Even the most rabid WPIAL Class AAAA girls' basketball fans might have had trouble keeping tabs on who went where this past off-season.

		The PG Rankings Girls' Class AAAA: Teams and talent to watch

Coaching changes have swept through Class AAAA.

The most high-profile change is at Oakland Catholic, where Rich Irr takes over for Suzie McConnell-Serio, who jumped to the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx after a PIAA championship with the Eagles last season.

Irr, 36, had been an assistant at Oakland Catholic for three years before being promoted to the top spot in May. He inherits the top spot in the Class AAAA rankings.

"Oakland Catholic is in good hands with Rich," McConnell-Serio said. "I don't think anyone around that program would trust a team to someone they didn't think was the best person for the job. Rich had been with me on the staff and I think he'll do just fine."

The fallout from McConnell-Serio taking the Lynx job was felt under her own roof, as her husband, Pete Serio, left his job at Mt. Lebanon to move with the family to Minneapolis. Dori Anderson, who previously had success at Blackhawk (two WPIAL and two PIAA titles) and was most recently an assistant at Pitt, has taken over the Mt. Lebanon program.

There also is change just down the road at Bethel Park, where Jonna Burke takes over. Burke is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at Bethel Park, and had headed the Butler program for eight season before making the move in May.

"I got to a certain point with kids at Butler that I figured they knew what to expect from me," said Burke, who scored 1,807 in her collegiate career at Pitt.

"Now there are things that I assume our players at Bethel Park already know, but I have to go over it. In a way, it's kind of like starting over from a system standpoint, but I think we'll be OK."

The Butler vacancy left by the departure of Burke was filled by Dorothea Epps. Along with Butler, another Section 3 program is new leadership, where George Vlassich takes over at North Hills.

Change also found its way to Gateway, where the Gators will be led by Jennifer Bruce-Scott, whose old job at Penn Hills has been filled by Justin Stephans. There is transition at Woodland Hills, where Korie Morton, the Wolverines all-time leading scorer, takes over.

Here's a look at the rest of WPIAL Class AAAA:

Section 1

Hempfield posted a 14-0 record in the section last season en route to a 23-6 overall mark. Look for the No. 3-ranked Spartans to be very strong again. Led by Shannon Wanichko, a 6-foot senior forward who averaged 10.2 points per game last season.

No. 4 Norwin fell in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs last season, but look for the Knights to challenge Hempfield for the top spot in the section behind the strong guard play of Pam DeGuffroy and Missy Kovalcin.

Penn-Trafford went 11-12 last season and missed the playoffs, but the Warriors will be paced by 5-9 senior Autumn Himes (15.7 points per game, 10 rebounds per game) and will make a run at the postseason.

Greensburg-Salem senior Laura Klimchock (18.4 ppg) might be the best player in the section.

Franklin Regional had a losing record and still made the postseason last year, the Panthers will have to battle to get back.

Section 2

Albert Gallatin went 14-0 in the section last season, but this year will be much different for the Colonials with all-time leading scorer Loui Hall gone. Hall, a freshman at Duquesne, scored 30.3 ppg last year and finished with 2,442 points for her career. With Hall gone, the Colonials could be in trouble.

Ringgold also lost a Duquesne recruit in Brittany Warren (22.9 ppg) and must find someone to step up in her absence.

Uniontown posted just four section wins last season, but the Red Raiders feature Jocelyn Chandler (27.4 ppg), a 5-9 senior forward who is one of the best individual talents in Class AAAA.

Trinity and Connellsville will be much improved.

Section 3

As always, this section will be one of the strongest in the WPIAL.

No. 5 North Allegheny went to the WPIAL semifinals last year, but lost two solid players, Laura Dudas and Kate Hobbs, to graduation. The Tigers will count on Jess Lang and Molly Friel to be the go-to tandem this season.

Butler went 22-6 last year, but has to adjust to life with a new coach in Epps, and without the departed Kim Nowakowski, a WPIAL Class AAAA all-star last year.

New Castle made the playoffs last year with 19 wins, and should make it back this season.

Annie Zopf (14 ppg) leads Pine-Richland, who just missed the postseason last year.

The surprise team could be Shaler. The Titans were 4-18 last season, but 6-0 sophomore forward Jill DiNucci (15.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is going to be even better.

Section 4

Same old, top-ranked Oakland Catholic will be the class of the section.

The Eagles are coming off a PIAA championship and Irr should lead them to another deep postseason run.

Fox Chapel could be a postseason team this year behind the play of 6-1 senior Meagan Cowher (18.8 ppg).

McKeesport and Gateway will battle the Foxes for a playoff spot. McKeesport has a solid player in 5-6 senior guard Truly Gaston.

Plum will start three seniors and should be better than last year, when the Mustangs won just six games. Woodland Hills should improve with former standout Morton coaching the Wolverines.

Section 5

Burke summed up this section, saying: "It's just a dogfight every night in this section."

The dogfight should be made easier for Burke's No. 2-ranked Black Hawks because of the presence of senior forward April Gratton (17 ppg), a James Madison recruit.

Ohio University recruit Lauren Revesz (18.7 ppg) could be the top talent in the section and should thrust Chartiers Valley into the playoffs.

Upper St. Clair captured the WPIAL crown last season, but the Panthers were depleted by graduation.

Look for Montour to be strong, the Spartans went 17-5 last season and return four of their top six players, including junior forward Haley Gaidosh.

Mt. Lebanon, under the guidance of Anderson, will make the Blue Devils stronger than their 13-12 showing a year ago.