William R. "Coach" Shay

Bill Shay, beloved basketball coach and mentor at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) in Pittsburgh, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 11, 2024, at the age of 88. During Coach’s career, he became the Winningest Basketball Coach in Western Pennsylvania with a remarkable record of 803 wins and 358 losses.

A native of Mt. Lebanon, Shay began coaching at CCAC in 1969 and led his teams to great success, including a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Championship in 1990. Under his leadership, CCAC Allegheny's basketball team made eight NJCAA national tournament appearances, won eight NJCAA Region XX titles, four NJCAA Interregional titles, and an unprecedented 38 consecutive regional tournament appearances. Shay's teams also secured eight PCAA titles and sixteen WPCC championships. They recorded thirty wins in a season four times and twenty wins twenty times. 

Bill’s impact extended beyond basketball. A former U.S. Marine, he was known for his integrity, discipline, and dedication. A humble man, Shay never counted success in wins but rather by those he helped succeed.  In his career, Coach worked with more than 400 students and athletes, many of whom credit him with teaching them important life lessons that would shape their lives then and through their adult lives. He authored two books: *DO U OWN U*, addressing youth drug and alcohol usage, and he co-authored a book called “ Education for Life“ with Herb Sendek His contributions earned him numerous accolades, including induction into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame (1999), the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1996), and the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame (2011). He also received the Joseph L. "Ziggy" Kahn Memorial Award from the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Western Pennsylvania in 2005. In addition, Bill helped organize the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, a paraplegic wheelchair basketball team in 1977 and was director of physical education at the Sarah Heinz House on Pittsburgh's North Side.

In 2007, Coach Shay celebrated his 800th career win. He was awarded the CCAC Excellence in Teaching Award and the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award in 2006. Shay's influence on and off the court earned him several leadership honors, including the prestigious *LEGENDS IN LEADERSHIP* Award from the CCAC Educational Foundation in 1998.

Bill is survived by his wife, Cynthia, daughters Erin (Steve) Hynds and Kyle Shay, as well as a large community of former players and colleagues. His memory will live on through a bronze bust located at CCAC’s field house in November 2023, alongside a scholarship established in his honor.  

Friends will be welcomed at Laughlin Cremation & Funeral Tributes, 222 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:00 until 7:00pm.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Saint Anne Church (St. Paul of the Cross Parish on Thursday morning at 11 o'clock. Interment will be Private.

 If desired, a Memorial Fund is being establish in Coach Shay’s honor, donation may be made to https://gofund.me/ff726a3c

www.laughlinfuneralhome.com

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