As a toddler in diapers, Brendan Cypher would often be in attendance at his father's basketball practice.

As a first grader, he was playing organized ball for a school team. When Cypher was a sophomore in high school, he was already adept at breaking down film of opponents.

As a sophomore in college, he had started his own AAU team.

With all that said, is it really any surprise that Cypher became what is believed to be the youngest current boys' basketball coach in the WPIAL at 24? Cypher, a Chartiers-Houston High School graduate, was hired last month by Burgettstown to succeed Ed Goetz, who resigned in May after six seasons, citing health reasons.

"[Brendan] was born to be a coach," said Cypher's father, Jerry, the coach at Chartiers-Houston. "I know a lot of people will say that. But he's really mature well beyond his years in terms of coaching knowledge. It's what he was destined to do."

Brendan Cypher graduated from Bethany College last year with a degree in psychology and is working on his master's at California University of Pennsylvania.

He replaces Ed Goetz, who resigned for health reasons after six successful seasons.

"I'm excited," said Brendan Cypher, adding he has great respect for Goetz. "I couldn't ask for a better opportunity at my age, let alone a better program to start out with."

Although Cypher's age makes his hiring noteworthy, there is another even more interesting storyline.

Jerry Cypher is the coach at Chartiers-Houston and he coached Brendan until his graduation in 2003. The Bucs and Blue Devils compete in the same basketball section, 5-AA. In fact, the two teams have played the final section contest against each other in each of the past two seasons. Traditionally, that game is reserved for a team's top rival.

"It's going to be fun," Jerry Cypher said. "It couldn't have worked out better from the standpoint of having him right now finishing up his master's degree, so he is still living at home. We not only get to face each other on the court but on a daily basis.

"Nobody whom I've been able to talk to can remember a father and son coaching against each other in [an area high school] game ... let alone in the same section."

Brendan was an assistant under his father, who has spent more than three decades as a coach at the high school, college, AAU and youth levels.

"I knew I wanted basketball to be a part of my life for as long as I can remember," Brendan said. "I think I wanted to coach more to be like my dad. He was a role model, and when I was little I wanted to be like he was."

Cypher was an excellent point guard for the Bucs, averaging more than 20 points per game and earning all-section honors in his junior and senior seasons.

He was recruited to play at Bethany but gave up playing after his freshman year to concentrate on coaching.

"As a coach's son, he had a little more insight than an average player," Jerry Cypher said. "From the time he was in high school, he was doing things other high school kids weren't.

"He would be home breaking down film during his sophomore, junior and senior years. [The past four years] he's been helping me in practice. He'd watch film and point out things that I didn't even see."

One thing's for sure: Finding a coach with whom to exchange tapes on an upcoming opponent certainly won't be a problem this season for the Cyphers.

"All you've got to do is come down to the basement," Brendan laughed.

What might present a problem, however, is if, say, the final game of the season between the father's and son's teams has a playoff berth or section title on the line. Last season, for example, Burgettstown knocked Chartiers-Houston out of the playoffs in the section finale.

"It could make for an interesting scenario," Jerry said. "Hopefully, we clinch before then, but you never know."

"I have no intention of losing to him," Brendan said. "No matter what."