The success of the Blackhawk High School
athletic teams in recent years is well documented. While it has
taken many coaches and players and various boosters groups to help
make it happen, they all have one common denominator: Jack Fullen.
A graduate of Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School and
Slippery Rock College, Jack first came to this area in 1964 as a physical
education teacher and a basketball coach at Highland Suburban Junior
High School. Also coaching football, he went to New Brighton High
School in 1969 where he was head coach of both the basketball and cross country teams. While at New Brighton, he initiated and
coached the Marine Physical Fitness Team and started the New
Brighton Undergrad Basketball Tournament. Jack was named
the athletic director at Blackhawk High School in 1974 and immediately began
his involvement in academics and athletics. He instituted the Marine
Physical Fitness Team in 1975 and the squad qualified for the national champions every year
from 1980 to 1996. In
1978, Jack organized the Blackhawk Christmas Basketball Tournament,
which has grown to become the top scholastic tourney in the state.
In 1981, he became the director of the Midwestern Athletic
Conference cross-country meet. Jack’s commitment is extensive and he
has held several leadership roles at the MAC, WPIAL, and PIAA
levels, has served on the WPIAL Board of Control, the executive board
of the WPIAL athletic directors, and was president of
the Pennsylvania State Athletic Director’s association. Under Jack’s direction, Blackhawk High School had the largest and most
comprehensive programs in the area and ranked as one of the most
successful to be found anywhere. In 2012, Jack was inducted into the
Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame.
The success of the Blackhawk High School
athletic teams in recent years is well documented. While it has
taken many coaches and players and various boosters groups to help
make it happen, they all have one common denominator: Jack Fullen.
A graduate of Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School and
Slippery Rock College, Jack first came to this area in 1964 as a physical
education teacher and a basketball coach at Highland Suburban Junior
High School. Also coaching football, he went to New Brighton High
School in 1969 where he was head coach of both the basketball and cross country teams. While at New Brighton, he initiated and
coached the Marine Physical Fitness Team and started the New
Brighton Undergrad Basketball Tournament. Jack was named
the athletic director at Blackhawk High School in 1974 and immediately began
his involvement in academics and athletics. He instituted the Marine
Physical Fitness Team in 1975 and the squad qualified for the national champions every year
from 1980 to 1996. In
1978, Jack organized the Blackhawk Christmas Basketball Tournament,
which has grown to become the top scholastic tourney in the state.
In 1981, he became the director of the Midwestern Athletic
Conference cross-country meet. Jack’s commitment is extensive and he
has held several leadership roles at the MAC, WPIAL, and PIAA
levels, has served on the WPIAL Board of Control, the executive board
of the WPIAL athletic directors, and was president of
the Pennsylvania State Athletic Director’s association. Under Jack’s direction, Blackhawk High School had the largest and most
comprehensive programs in the area and ranked as one of the most
successful to be found anywhere. In 2012, Jack was inducted into the