A pair of former WPIAL standouts from Westmoreland County are joining the coaching ranks as graduate assistants at Mercyhurst.

Chris Ralph, a former top-tier goalkeeper for Penn State Behrend, will help with the men’s soccer team. Ralph is a Franklin Regional graduate.

Devin Austin, meantime, who starred as a wrestler at Pitt-Johnstown after a solid high school career at Penn-Trafford, will be part of the Lakers wrestling staff.

Ralph, a two-time All-American, will coach in Erie for the next two seasons. He has played recently in the National Premier Soccer League for the Erie Commodores.

He had a 43-9-6 record in three years at Behrend, to go with a .802 save percentage and a 0.73 goals-against average.

He was the AMCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 after he posted 10 shutouts. Behrend won two conference titles and made the NCAA Tournament twice with Ralph between the pipes.

Austin, a three-time All-American on the mat, will coach for the 2020-21 season.

He made the NCAA Division II Tournament four times and finished his career with a 75-34 mark, including 45 dual-meet wins.

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