Carlow University head softball coach, Bob Sirko, has been named the USCAA’s Coach of the Year for 2016.
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | May 16, 2016 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Bob Sirko, the Carlow University Celtics’ head softball coach, was named the United States Collegiate Athletic Association’s (USCAA) 2016 Coach of the Year at the 2016 USCAA Softball National Championship Banquet held in Akron, Ohio. The awards banquet preceded the opening of the 2016 Small College World Series at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
“This is a well-deserved honor for an outstanding coach,” said Carlow’s director of Athletics, George Sliman. “We are thrilled that Coach Sirko’s abilities have been recognized nationally.”
Sirko, an Aliquippa resident, has been head coach at Carlow since 2006, and has compiled 202 wins during that time. He earned his 200th career victory at Carlow, an 8-4 win against Brescia University on April 29 in the NAIA’s Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. This season was Sirko’s and the Celtics’ fifth straight year with 20 wins, something they accomplished with only two seniors on the team.
Sirko’s Celtics are currently tied for number one in the USCAA’s power rankings, and have the second seed in the tournament. They were consistently ranked second in the USCAA polls throughout this season. The Celtics have ranked first or second in all five years Carlow has been affiliated with the USCAA.
In the past five seasons at Carlow, Sirko has coached 16 All-Americans, including six first team All-Americans. He has coached the most or tied for the most Academic All-Americans in 2012, 2013, and 2014. This season the Celtics have four academic All-Americans, two honorable mention All-Americans, two second team All-Americans, and one first team All-American. He led the softball team to the NAIA Mideast Conference Champions title in 2012.
Sirko, who graduated from Penn State University with a degree in electrical engineering, is active in youth sports in Beaver County. He has served as the president of the Beaver County Girls Fast Pitch League for six years, and is the current president of the Valley Rage Travel Softball Organization. He is also the director of ASA Youth Fast Pitch in Beaver County. Prior to coming to Carlow, he was an assistant for four years at Center High School and helped guide them to three straight WPIAL Championship games and the PIAA championship game in 2003.
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Tech, Ed, and Med” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow’s graduates, curriculum, and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in three major areas: Health and Wellness, Leadership and Social Change, and Innovation and Learning. Carlow graduates are in demand for their professional expertise, in fields ranging from nursing, the sciences, and perfusion technology to counseling, education, and forensic accounting; their entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset; and their ability to manage change. Carlow’s eleven athletic teams are known as the Celtics, a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.