The Pennridge head coaching job wasn’t something Chuck Burgy was looking for. The 43-year-old did not have a grand scheme as to when he wanted to become a head coach. But when Cody Muller expressed his desire to return to Texas, where his family originates, Burgy thought the time was right to make a move and step into Muller’s role.
So, after Muller opted to resign as the Pennridge coach in May, taking on a coaching job at James Martin High School, in Arlington, Texas, Burgy threw his name in as a possible candidate to replace Muller and on June 22, Pennridge made it official and hired him.
“This is a senior-heavy group and the drive for the coaching staff was to stay around for this group,” Burgy said. “It’s a great situation. I loved what Cody Muller started and we were all rowing in the same direction. We thought we wanted to keep rowing in the same direction and keep it going. This is a growing time for this senior group to take charge.”
Burgy has retained offensive coordinator Dave Cressman, a 2005 Pennridge graduate and Kutztown graduate who is a math teacher in the building, and the defensive coordinator will be Craig Whitten, who’s also been retained from Muller’s staff.
Expect continuity to continue for the Rams.
Burgy, a teacher at Pennridge since 2011 and a coach on and off since 2005, takes over a senior-laden team that went 7-5 overall last season and made the PIAA District 1 6A playoffs, losing to Suburban One League rival Central Bucks West, 19-17, in the first round. The nucleus of that group returns in seniors Brennan Fisher, an Army commit, who’s a 5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back/running back, Loughlin Smith, a 6-4, 280-pound two-way lineman, Dylan O’Brien, a 6-1, 205-pound middle linebacker, Xavier Dantzler, a 5-10, 195-pound quarterback, Landon Moyer, a 5-10, 215-pound two-way lineman and Tyler Wetzel, a 5-11, 195-pound running back/linebacker.
Who’s not returning is Oklahoma-commit Phil Picciotti, a 6-3, 225-pound tight end and linebacker, who’s opted to spend his senior year at IMG Academy in Florida.
“I wish Phil and his family the best and what’s the best situation possible for Phil’s future,” Burgy said. “This is all about the kids and what’s best for them. We’ll miss Phil, but this is a very good team coming back. No way is the cupboard bare. We have a next-man-up mentality, and I couldn’t ask for a better group in my first year as a head coach. We have over 20 returning seniors who are character kids and know what we do.”
The Rams finished 2021 5-2 in the Suburban One National Division behind powerhouse North Penn, which went 7-0 and 11-1 overall, and CB West, which went 6-1, 9-3 overall and returns a healthy portion of its team.
Pennridge had success recently during the COVID-19 stricken 2020 season, when the Rams upset Coatesville in the District 1 playoffs and lost to Souderton, 31-17, in the District 1 6A championship of a four-team tournament.
“In weeks No. 9 and 10, we have CB West and North Penn to close the season, but we’re in a good spot,” Burgy said. “To the kid’s credit, they stayed together throughout the transition. No matter who the coach was going to be, we kept things moving. We have been a Wing-T team in the past, but Cressman is a new OC, and I’ll put it this way, Dave will be bringing his flavor to the offense. We expect good things to happen this year.”
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.
