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Top Stories of 2014: #5 - La Salle's Joe Parisi Retires on Top

December 20, 2014

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

Less than a week after La Salle captured the 2014 PIAA class AAAA championship, its second in three seasons, head coach Joe Parisi announced his retirement. It was a fitting end to a career for a man who guided the Explorers to a .656 winning percentage (453-238 record) over his 28 years at the helm.

Unlike the 2012 team that went 24-3 and dominated from start to finish, the 2014 version almost didn't get the chance to make one final run for its coach. After being eliminated from the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs, the Explorers (21-6) were only awarded one of District XII's state berths after eventual class AA state semifinalist Neumann-Goretti beat Roman Catholic twice, squashing the Cahillites chances for a state bid. With the season given new life, the senior tandem of Dom Cuoci and John Scheffey combined to give up seven runs during the five-game winning streak that encompassed the District XII and state titles.

When asked about his sustained success, especially in light of PIAA restrictions against recruiting for athletic purposes, Parisi noted, "We don't need to recruit. We've established a good program. It recruits itself via word-of-mouth."

The program appears to be in good hands going forward, as La Salle hired former collegiate coach Kyle Werman to succeed Parisi. Werman's impressive background includes assistant coaching stints at St. Joseph's, Radford, and George Mason, as well as a playing career at the University of Virginia and in the New York Mets organization.

Top Stories of 2014

#6 - Five PA Players Selected in MLB First-Year Player Draft
#7 - WPIAL Title Drought Continues
#8 - Acceleration of the Recruiting Process
#9 - Duffy One(-Title)-and-Done at Pope John Paul II
#10 - Sub-.500 Seneca Valley Makes Run to State Semifinals
#11 - PBR PA Moves Office to Manheim
#12 - PBR Recruiting Essentials Unveiled

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