Our 2024-2025 Coaches
Our 2024-2025 Coaches
Note: this page is still under development but has latest information.
19U Girls - Michael Dale
18U Midget 2007-2006 - Clif Bumford
Clif Bumford is a USA Hockey Level 4 Advanced Coach with 28 years of amateur coaching experience. As an assistant coach for Peters Township Varsity, Clif has led the team to three Varsity AAA Pennsylvania State Championships since 2014. He has also achieved numerous PAHL season and playoff titles across all levels with the Pittsburgh Predators.
16U Midget AA 2008 - Justin Glock
Certified Level 4
Coaching for 15 years, the last 10 years for Baldwin High School Varsity
Assistant coach of Team Pittsburgh winning back to back America's Showcase championships.
Won numerous PIHL division titles. Coached Baldwin to Penguins Cup Final in 2020.
Coached Baldwin to Penguins Cup and PA State Championship wins in 2021.
16U Midget 2009 - Clay Shell
The SPGH 2009 Birth Year Team coaching staff for the 2024-2025 PAHL season.
Clay and Dave have been coaching for more than 20 years and have numerous awards and championships in PAHL and PIHL hockey.
Clay Shell, USA Hockey Level 5 - Master Coach
Dave Barnes, USA Hockey Level 4 - Advanced Coach
Kyle Martin, USA Hockey Level 3
16U Midget - Todd Mendenhall
16U Girls - Rob Hammel
Rob Hammel is entering his 4th year of coaching at South Pittsburgh, third as a head coach. Coach Hammel grew up playing youth hockey in Pittsburgh and moved to Connecticut to play high school. In the summers, he played for Team Mid-Am at USA Hockey's Select 15, 16 & 17 Festivals, tryout for USNTDP. After high school, Coach Hammel signed a tender with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and played Tier 1 Junior ‘A’ in 2000-2001. Coach Hammel then played 4 years of NCAA Div. I for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats from 2002 – 2005, winning 1 conference title and playing in the 2002 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey tournament.
14U Bantam 2010 - Sean Coyle
This will be Sean's 11th year coaching at South Pittsburgh and is currently the head coach of the 2022-2023 South Pittsburgh 2010 team. The team captured the PAHL Squirt AA Championship team in 2020-2021. He is a USA Hockey level 4 certified coach, and his coaching resume includes Mites to Bantam AA. He has assisted and developed many players to both the AA and the Tier 1 AAA level.
Sean played amateur hockey in the Pittsburgh area, including playing for the perennial champion Bishop Canevin Crusaders of the PIHL. He is currently a South Pittsburgh board member and serves as president for the third year during the 2024-2025 season. Sean also served as South Pittsburgh's Mite Coordinator for 2 seasons. He is a licensed physical therapist and brings his knowledge of kinesiology and sports medicine to the organization for off ice programs.
14U Bantam 2011 - Tim Creahan
Tim Creahan is entering his 7th year of coaching with the South Pittsburgh Rebellion and his 5th year as head coach of the 2011 Birth Year Team. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the Mite level for the Southpointe Rink Rats. Tim is actively involved in the South Fayette Township hockey program, having served as an assistant coach for the Jr. Lions development program at all levels and currently coaching the Middle School team. Coach Creahan has also been a head coach for various soccer teams in the South Fayette Soccer Association and an assistant coach for several baseball teams within the SFBSA for both his son and daughter.
This past season, Coach Creahan led the 2011 Birth Year team to a PAHL regular season and playoff championship in the Pee Wee AA division. Additionally, as an assistant coach, Tim helped the Squirt B Team to a season-ending championship at the Rebellion. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Tim played amateur hockey for the Amherst Knights. He continues to play hockey and is passionate about coaching his kids.
14U Bantam - Matt Schnieders
Matt Schnieders is entering his 7th year of coaching at South Pittsburgh, and this will be his second season as head coach. Matt grew up in the South Hills and started playing hockey at Central Pittsburgh in the Southside, later switching to the Southpointe Rink Rats when the Isoplex opened in the late 90s. He played from Freshman through Varsity at Upper St. Clair and for one year with the Penn State Ice Lions (ACHA D2). Additionally, Matt plays pickup and in the Printscape adult league (Golden Bears). Outside of hockey, Matt also assists as a coach with Canon Mac Lacrosse.
14U Bantam - Jim Pelino
14U Bantam - Tom Schad
12U Pee Wee 2012 - Klete Kutrovac
Klete Kutrovac brings extensive coaching experience to his role, currently in his 8th season at the South Pittsburgh Rebellion and his 6th season as head coach. Holding a Level 4 USA Hockey coach certification, Coach Kutrovac's dedication to hockey is rooted in his upbringing in Wheeling, WV, where he played for the Wheeling Area Hockey Association throughout high school.
His coaching philosophy centers on structured and challenging training sessions, emphasizing repetition to facilitate skill development. Beyond the game itself, Coach Kutrovac finds fulfillment in witnessing the enjoyment and growth of youth hockey players, underscoring the importance of imparting valuable life lessons through sports.
