North Hills Hires Longtime Assistant as New Head Football Coach

The North Hills School District didn't have to look far for its next head football coach. 

The North Hills School Board Monday night hired longtime assistant coach and defensive coordinator Pat Carey to succeed in January after 35 seasons.

Carey has been the Indians' assistant head coach and defensive coordinator since 1998. He also served as the team's recruiting and scouting coordinator and parent liaison. 

"Pat Carey has been an integral part of North Hills Football for 17 seasons," said North Hills Superintendent Dr. Patrick J. Mannarino. "There is no doubt he is the perfect person to lead our athletes and continue the program's tradition of excellence."

Carey told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that most of the Indians' coaching staff will stay the same.

"We have good, quality coaches in the [high school] building and that's important," Carey told the PG. "I'll continue to stay with the defense. On offense, just for continuity, there are going to be schemes that might look similar to what we did in the past. But I'm going to have my imprint on the offense also and it's going to have to fit the personnel we have. I think one of the things Jack always did well was fit the offense to his personnel."

Carey has been a part of North Hills football all of his life. He graduated from North Hills High School in 1988. He was captain of the North Hills' 1987 National Championship football team. He has been inducted into the North Hills School District Sports Hall of Fame.

After North Hills, Carey was a four-year letterman in football at James Madison University, where he acquired a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. 

He has taught health and physical education at North Hills since 1994 and currently teaches at North Hills Senior High School. He also serves as varsity assistant coach for the track team.

Carey was named AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003. During his tenure, he helped coach North Hills to the WPIAL playoffs 15 times and to the fewest points allowed in AAAA WPIAL football in 2000. Carey was a member of the Northern Area Football Coaches Association and served as assistant coach in three all-star games and as the associations’ vice president and president.

"Pat Carey fits the mold of what is a long line of outstanding coaches at North Hills," said North Hills athletics and activities director Dan Cardone. "The foundation, which he helped establish, is in place for this individual to have a long and successful tenure as a WPIAL AAAA head football coach.

Carey resides with his wife, Megan, and two sons in North Hills.

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