 1,400 seat North Hills Junior High gymnasium and creation of a girls softball complex at McIntyre Elementary. He was one of the first athletic directors in the state to earn the title of Certified Athletic Administrator and among the first in the nation to earn the title of Certified Master Athletic Director.

“Dan Cardone has left an indelible mark on North Hills School District and the many athletics and activities programs that he has overseen for so many years. He is a valued and esteemed member of this district’s administration and will be greatly missed,” said Dr. Patrick J. Mannarino, North Hills superintendent.

He started the North Hills School District Community Athletic Recreation Program that allows Ross and West View residents to enjoy fitness classes and district facilities. Cardone helped North Hills High School to be the first building in western Pennsylvania to institute an Asthma Watch Program for student athletes and win the Atlanta Award that recognizes gender equality in women’s athletics.

He served as president of the WPIAL Athletic Directors’ Association and currently serves on both the WPIAL and PIAA boards of control.

“I have been fortunate for the past 23 years to have been able to call Dan Cardone a professional colleague and very good personal friend,” said Timothy O’Malley, WPIAL executive director.

“His insightful, interactive ability was greatly appreciated in working through the challenges of interscholastic athletics in my role as an athletic administrator in three school districts. Recently, Dan has been a very loyal and selfless WPIAL Board of Control member whose dedication and determination to advocate on behalf of the WPIAL has been unmatched. His decision to move on will leave a void that will be extremely difficult fill, not only at North Hills, but also here at the WPIAL.

Cardone is an executive committee member at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Western Chapter. He also has penned nearly 100 articles for various magazines related to coaching and athletic administration and is a sought-after conference speaker on a state and national level.

Before coming to North Hills, Cardone was a social studies teacher for 17 years and head football coach at Seton LaSalle and Indiana high schools for a combined 10 seasons. He is a 1970 graduate of Hampton High School and a 1974 Grove City College graduate with bachelor’s degrees in history and political science. He also holds a master’s degree in political science from Duquesne University.

Cardone, resides in Ross, with his wife, Susan. They have two daughters, Christa and Maria, who are both graduates of North Hills.

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