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IMPERIAL — A month following Dave Schoppe's resignation as West Allegheny High School’s head football coach, the district is set to hire Bob Palko to lead its football program in 2026, pending a vote at its next school board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, per the board's meeting agenda.
Palko’s return to the sideline in Imperial will mark the 25th season he has led a West Allegheny program, his first 24 coming to an end in 2018 when he announced that he would be stepping down from the position.
During those 24 seasons, Palko led West Allegheny to each of its eight WPIAL championships, including three straight titles from 1999-01 and back-to-back championships in 2012-13.
On top of leading his teams to WPIAL championships, Palko also led West Allegheny to three-straight PIAA championships from 1999-01, winning the school’s lone football state title during the 2001 season with a win over Strath Haven in the Class 3A championship.
The coach posted a 217-73 record (.748 winning percentage) during his time at West Allegheny.
While Palko stepped away from the West Allegheny coaching job at the end of the 2018 season, a few months later, the coach accepted the job at Mt. Lebanon in 2019, spending three years with the team before resigning in 2023.
After not winning a WPIAL championship since the 2000 season, Palko led Mt. Lebanon to a WPIAL championship victory in 2021 over Central Catholic and a PIAA title with a win over St. Joseph Prep.
Since stepping down from Mt. Lebanon, Palko served as Penn State’s director of high school relations under former head coach James Franklin.
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The coach returns to West Allegheny with the team looking to get over the hump after capturing a share of the Parkway Conference title in 2024, finishing with a three-way tie with Aliquippa and Montour.
The team also reached the postseason in three straight seasons from 2022-24 before narrowly missing the playoffs in 2025. Despite reaching the postseason in each of those seasons, West Allegheny failed to advance past the opening round.
Palko has a career record of 248-84 across 28 seasons with West Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: West Allegheny to bring back Bob Palko as football head coach
Continue reading...
Palko’s return to the sideline in Imperial will mark the 25th season he has led a West Allegheny program, his first 24 coming to an end in 2018 when he announced that he would be stepping down from the position.
During those 24 seasons, Palko led West Allegheny to each of its eight WPIAL championships, including three straight titles from 1999-01 and back-to-back championships in 2012-13.
On top of leading his teams to WPIAL championships, Palko also led West Allegheny to three-straight PIAA championships from 1999-01, winning the school’s lone football state title during the 2001 season with a win over Strath Haven in the Class 3A championship.
The coach posted a 217-73 record (.748 winning percentage) during his time at West Allegheny.
While Palko stepped away from the West Allegheny coaching job at the end of the 2018 season, a few months later, the coach accepted the job at Mt. Lebanon in 2019, spending three years with the team before resigning in 2023.
After not winning a WPIAL championship since the 2000 season, Palko led Mt. Lebanon to a WPIAL championship victory in 2021 over Central Catholic and a PIAA title with a win over St. Joseph Prep.
Since stepping down from Mt. Lebanon, Palko served as Penn State’s director of high school relations under former head coach James Franklin.
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2026 Coaching Carousel: Fran Ramsden returns as Riverside High School football head coach
2026 Coaching Carousel: Rochester High School hires trio of coaches to lead athletic programs
2026 Coaching Carousel: Ambridge officially hires Ellwood City football head coach Dan Bradley
The coach returns to West Allegheny with the team looking to get over the hump after capturing a share of the Parkway Conference title in 2024, finishing with a three-way tie with Aliquippa and Montour.
The team also reached the postseason in three straight seasons from 2022-24 before narrowly missing the playoffs in 2025. Despite reaching the postseason in each of those seasons, West Allegheny failed to advance past the opening round.
Palko has a career record of 248-84 across 28 seasons with West Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: West Allegheny to bring back Bob Palko as football head coach
Continue reading...
