INPERSON
STEPPING
UP
to the Plate
After wearing several hats over the
past decade, Bob Bozzuto takes over
as Administrative Vice President for
the Washington Wild Things.
BY KATHY RUDOLPH
Photo courtesy of North Allegheny School District
C
ommuting from his home in the Greensburg area to his office
at North Allegheny (NA) Senior High School in Wexford
for 17 years, and then to Washington County to work for the
Washington Wild Things for over a decade has been no big deal for
Bob Bozzuto.
“I am very fortunate that I only need a couple of hours of sleep,” laughs
Bozzuto, Washington Wild Things new Administrative Vice President of
the Washington Wild Things and NA School District’s athletic director.
“Some people joke about my replying to emails at 1 a.m. The commute is
not tiresome because I don’t see it as work—just a way of life.”
That way of life includes recently being honored with a promotion
from Wild Things head coach to the team’s Administrative Vice
President.
The Washington Wild Things are a member of the East Division
of the Frontier League—an independent baseball league. The team’s
home games are played at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington.
Bozzuto has worn many hats since joining the organization in 2006,
including bench coach, infield coach, hitting coach and third base
coach— all before becoming head coach in 2014. He helped to guide
the team in some of their most successful seasons, including multiple
postseason berths, a club-record 63 wins in 2005 and a trip to the
Frontier League Championship Series in 2007.
“My favorite memories as a coach include a number of things,” says
Bozzuto. “Working with past coaches, dealing with the owners (Stu
and Francine Williams), coaching young guys who are working their
way up to affiliated ball—and especially talking to the fans. I love
Washington, PA!”
Bozzuto has also created memories on the Wild Things ball field
with his youngest son, Anthony. He and his wife, Shelley, are parents to
a daughter and two sons.
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“My son is graduating from Pitt-Greensburg and has played baseball
there,” says Bozzuto, who holds a dual degree in Political Science and
Business from the University of Pittsburgh. “He has grown up with
the Washington Wild Things for nine-and-a-half years as a bat boy and
bullpen catcher, and was very fortunate to have had some experiences
that many people don’t get.”
The move to a behind-the-scenes position will be a positive change
for Bozzuto.
“I know well the everyday grind that goes on for the players and the
coaches, and now I get an opportunity to do the administrative part,”
says Bozzuto. “I will do whatever is needed—whether it is day-to-day
tours, special projects or to simply be someone the staff can bounce
ideas off of.”
Francine Williams is the managing partner of the Washington Wild
Things organization.
“Bob has been with the Wild Things in several key roles throughout
the years,” she says. “With the addition of his tenure as field manager
for the 2014 and 2015 teams, and his experience as the Athletic
Director for North Allegheny, Bob is the best possible adviser to assist
us as we move our sports and entertainment venue into the future.”
Besides his promotion, Bozzuto recently became the recipient of the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association (PSADA) Robert
Buckanavage Citation, in recognition of the exceptional time, effort
and energy that he has devoted to his position at NA School District.
Other PSADA honors awarded to him include the Athletic Director
of the Year, Distinguished Coaching Educator and the Distinguished
Service Award.
But, the Buckanavage Citation means a bit more to Bozzuto.
Bob Buckanavage was an athletic director in the Pennsbury School
District in Bucks County and became t he first executive director of the