Continuing to build its athletic program by bringing on board veteran coaches, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Coraopolis has added Chuck Rutter, a the former athletic director at Seton-LaSalle and Central Catholic, to coach the varsity baseball team.

Just being a varsity baseball coach might take some adjustment for Rutter, who has spent 30 years of his career as an athletic director.

One thing he will be used to is being at a Catholic school. He was the AD at Seton-LaSalle for 23 years and before that he served in the same position at Central Catholic for seven years. He graduated from Central in 1958.

OLSH has also brought on board veteran basketball coach Mike Rodriguez and hired former Pitt coach Foge Fazio to help start a football program.

Rutter retired as the athletic director at Seton-LaSalle in 2005 but stayed on as a junior varsity baseball coach working with mostly ninth- and 10th-graders.

"With the AD job [at Seton-LaSalle] there were just too many things going on," Rutter said. "I was interested in getting back into the head [coaching] position. The last few years it was wonderful coaching the young kids. A lot of our varsity kids from years past came back to help me. We worked hard at it and we were successful."

In his 23 years as the athletic director at Seton-LaSalle, the Rebels won several WPIAL championships. Rutter guided the baseball team to the 1995 WPIAL Class AA championship.

He played basketball, baseball and football at Central Catholic and threw the first no-hitter in school history. He went to Michigan State to play baseball and became a student assistant and later a graduate assistant with the Spartans football team. Rutter coached the freshman level football team at Michigan State and went to the 1966 Rose Bowl with the varsity squad.

In the 1970s, Rutter returned to Central Catholic where he was the defensive coordinator in football and baseball coach. On both teams he had the opportunity to coach Dan Marino. Rutter has been a head coach and assistant coach at one time or another in baseball, basketball and football.

He has been encouraged so far with the reception at OLSH. He attended open gyms for basketball and met some of his players, many of whom play baseball.

"I am getting to know the people. It's a matter of starting over and breaking in," Rutter said. "Everything has been very upbeat and very encouraging. Everyone is wonderful."

One full-time assistant is already on board for next year. Sam Zyroll will return to be an assistant coach, the same position he held at the school last season.

Rutter hopes he can reach out to the seniors in the school and have them come out for the baseball team. Only one senior returns to the squad.

OLSH is also moving into a new section this year. The Chargers will join Avonworth, Cornell, Quigley, Sewickley and Vincentian Academy in Section 4-A.

"I am real enthused with the new section," Rutter said. "I know a lot of those coaches and our JV team [at Seton-LaSalle] has played against them."

Last year, OLSH finished 8-10 overall and 7-8 in the section to finish third tied with Cornell.