University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

        Already a highly decorated volleyball coach, Ms. Linda Renzi spent the final nine years of her coaching career at the helm of the Pitt-Johnstown women’s volleyball program and all of them came without pay.  Ms. Renzi chose to give back and served as a volunteer head coach at Pitt-Johnstown.
        Ms. Renzi took over the Mountain Cat volleyball program in 2004 when Pitt-Johnstown was still competing as an independent, before leading the team into the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) in 2008.
        From 2004 through the 2012 season, Ms. Renzi led Pitt-Johnstown to a 136-119 overall record and a 48-41 mark in conference-play.  Her Mountain Cats posted 21 wins in 2008 and appeared in the WVIAC postseason tournament in four of the five seasons Pitt-Johnstown was in the league under her tutelage.
        In 2012, Ms. Renzi was named the WVIAC Coach of the Year after leading Pitt-Johnstown to an 18-8 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the conference.  She coached eight All-WVIAC selections.
        Prior to her arrival at Pitt-Johnstown, Ms. Renzi spent 30 years as the head boys’ and girls’ volleyball coach at Richland High School, located across the street from the Pitt-Johnstown campus.
        Ms. Renzi guided the Richland girls to seven Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) State Volleyball Championships, including four straight championships from 1983-1986, five runner-up state finishes, 25 District 6 crowns, and 28 conference titles. 
        Her Richland boys’ volleyball teams claimed seven District 6 titles.
        In addition to volleyball, Ms. Renzi also coached Richland girls’ basketball teams to  more the 500 victories, and coached a Richland girls’ javelin thrower to a PIAA State individual track and field championship in 1975.
        Ms. Renzi passed away on December 23, 2019 after a long battle with an illness.
        She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Joe and two sons and four grandchildren.