HS GIRLS BASKTBALL: Legendary, pioneering Carbondale Area coach Egnotovich dies

Apr. 15—Mary Ann Egnotovich had a major impact on high school athletics without ever playing a sport.

A passionate educator, the longtime Carbondale Area basketball coach worked tirelessly at promoting female sports at the start of Title IX — the 1972 federal law that opened the doors for female student-athletes — and poured her heart into creating opportunities she had been denied, and in the process, she built the Chargerettes into a state powerhouse.

Her legacy is unmatched and highlighted by an undefeated season and a PIAA Class 2A championship and the love and compassion she had for her players.

The Carbondale community, which she proudly called home, was saddened and grieved by the news of her death Friday. She was 74

"She was a phenomenal coach and person," said Linda Brownell Zefran, a starter on Carbondale Area's state championship team in 1977. "She commanded respect. We wanted to be good for her. She instilled in us the idea that you should always do your best and try your hardest. It wasn't only about winning; it was about working to do your best. We so respected and trusted her, and she deserved that.

"She was always there for her players. We always stayed in touch with her, and if any of her players needed help, she would reach out to the team and rally us all together to help. For her, it was always about being there for each other. That still holds true today for us."

As a coach, Egnotovich had no equal during the 1970s and into the mid-1980s. Carbondale Area was a juggernaut and won nine straight Lackawanna League championships, four District 2 titles, and finished her career with a record of 289-77. She was inducted into the Northeastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

However, as a student at Fell Twp. High School from 1961-65, Egnotovich could not participate in organized sports because there were no teams or leagues.

Then, at East Stroudsburg State University, she was interested; however, with no background in high school, she only competed on an intramural level.

In 1969-70, Egnotovich helped found the Lackawanna League for girls basketball, which consisted of four teams — Carbondale Area, Lakeland, Valley View and Mid Valley. That first season, she was the only female head coach.

As a coach, her candor, discipline and wealth of basketball knowledge built Carbondale Area into the premier girls basketball program in the eastern part of the state.

"She definitely was a coach ahead of her time," said Fran Gabriel, the point guard for the Chargerettes state title team. "Her knowledge of the game was unbelievable. The things we were doing were things that no other schools were doing with her plays and her organization. I watch college coaches now, and I know she could have been a college coach. She always took into account the interests of the kids outside of basketball. She was very concerned about every individual and their families."

Cindy Mark, the program's first 1,000-point scorer, always remembers playing basketball against the boys in the neighborhood. She remembers making the field hockey team, also established by Egnotovich, and being reminded by the coach that it didn't mean she would automatically make the basketball team.

She was fair, but demanding.

"This hit me very hard," said Mark, a retired former executive at an aerospace company. "It's hard to put into words what she meant to us all. For myself and the ladies that she coached, she was extremely influential in our lives in so many ways. I think of all the things that she taught us at a young age when women's sports weren't looked upon very fondly. We never felt that because of her.

"She taught me how to be a member of a team and to be competitive. She taught me how to win and lose with grace. She was a role model, no question about that."

Theresa Karwowski Lipko has been battling cancer and was brought to tears each time her former coach called to check on her.

"She was the kindest human being you ever wanted to come across," said Lipko, who resides in Florida. "As a friend, a coach and a mentor, she was just a beautiful person. She molded us into the women all of us are today."

Everything started with her commitment to discipline. Egnotovich initially cut Diane Telemko, who was so motivated by the decision that she worked on her game for an entire year. She had improved so much that in physical education class, Egnotovich encouraged Telemko to try out again. She did, made the team and played for three seasons, helping the Chargerettes start building their dynasty with a District 2 title in 1975.

"We just respected her so much and did whatever she said," Telemko said. "Obviously, we didn't like it when she made us run sprints, but she was such a wonderful person that we knew it would make us better."

From 1970 to 1975, Carbondale Area posted a record of 103-3.

In 1973, the first season for the PIAA playoffs in girls basketball, Carbondale Area defeated Central Columbia in its first round before losing to eventual champion Allentown Central Catholic.

Two years later, the Chargerettes again won a state playoff game as the tournament expanded to 16 teams, beating Abington of District 1 before losing to Allentown Dieruff.

Then, in 1977, Carbondale Area captured the attention of fans and the city. The Chargerettes went 31-0 and won the Class 2A state championship by defeating Mars, 62-42, in the final.

"She was really dedicated to all of us, on and off the court," said Debbie Krzywiec Loughney, a co-captain with Karwowski Lipko on the state title team. "She expected us to work to be the best, and she really worked to be the best coach. That manifested in us, and we really learned the value of teamwork. We just really worked and clicked together because everyone worked toward the greater good of the team, which is something she taught all of us.

"I still use those principles in my life. She was such a role model for us, showing what we could accomplish if we worked for it."

It's those lessons that are still being passed down to young athletes generations later.

"One of my grandsons, Luke Reidy, has just started to play basketball, and he is 7 years old, and I started to tell him what a good team we had," Brownell Zefran said. "I pulled out a book by Guy Valvano about state championship teams, and he and I read about that season. It was so incredibly memorable. It was literally a collection of events and unforgettable moments. Everyone stepped up when they needed to. It was just so amazing.

"If it wasn't for 'Miss E,' we never would have had the amazing memories we all share."

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jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com;

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