Earlier this month Tony Piroski was asked if he was enticed to come back for another year after losing game 7 of the Stobbs Division final in Lakeshore. "No," was the answer. The follow up question was, "Is that your April answer?"
Turns out it was simply his post game answer.
Piroski was content helping the team transition into a new era by guiding them til the season ended. After that, done or so he thought. He figured the team would be better off with a younger coach but that was not what players told him during their exit meetings. "The players kept telling me they don't need anybody younger. They needed me back and wanted me back and that was nice so that helped twist my arm."
Piroski, who promised the second half of this season was it, has the blessing of his wife to return for one more year. "That's just one person I can't break it with. She let me break it once with just finishing this year and I'm all done."
He guarantees after next season he will move out of town to ensure no one can sway him into returning. Piroski says he sincerely appreciates the players and the organization for the opportunity. "They went out of their way to make an old guy feel pretty special."
He admits losing game 7 to Lakeshore played a factor in his decision to return as well. "I can't have (Lakeshore's assistant coach Mike) Dobric and (head coach Anthony) Iaquinta and (GM) Mark Seguin banging their chest for too long," Piroski said with a laugh. "They're a good group and I'm happy for them. I really am. I thought we maybe deserved a better fate but neither here nor there we'll come back and give it the old college try next year."
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