Paul McGrane

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Paul McGrane began his athletic career at Elmer L. Meyers High School. During his time as an athlete at Meyers High School, Paul lettered in football for three consecutive years 1973-1975. Paul started at center and defensive tackle under Coach Mickey Gorham, and in 1975 was named as Sunday Independent Newspaper and Wyoming Valley Observer All Scholastic center on the offensive squad fort the Co-Championship football team. In 1976 Paul was selected to play the UNICO East team. Paul’s college football career continued at West Chester State College, where he became a Golden Ram and played on the offensive line from 1976 to 1979. Even though he was outweighed by his offensive line, his teammates and the opposing players by 50 to 75 pounds, he anchored the line for his final two seasons. Upon graduation from West Chester State College in 1980, Paul began his career in coaching. In the fall of 2015 he will be entering his 36^th year of coaching a spectrum of sports which have included football, basketball, track, cross country and soccer. His coaching abilities have taken him to Wilkes-Barre Township Junior High School Year, Meyers, Coughlin, GAR, Solomon Plains, and Elkland. Paul’s first venture in his high school varsity coaching experience was at Meyers High School from 1981 to 1988, when he late James Cross asked him to be an assistant coach for the Track and Field Team. Paul was instrumental in helping the Mohawks win seven District 2 boys team titles and 1 girls team title. With a coaching staff that combined Head Coach James Cross, Dave Boich and Debbie Mitchell, the Meyers program produced 62 district champions. In addition, the 1987 and 1988 Boys team won the PIAA State Team title in the AA division. There were 10 state champions whom were crowned during this era which included multiple championships by Raghib Ismail and Qadry Ismail. The Meyers Spring Relay teams were made up of the Ismail’s, Demetrius Lewis and John Mason. The 1987 Meyers High School 400 meter relay team was the first District II team to win the 400 relay at the PIAA State Meet. Many Districts records were recorded during this era and several still stand nearly 30 years later. Paul’s career took him to Elkland High School to each health, Physical Education and Drivers Education. While there, he also coached the track and field team and was an assistant coach for the boys’ soccer team. In 1993, Paul returned to Luzerne County. He accepted a position at the Red Rock Jobs Corps Center in Lopez, Pa. During this time, Paul coached one year under GAR Track and Field Coach Austin Peoples. It was in 1997 that Paul organized and spearheaded a committee which launched the highly successful Wilkes-Barre Invitational Track and Field Meet. With the passing of James Cross, the meet was renamed in his honor, the James Cross Wilkes-Barre Invitational High School Track and Field Meet. For the first 15 years of its existence, the Cross/WBTFM was the only invitational held in the District 2 area. In 1997, Paul accepted a position in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District teaching elementary Physical Education at the Plains/Solomon Complex. Paul was transferred in 1999 to Coughlin to continue his teaching and coaching career. It was at this time that Paul also took over as the Head Coach of the Track and Feld Team ant Coughlin. While at Coughlin, Paul led a movement to restart the Cross Country teams at both Solomon/Plains and Coughlin. Furthermore, Paul pushed to add Track and Field for the junior high students at Plains Solomon. The success at Meyers track and field followed him to Coughlin High School. He was known for getting the maximum performances out of his athletes. For the last 17 years, Coughlin has held its own on the District 2 AAA and State levels. Four State Champions have been crowned, including Shelley Black and Dannah Hayward. Since becoming Coughlin’s Head track and field coach, there has been a total of 16 PIAA State Medalists, 48 District Champions, and 69 Crusaders have earned the opportunity to compete on the state level. Paul has been fortunate to work with four athletes whom have earned All American Honors (Raghib Ismail, Qadry Ismail, Justin Ryncavage and Shlelley Black). One of Paul’s favorite events is the hurdles, of which 40 entries have competed on the State level in 28 years. In his spare time Paul is a familiar scene on the roads and at road races, having won his share of age groups awards in various races. Highlighting his recreational running was a time of 2:39 hrs./min. in completing the 1989 Pittsburgh Marathon. You will still find Paul on the roads and trails of Wilkes-Barre finding solitude while running with his ipod filled with Bruce Springsteen concerts. Paul is married to his wife of 21 years, Carol (Martin) McGrane and resides in South Wilkes-Barre with their three daughters, Kylee, Rosie and Dani.