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Through: Paul Schofield


Thursday, February 3, 2022 | 2:21 p.m.

When Dave Keefer resigned as Southmoreland football coach last month, he recommended assistant coach Ron Frederick for the job.

Keefer spoke to Frederick ahead of Frederick’s interview Tuesday with school officials. Frederick, a 1999 Southmoreland graduate, left the meeting knowing the job – his dream job – was his.

Frederick, 40, died suddenly Thursday morning of unknown causes.

“He was going to be our recommendation at the next school board meeting,” Southmoreland athletic director Dan Boring said. “I’m shocked.”

Boring said he learned that Frederick, the Scotties offensive line coach, was not feeling well on Wednesday after Frederick failed to show up for the college signing ceremony for senior lineman Kory Ansell, who s is engaged in Cal (Pennsylvania).

“I’m not sure what happened,” Keefer said. “He told the weightlifters that he felt like he had some kind of bug.

“It’s sad. My biggest thoughts and concerns are for his family and his three grandchildren.

Frederick worked as an account manager for Medi Home Health and Hospice. He is survived by his wife, Liz, and three children: Sophia, Colin and Dylan.

Frederick previously coached at Ringgold and Charleroi. He played college football at Tulsa.

Boring said that after speaking to Southmoreland manager Dan Krofcheck, they knew Frederick was the man for the job.

“He was a great person and he loved Southmoreland and the players,” Boring said. “He was so excited to be part of the program and the district. He showed up at all the events.

” We will miss him. When something like this happens, it shakes you to the core.

Keefer, who has coached the Scotties for the past four seasons, said Frederick would have made a great head coach.

“It would have been a smooth transition,” Keefer said. “He would have made a great coach. He had good knowledge of the offence.

“Everyone loved him. He lived in the community, played here and coached here. He was involved in the midget program.

Words of sympathy were shared on social media by players from Southmoreland and other teams across western Pennsylvania.

“Words cannot describe how we are all feeling right now,” Southmoreland senior Anthony Govern wrote on Twitter.

Ansell tweeted: “Rest in the peach Coach Fred thanks for teaching me and not just being a great coach but a great person. You made the team feel like a family apart I will miss all those memories Fly high coach #PLO”

Paul Schofield is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. You can contact Paul by email at pschofield@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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