Tim Barletta knows Hazleton Area boys basketball has been held to a high standard since the program’s first game in 1992. He intends to keep it there.
Barletta was named the head coach on Thursday during the school board’s virtual meeting by a 9-0 vote. He was selected after six applicants were interviewed on Tuesday.
Mike Joseph had been the head coach for the past 14 seasons. He reapplied after his position was open but withdrew his name June 23 after the board extended the deadline for applications to July 2 after conducting an initial round of interviews. Joseph, Barletta and another candidate were interviewed the first time around.
Barletta is the brother of Hazleton Area athletic director Fred Barletta. He works as an on-the-road commercial truck tire salesman for McCarthy Tire.
“The school opened in 92-93 and there have been two coaches and I’m going to be the third,” Barletta said. “It’s a great honor to be just the third coach in the school’s history. Bruce Leib and Mike Joseph — the standards are high. Bruce and Michael have done a great job. They’ve kept the standards high and they’re both great coaches. I’m honored to be the next guy, only the third coach in the history of the school.
“But there is a tremendous feeling of responsibility now to keep those standards high like those two guys set.”
Barletta has been part of the boys basketball program for 17 years, including the last 14 as head coach of the freshman team. He was the head coach at the eighth-grade level his first three years. He lettered two years in basketball and three years in baseball at Hazleton High, which merged with West Hazleton and Freeland to form Hazleton Area in 1992.
The program, though, won’t be on the court anytime soon. Only fall sports have permission to begin voluntary offseason workouts under the COVID-19 return-to-play plan set up by the school district. Barletta will use the time to assemble a coaching staff.
Some of Barletta’s former freshman players contacted him prior to his hiring. He told them to work on finer points of basketball until workouts begin.
“I encourage them,” Barletta said. “I tell them this is a good time for your skill work. You can practice yourself — shooting, dribbling, footwork. I’m encouraging them to do that stuff until we get started.”
The school board committee that handles athletics among other items recommended Barletta for the position on June 17. However, the recommendation never reached the complete board for a vote at the meeting the following week. Instead, the board kept the position open until July 2 to seek other candidates.
Joseph posted a 273-81 record and never had a losing season in 14 years at Hazleton Area. His teams won nine Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 championships and six District 2 titles. His position was opened four years ago, but he was retained after he and other applicants went through the interview process.
Barletta will be the third new head coach in WVC boys basketball. Berwick hired Bob Calerco Jr. to replace Jason Kingery in May, and Wyoming Valley West selected Chris Parker to replace Rich Jones in June.