Jim Black - Head Coach & Coaching Director
Jim started at the young age of 2 skating at North Park Skating Rink and grew up playing hockey in the Pittsburgh Area before heading to Michigan to attend Cranbrook Prep School. For college, he attended Geneseo State (NCAA DIII) for only one year, and after the passing of his father, Jim returned home and opened Dek Star Dek Hockey Center in the North Hills and also began his coaching career.
Jim has coached at Beaver, North Hills, Pine Richland and North Allegheny High Schools. He has had the privilege of coaching 4 of those teams who won State Championships. One at Beaver and Pine Richland and two at North Allegheny.
He has also coached for over 15+ years at amateurs with both boys and girls teams, mostly for the North Pittsburgh Wildcats organization.
“Probably the most special coaching moments on the boy’s side was being behind the bench and watching my son’s team win a High School State Championship his senior year and on the girl’s side winning the 19U Tier I Districts this year with my older daughter and having a chance to compete at Nationals”
For the last 5 years, Jim has been the lead instructor for all Hockey Development Programs (HDP), Little Penguins, ADM and In-House programs with the North Pittsburgh Wildcats.
I love being around kids and having a chance to teach kids the great sport of hockey. I believe that playing the sport of hockey best prepares kids for being successful in life. My philosophy in teaching and working with kids is to treat them all like they are your own. Provide a safe, fun environment to learn and excel. To always give 100% in whatever you do and stress how important to work hard in school. I have been involved in this great game my entire life and because of hockey, I have had the good fortune of being around a lot of great people that have had an influence on who I am today.
Jim recently was named the General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations at Baierl Ice Complex.
Jim lives in Wexford with his wife Kate, and their 3 kids. Cody, who attends Ohio University, Madison, who will be attending Salem State University in the fall and Morgan who is 11 and will never be allowed to leave home!
Hockey Experience
North Pittsburgh Wildcats Travel Director (2006-2009)
North Pittsburgh Youth Hockey Development/Coaches Coordinator
- ADM/U12 In-House Program Coordinator/Instructor
- Little Penguins Instructor – Boys and Girls
- Travel Director
PIHL Commissioner (2014-2015)
Coaching
High School
(1991-1993) Beaver High School (Assistant Varsity Coach; Head JV Coach)
(2000-2002) North Hills High School (Head Varsity Coach)
(2003-2006) Pine Richland High School (Head Varsity Coach)
(2006 – 2014) North Allegheny High School (Head Varsity Coach)
Amateurs
Mites – Midget
U16AAA Phantoms
U14 & U19 Girls Coach – North Pittsburgh Wildcats
U16/19 Tier II – Steel City Girls
Team Accomplishments
Coaching
- Beaver High School – AA State Champions – 1992
- Pine Richland High School – AA State Champions – 2005
- North Allegheny High School – AAA State Champions – 2006 & 2013
- PeeWee AA – Silver Stick Regional Champions - 2006
- Midget U16AA – PAHL Champion – 2009
- 19U Girls Tier I – District Champions - 2016
Greg Malone - Assistant Coach
Greg is a former NHL Player. In his professional career he played 704 NHL games in 11 seasons with the Penguins, Hartford Whalers & Quebec Nordiques from 1976 to 1987. During his career he recorded 191 goals & 501 points. He also won several awards such as Rookie of the Year (1976-1977), Players Player (1978-1979), Pittsburgh Post Gazette Dapper Dan (1980) and was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame (2000).
A year after retiring as a player, Malone returned to the Penguins as their head amateur scout. He won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 1991 & 1992. His responsibilities included the teams amateur draft selections while overseeing all junior, college, high school and European scouting. During his time with the Penguins Greg drafted players such as Jaromir Jager, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fleury, Brooks Orpik, Ryan Whitney, Kris Letang and his own son, Ryan Malone.
Greg has also spent time in player development on and off the ice. He has been a hockey instructor for over 35 years, teaching at various hockey schools throughout Canada and the United States. He has a passion for the game and developing the future generation of hockey players.
