Ron Butschle

Ron Butschle had been through difficult seasons before as a high school football coach.

This fall, his Seneca Valley team struggled to a 3-7 record, but performance on the field is not what weighed on him the most over the last few months. He resigned as head coach of the Raiders on Tuesday.

"It's been a difficult year for a lot of reasons," he said. "I won't go into detail, but I will say that my resignation has nothing to do with the kids or football.

"I met with the players on Tuesday and it was a very emotional day for me, but I wanted to do this now so the district can move forward in finding a new coach."

The Raiders made the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs, losing to Central Catholic in the semifinals Friday.

Butschle led SV during two different spans. He originally came to Seneca Valley in 2004 after leading Sto-Rox to the WPIAL Class 1A championship game the previous year. He coached the Raiders for five seasons, then returned as a head coach in 2017 after serving as offensive coordinator the previous two years.

He compiled a record of 54-76 at SV and is one of three coaches in program history to guide the team to the WPIAL championship game (2018), joining Terry Henry and Dave Vestal.

"We had years when we struggled, but Seneca Valley gave me the opportunity to experience football at the highest level in Western Pennsylvania, where the sport is legendary. I gave my heart and soul to this program, but in return, it gave me even more."

Butschle retired as an English teacher in the district following the 2022-23 school year. He also served as Dean of Students for eight years.

"The accomplishments we had on the field are secondary to the relationships I've formed with players, coaches, teachers, administrators and people in the community," he said. "I love Seneca Valley and am willing to help make the transition smooth for whoever they bring in."

Seneca Valley athletic director Heather Lewis has been at her post since 2012.

"There is not a coach out there who cares more about his players first as people and as players second than Ron Butschle," she said. "I hope our community can step back and appreciate what he and his family have done for our district.

"I really can't put a timetable on hiring a new coach. There's a protocol about posting the job for a certain amount of time, and we will be working around back-to-back holidays."

Butschle hopes to coach again.

"We'll see what the future holds," he said. "I still love football and I still love coaching."