Referencing his legacy, Jimmy Petruska said he wants to be remembered as a coach who taught life lessons to his players.

“I hope I inspired each one of them through the game that I love,” Petruska said in a news release Wednesday announcing his resignation as Saint Vincent women’s basketball coach after 15 seasons.

An SVC alum, Petruska became the face of the program in Latrobe, turning the Bearcats into a perennial contender in the NCAA Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

“It has been a true honor to lead this program for the past 15 years,” Petruska said. “I have truly cherished all of the professional relationships that I have built inside the Saint Vincent community and on a national level.

“Saint Vincent will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will forever be a Bearcat.”

A 2004 SVC alum, Petruska was just the second coach in the 27-year history of the program. He replaced the late Kristen Zawacki in 2011.

A proponent of fast-paced play and team defense, Petruska finished with a record of 245-110 with four PAC regular-season titles, PAC Tournament titles in 2019 and ’23 and four other appearances in the PAC final.

The Mars High School Hall of Famer guided SVC to its first NCAA Tournament trip in 2011.

“Jimmy Petruska is everything you could ask for in a coach, leader, and mentor,” SVC athletic director D.P. Harris said. “He poured his heart into Saint Vincent women’s basketball and helped shape countless student-athletes into better players and even better people. His championship-level work ethic, loyalty and love for this program will be missed every single day. While we are incredibly sad to see him go, we’re also thrilled for this next chapter in his life and career. He’s earned it.”

Petruska also acknowledged his mother, Dana, a longtime WPIAL girls basketball coach who has mentored him over the years.

“She got me into coaching, and I can’t thank her enough for helping mold me into the man and coach that I am today,” Jimmy Petruska said.

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