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Coach Kutrovac contributes as a board member for the Rebellion, assuming the role of Director of Player Development.
12U Pee Wee 2012 - Anthony Santaguida
This coming season will be Anthony's fifth coaching with the South Pittsburgh Hockey Club. Anthony will be a USA Hockey level 4 certified coach this year. Anthony grew up playing hockey in Mount Lebanon while also participating in several other sports at a competitive level (important for all of your young athletes!).
As a coach, Anthony focuses on creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere for every player on the team. His objective is to maximize skill development for all players and for them to love coming to the rink each day! Coach Anthony utilizes fast-paced, fun, and challenging practices to achieve those goals. He also ensures that each player develops a broad understanding of the entire game by exposing them to as many elements and situations as possible throughout the season.
In addition to hockey, Anthony coaches 8U girl's soccer for Peter's township. Anthony is a South Pittsburgh Hockey Club board member serving as the organization's treasurer for the second straight year.
12U Pee Wee 2013 - Zach Gray
Zach Gray will be returning as Head Coach for his second season with the 2013 Birth Year Team. He is entering his fourth season as a head coach at South Pittsburgh Rebellion (previously Southpointe Rink Rats). He played AA hockey through 14U and then played four years of Varsity hockey where he was a two-time PIHL All Star. He then transitioned from player to referee, this season will be his sixteenth season officiating. He earned the highest certification of level 4 and has skated high level games such as ACHA College division 1, PIHL High School, and Amateur Tier 1 and 2 up to 18U. In 2013, he worked the Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championships and in 2014, the PIHL State Championships. He has also skated multiple PIHL Penguin Cup Championships, USA Hockey Mid-Am District Championships and USA Hockey State Playoffs in PA, OH, WV, and NY. He is also in his third season as the Assistant Coordinator for SPHC's 8U Program and third year as an elected member of the Board of Directors serving as the Director of Scheduling and responsible for all ice and referee scheduling.
12U Pee Wee - Eddie Budavich
12U Pee Wee - Scott Shell
Scott Shell brings a wealth of experience to his coaching role, with a hockey journey that began in the Mount Lebanon Hockey Association from 1978 to 1987. He further honed his skills at Cranbrook/Kingswood School and Mount Lebanon High School, and played for the Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins Junior B team. Scott continued his playing career at Penn State from 1992 to 1994.
Transitioning to coaching, Scott has made significant contributions to several teams. He served as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA-Midget Major team (1998-2000) before taking on head coach roles for the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA-Midget Minor and AAA-Squirt Major teams. His coaching tenure includes numerous roles with the Southpointe Rink Rats, ranging from 8U to 12U teams. Most recently, Scott has been a head coach and assistant coach with the South Pittsburgh Rebellion 10U team, demonstrating his commitment to developing young hockey talent.
12U Pee Wee - Ben Walters
Ben Walters has been a Level 4 certified coach since 2020, bringing a lifetime of playing and coaching experience to the rink. His extensive background includes serving as a soccer coach for the Ellwood City Area School District from 2001 to 2013, where he managed boys and girls teams, grades 9-12, and planned practices, games, and team activities. In 2017, he took on the role of Rink Director at the YMCA in New Castle, PA, organizing roller hockey league activities and developing youth and high school programs.
In addition to his coaching roles, Ben has held several leadership positions, including Captain and Manager of the Coney Island Ice Hockey Team since 2013 and President of the Hess Men's Ice Hockey League from 2010 to 2020. His hockey experience as a player spans from the Lawrence County Lightning (1991-2001) to Junior A with the Syracuse Crunch (2001), Junior B with the Penguins (2002), and playing for Slippery Rock University (2002-2004), where he competed at nationals in D3 ACHA, finishing 7th. He continues to contribute to the sport as an ice hockey coach with the Lawrence County Lightning Amateur Hockey Association, leading teams to success, including a league championship with the Peewee A Minor Black team in the 2015-2016 season.
12U Girls - Tom Scherr
This will be Tom Scherr's first season coaching with the Rebellion and his ninth season coaching in the PAHL. Tom grew up playing for the Blades at the Morgantown Hockey Association in Morgantown, West Virginia. He went on to play club hockey at Lehigh University. Tom holds his Level 4 USA Hockey coaching certification as well as the bronze goalie coaching certification. He also coaches Bishop Canevin's Middle School team.
As a coach, Tom focuses on building a positive environment for girls to learn and grow together, both as players and as individuals. His objective is to maximize individual skill development, team skill development, and fun. He achieves this through station-based practices that appropriately mix skill acquisition drills and small area games. This approach is reinforced in games through positive feedback and support.
