Bob Barbieri

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Bob Barbieri is a sports legend in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Actually he is two sports legends. There’s Bob Barbieri the athlete, all scholastic in football and basketball at Old Forge High School, All Southern Conference in college at George Washington University, chosen to play in the North-South College All Star game under legendary coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Darrell Royal.  Following GWU Bob accepted a tryout with the Baltimore Colts. In high school, Bob was an offensive lineman, linebacker and place kicker. He once converted 21 straight placements. In college, he was a starting offensive lineman and linebacker from his sophomore year on. Then there’s Bob Barbieri the football coach, coming to Pittston High School in 1964 and in one year turning a 3-6 team into an 8-3 team which won its first eight games in a row, was ranked in the state, and gave powerhouse Swoyersville all it could handle in a memorable 14-13 Thanksgiving Day loss.  Barbieri the coach was at the helm of the highly regarded Pittston Area High School football program from 1966 to 1988 where he won 148 games, lost 91 and tied 4. He was a combined 159-100-4 with his Pittston High stint included. Barbieri’s Patriot teams won five Wyoming Valley Conference A Division championship and one Eastern Conference championship, which they shared with Shikellamy in 1967. The 1967 team was undefeated going 10-0 during the season before tying Shikellamy 0-0 in the championship game. Bob was a two-time “Coach of the Year” (1974 and 1981). He coached the UNICO team twice (1970 and 1985).  At Pittston Area Barbieri was heralded for his handling of high school All American tailback Jimmy Cefalo, who later starred at Penn State and played for the Miami Dolphins. At Pittston High Bob was also head basketball coach for two years. His coaching duties during his career at Pittston Area include head girls’ basketball coach, assistant boys basketball coach, junior high basketball coach, assistant swim coach and junior high track coach. For his outstanding contribution to the Pittston Area School District Coach Barbieri was recognized with their highest honor in 2014 when the Athletic Field House located in Charlie Trippi Stadium was named the Robert “Bob” Barbieri Field House.  Following his retirement as Pittston Area football coach in 1988, Bob joined the football coaching staff at Wilkes University. Bob and his late wife Henrietta Frati Barbieri raised two adult children: daughter Maria Barbieri Jarrell and son Nick (head football coach at Pittston Area High School). Bob has four grandchildren: Ellie, Mia, Nicholas and Robert.