Apr 7, 2017 2 min read

The Belle Vernon School Board has made its choice for its new girls head soccer coach, and his roots are steeped in the Mon Valley soccer community.

Tom Cameron, who has held five previous head coaching jobs at the high school level, will officially be hired by the district at the April 24 meeting. His hiring is a mere formality and Cameron has been granted permission to meet the team and begin activities.

“I will meet with the girls Tuesday and am excited to start working with them,” Cameron said. “I am looking forward to getting things going.”

After starting the Brownsville soccer program in the 1990s, Cameron served as Ringgold’s head boys soccer coach later in the decade.

After a stint as the Albert Gallatin boys head soccer coach, Cameron went to St. Vincent College, where he was an assistant for the men’s and women’s teams before returning to Ringgold, where he took over the girls soccer team.

Cameron moved on to the Charleroi boys soccer team and resigned after the 2015 season.

Last year, Cameron served as a referee.

“I was still in the game but my heart was, and still is, into coaching,” he said. “Belle Vernon has had a stable program going back to Paul’s (Sasko) days as coach and we will want to improve from there.”

Cameron replaces Dave Richmond, who resigned after one year because of personal reasons.

Belle Vernon athletic director Matt Humbert, who coached the football team at Ringgold while Cameron was the girls coach, said Cameron is a good fit.

“Tom comes to us with a wealth of experience as a head coach at the scholastic level,” Humbert said. “He came well-recommended and is very familiar with Mon Valley programs and we are looking forward to the upcoming season.”

School Board Vice President and Athletic Committee Chair Lou Rood was impressed by Cameron.

“His interview was impressive and he comes highly recommended,” he said. “He has had a distinguished career at the high school level.”

Cameron is bringing on former middle school coach Chico Temoshanka as his assistant.

“I wanted someone within the district and who will make the transition smooth,” Cameron said. “We will work well together.”