Long wait is over: Lifetime assistant takes over at IUP

INDIANA, Pa. -- The 20-year journey is over for Joe Lombardi. But he had fun along the way.
After serving as an assistant basketball coach at seven different colleges for two decades, Lombardi, 46, a native of Sharon, finally has found his first head coaching job.
The former Kennedy Christian High and Youngstown State basketball player and assistant coach was named coach at Indiana (Pa.) University.
Lombardi, who served on Indiana's staff from 1984-87, returns to the Division II school of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference after serving three years on the University of Pittsburgh staff.
Although it took a long time for Lombardi to become a head coach, he said that he "was never overly-concerned about that" because of such a satisfying time he has had being an assistant.
"I had wonderful stops along the way. I enjoyed being an assistant and I looked forward to the day of being a head coach, but I didn't necessarily have to have it. I've been around so many good people and good experiences. I am grateful for what I have," said Lombardi.
His philosophy of life
Helping him to persevere during his long odyssey was living by the philosophy of trying to be a good person.
"I learned most to live your life and treat others with respect and try to help people along the way and good things will happen to you," said Lombardi, a 1977 graduate of Kennedy Christian (now Kennedy Catholic) High where he played basketball for coach Bob Pasci.
Lombardi went on to become a four-year letterwinner at YSU (1977-81) for coach Dom Rosselli, serving as captain his junior and senior seasons, before embarking on his long coaching career.
His first coaching job was as a graduate assistant at Ohio University (1981-82), after which he stayed one year at YSU (1982-83). Then after spending three years on the IUP staff, he switched to St. Francis (1987-92), St. Bonaventure (1992-2001) and LaSalle (2001-03) before going to Pitt.
Lombardi said his former coaches helped shape his character and build his motivation.
"Coach Pasci fostered my love for the game. He helped to power me to be successful. He gave me confidence," said Lombardi, noting that Pasci now is coaching at Twinsburg High.
Rosselli served as model
Lombardi said Rosselli was a model for him.
"Coach Rosselli taught us a lot of core values that had to do with life and basketball. He is such a genuine person who cared about people. You want to emulate your life after someone like that," said Lombardi.
"Coach Rosselli preached a lot when we played about being yourself and not putting yourself before the team. It taught me a lot about having a good work ethic and that carried over in my career.
"Being a captain, I appreciated the responsibility Coach Rosselli gave me. I didn't have a great career statistically. But I mastered a lot of life skills."
Lombardi appreciates the support he got from his YSU teammate and roommate, Dave Baker of Boardman.
"Dave leveled me off. He made sure I made all my classes and I kept my grades up. He was a stabilizing influence," said Lombardi, calling Jeff Covington and Bruce Alexander "the two best players I played with" on the YSU team.
"I was a freshman then and [Covington] was a very talented guy. Bruce Alexander probably had the most humility as a player for his talent. I admired that in Bruce."
Lombardi also has international coaching experience as a member of the 1992 Pan American national team coaching staff which participated in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas against the United States Dream Team.
Lombardi is the son of Joe and Rose Lombardi of Sharon. He also has a sister, Debbie Andrusky, who lives in Hermitage.
Lombardi and his wife Janet, a native of Indiana, Pa., have three children: Dominic (17), Alyssa (15) and Dante (10).