10U Squirt 2014 - Matt Harmon
Matt Harmon has been named as Mite Coordinator for the 2021-22 season. This upcoming season will mark the 16th team that Matt has coached as either a Head Coach or Assistant Coach with multiple youth programs. Most recently he served as an Assistant Coach for the 2020-2021 PAHL Champion 2010 Birth Year Squirt AA Team supporting Sean Coyle. Matt also served as the head coach for Southpointe's 8U White Mites, and both the Peters Township Jr Indians Mite & Peewee teams in 2020-2021. Matt has overseen or assisted in the development of players making significant year to year progress, from Blue to Red Mite, and from Red Mite to Squirt 1 with multiple players. Matt has had the benefit of working with and having great relationships with some of the area's premier High School, Collegiate, and Tier 1 Coaches, and enters the 2021-2022 Season as a USA Hockey registered Level 4 Coach.
Matt grew up playing amateur hockey in Pittsburgh, where he then went on to play D1 hockey at Duquesne University. In addition to his coaching qualifications, Matt is a USA Hockey Level 4 Ice Hockey Official and officiates ice hockey in the NCAA. Matt was also honored to be selected to officiate the 2019-2020 USA Hockey National Championships.
10U Squirt 2015 - Adam Phillips
Adam Phillips has been coaching for three years and holds a Level 2 coaching certification. He grew up in Wheeling, WV, and started playing hockey at the age of four, continuing up to the Junior A level. His playing career took him to Boston, Sweden, and Pittsburgh. Adam has been married to his wife, Brandy, for thirteen years, and they have two children: Hunter, who is nine, and Skylar, who is seven.
10U Squirt - Zak DiGorio
Zak has been coaching within USA Hockey over the past fourteen (14) years and specifically with the South Pittsburgh Rebellion for the last three (3) Seasons. Coach DiGorio has been a Level 4 USA Hockey Coach since 2012 and has coached from the Mite Level all the way through High School Varsity during his career in both a Head Coach and in the capacity of an Assistant Coach role. As a player and a coach, Zak has been around the sport of hockey for over twenty-five (25) years.
He most recently served as an 8U Blue Head Coach during the 2023-24 season where his Mite Team claimed five tournament championships. For the upcoming 2024-25 Season, Zak is the Head Coach of the SPHC A-Major 10U Team, where his older son Zachary plays as a Left Wing. His responsibilities extend to also serving as the Assistant to the Mite Coordinator as well as an Assistant Coach on the Reitmeyer 8U Red II Team for the SPHC, where his younger son Greyson is placed.
10U Squirt - Cory Palmer
Cory Palmer is entering his 2nd year of coaching at South Pittsburgh, and this will be his first season as head coach. Cory grew up in Wheeling and started playing roller hockey in wheeling, later switching to ice hockey and played 3 year for the Wheeling Central Varsity team. Additionally, Cory plays Adult pick up in the Printscape adult league. Outside of hockey, Cory also assists as a coach with Chartiers-Houston tee-ball and pinto teams.
8U ADM Coordinator - Nate Reitmeyer
Nate played for the Mt. Lebanon Hornets amateur program for 14 years, getting to play in tournaments all throughout the U.S. and Canada. He also played for Baldwin and South Park high school JV programs for 3 years, and 4 years of Varsity for Bethel Park. Most of the ice time since then has been playing Men’s “A” League out of Bethel and Ice Castle. For the last 4 years, Nate has committed most of his time towards coaching beginning at SHAHA before moving over to the South Pittsburgh Rebellion. This is his second season as ADM Coordinator for our 8U Mite Program.
Here’s a quick summary about Nate Reitmeyer on a personal level. He is 46 years old, married to his wife Kristin, and has 3 kids while living in South Fayette. His daughter Harper completed her final year of Mites and will play in Squirts next year. His son Hudson will be starting his second year of Mites this upcoming season, and it’s his hope that his youngest son Hayden, who is 2, has the desire to follow in their footsteps.
Nate spent 5 years on active duty in the Marine Corps. He then attended the University of Pittsburgh for 4 years. Following college, Nate worked in a capacity for the government for 9 years and is now currently in his 8th year as a deputy with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.
8U Red Team Coach - Cindy Bittel
Coach Cindy Bittel was born in Leamington, Ontario, Canada and raised in Jefferson Hills, PA. Growing up, she played for Mon Valley Thunder, coached by her dad, a former pro hockey player. Cindy continued her hockey career playing on Drexel University’s women’s team and trained for Team Canada. Cindy played for a competitive travel women’s team out of Miami, FL area for 4 years while getting her MBA and before meeting her husband, Dr Matt Bittel, an optometrist. Cindy and Matt have 3 sons, Luke, 8 (Predators 2014 BY), Ethan, 7 (Rebellion 8U), Asher, 4 (Rebellion 8U), and a daughter, Lexie, 2.
Cindy is training for a level 3 coach certification this year and has served 3 years as head or assistant coach to the Pittsburgh Predators’ red, white, and blue mite teams. Cindy also coaches the Upper St Clair Junior Panthers mite team. When not on the ice, Cindy sits on the board of directors for her family-owned company, DMI Companies, volunteers her expertise as an engineer and is a stay-at-home mom. This is her second year as red team head coach at the Rebellion.
Quick Links
South Pittsburgh Hockey Club
PO Box 887
McMurray, Pennsylvania 15317