Feb. 5—Two of the most impactful football coaches in the history of the WPIAL, Tom Loughran and Terry Smith, will be celebrated in May as part of the Class of 2026 into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Coaches Hall of Fame.
They will join five other coaching greats to be enshrined during a ceremony May 24 at the Cumberland Valley High School Performing Arts Center.
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Smith became well known across the country this past fall as he took over the Penn State football team as its interim head coach and guided the Nittany Lions to a 4-3 record which included a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson.
He has served as an assistant at Penn State for 12 years, but his coaching skills flourished in the WPIAL, most notably at his alma mater, Gateway.
He got his coaching start as an assistant at Hempfield and Duquesne University before joining the Gateway staff in 2001.
In 11 seasons as the Gators’ head coach, from 2002-12, Smith won 101 games, captured seven conference titles and took four Gateway teams to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game at Heinz Field.
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Loughran, a Central Catholic and Carnegie Mellon graduate, spent 40 seasons on the WPIAL football sidelines and is one of the WPIALs all-time winningest coaches.
He won 210 games, one of just 34 coaches in the more than 100 years of WPIAL history to reach that mark.
Loughran guided South Park to WPIAL and PIAA championships in both 1997 and 2005.
The final eight seasons of the Greenfield native’s career came at Fox Chapel.
The Foxes enjoyed a memorable 2021 season which saw them upset Upper St. Clair for the school’s first playoff win in football since 1997.
In a statement, the PSFCA said, “This year’s class represents decades of excellence, leadership and a profound commitment to the development of student-athletes across the Commonwealth. These seven inductees have not only amassed impressive records on the field but have left an indelible mark on the communities they served.”
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Also to be inducted are Mark Evans (ELCO, Manheim Township), Tom Gravish (Bellefonte, Jersey Shore, Williamsport), Larry Greene (Central Bucks East, Pennsbury), Mike Lippy (Littlestown) and Mike Mischler (Cathedral Prep, Iroquois).
“The PSFCA Coaches Hall of Fame represents the very soul of high school football in Pennsylvania,” said Garry Cathell, executive director of the PSFCA.
“This year’s inductees devoted their lives to shaping young people, building character and upholding the values that make our game so meaningful. Their commitment extended far beyond the sidelines and left a lasting imprint on every student-athlete they coached.
“These seven coaches didn’t just win games — they changed lives. Through decades of leadership, mentorship and service, they strengthened their schools and communities while setting a standard of excellence for generations to follow. It is a privilege to honor their extraordinary legacies with induction into the PSFCA Coaches Hall of Fame.”
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Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
