LANCASTER - Mark Pieters has gained school board approval and has been named Conestoga Valley's head varsity football coach.
The school confirmed Pieters' hiring with a press release Tuesday afternoon.
“I am very excited to get started,” Pieters said in the release. “I think there is a lot of potential here at CV. This is a great opportunity, and I am honored to serve as the head football coach at Conestoga Valley High School.”
Pieters, a math teacher at CV, spent the last 14 years with the Buckskins; he served as the CV's defensive coordinator last season under Tom Nichols, who resigned his post on February 13 after four years coaching his alma mater.
The Buckskins went 19-24 under Nichols, who is heading back to Coatesville, where he is employed, to work on Matt Ortega's football staff.
Nichols took CV to the District 3 playoffs two times.
Pieters previously served as Solanco's head coach, from 1993-98. The Golden Mules went 13-28-1 over that clip. Prior to that, he served as Penn Manor's head coach from 1991-93, and he was an assistant coach at Yale, North Carolina State and William & Mary at the college level, and an assistant coach at Lancaster Catholic and at Lafayette (Virginia) at the high school level.
Pieters played football for Mansfield University, where he was an All-PSAC linebacker and defensive end.
“Mark is a well-respected member of the CVHS faculty who has a wealth of football knowledge and a diverse coaching background,” CV athletic director Zac Kraft said in the release.
“Mark understands the culture here at Conestoga Valley, and his commitment to pursuing victory with honor and integrity will complement the mission and vision of CV Athletics very well. We are thrilled to have him on board, and I look forward to seeing the football program continue to grow under Mark’s leadership.”
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