Legendary Butler football coach Art Bernardi dies at 93
Art Bernardi taught more than football. He taught life.
Butler High School’s head football coach from 1961 through 1985, compiling a record of 179-64-7 that included nine WPIAL playoff berths and five district championship game appearances, died Saturday at 93.
“Football was a game Coach Bernardi used to teach us about life,” said Hank Leyland, who coached with and played for Bernardi. “That was a gift he gave to all of us.”
Bernardi had only two losing seasons at Butler. He was inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame in 1979, was honored as a Butler Football Hometown Hero in 2005 and was one of the early inductees into the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame, an organization he helped to create.
Butler’s football stadium was renamed Art Bernardi Stadium a number of years ago. He served on the Butler school board for years after his retirement as coach.
“I’m happy they named the stadium after him. Art deserved that,” former Butler, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Terry Hanratty said. “He was just a good man. His family and Butler football were the most important things in his life.
“Over 20 years, Art Bernardi sent 62 players to college on Division 1 scholarships. Maybe a half-dozen of us could have afforded college otherwise.”
Current Butler head football coach Eric Christy said Bernardi’s name will forever be synonymous with Butler football.
“When you think of Butler football, you think of Art Bernardi,” he said. “The man never quit caring about the program. Even in recent years, he would pop in on practice, just to see how things were going.
“Coaches impact lives. He impacted the lives of thousands.”
Ralph McElhaney, who also played for and coached with Bernardi, said Butler football was always on his mind.
“It was hard for him to walk away,” McElhaney said. “I guarantee you, one of the final thoughts he had before he died ... Butler football was in there. His passion never left.”
Bernardi, Lindy Lauro at New Castle, Pete Antimarino at Gateway “were the leaders of Western Pa. high school football for years,” Leyland said. “They were incredible rivals on the field, tremendous friends off it.
“Art had everybody wanting to play football. We bonded up on that hill as players. He said to play football at the level we did ... he convinced us we were special. I’ve never forgotten that.”
