HS Boys’ Basketball: Pottsville hires Heffner as boys’ head coach

Pottsville boys' basketball coach Tyler Heffner

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville didn’t have to look far for its new boys’ basketball head coach.

A couple of seats down the bench.

The Pottsville Area School District Board of Directors hired Tyler Heffner as its new boys’ basketball coach during its monthly meeting Wednesday night.

Heffner, 31, is a special education teacher in the high school and was a member of Jake Wartella’s staff for the past five seasons.

Wartella resigned last month after compiling an 87-43 overall record as the Tide’s head coach, making the Schuylkill League playoffs all five seasons and the PIAA playoffs three times.

Pottsville went 21-7 overall this past season, winning the Schuylkill League and District 11 Class 5A championships before falling to Penncrest in the opening round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs.

“I’m extremely excited. I have deep respect for the program and the tradition,” Heffner said Thursday. “I was around for a lot of Coach (Dave) Mullaney’s years and saw the work he put in and I saw the work Coach Wartella put in. There’s a good foundation here and I look forward to carrying that forward.”

Heffner is a 2012 graduate of Pottsville High, where he earned 10 varsity letters playing football, basketball and baseball.

Heffner was the starting quarterback for the Tide football team for two seasons, guiding them to the District 11 Class 3A championship game as a senior. He was a three-year starter in basketball, helping Pottsville win Schuylkill League titles in 2010, ’11 and ’12 and the District 11 Class 3A crown in 2010. He was a catcher/shortstop/pitcher for the Tide baseball team, helping them to the Schuylkill League Division I title in 2012.

Heffner is the son of Bruce Heffner, who was the Pottsville girls’ basketball coach in the 1990s and guided the Tide to the PIAA Class 3A Eastern final in 1991.

“My dad taught me pretty much everything as a kid,” Tyler Heffner said. “Being part of a team, learning how to put the team first, how to care about winning more than myself … all those things.

“I spent my entire childhood in sports, with my older siblings and him. It’s been my way of life.”

After high school, Tyler Heffner went to Penn State, graduating in 2016 with a degree in hydrogeology. He’s in his first year as a special education teacher at Pottsville High.

He immediately joined Dave Mullaney’s coaching staff in basketball after graduating from college and has been part of the Tide program since, serving as the seventh-grade coach for two years, eighth-grade coach two years, freshman coach two years and was the junior varsity head coach and a varsity assistant the past three seasons.

Heffner said he learned a lot from Mullaney, both during his playing days and as an assistant coach. Heffner was a freshman in Mullaney’s second year at Pottsville and helped build the foundation for the current Tide program.

“Having played for him, I felt like I really learned the game the right way,” Heffner said of Mullaney. “I learned how to win … believed in the things he preached and the things he taught. He kind of molded the way I coach.

“I have a ton of respect for him. He’s a great coach. It’s incredible to see what he started with and what the program is now.”

Heffner has also served as a Teener League, Legion baseball, JV baseball and football assistant coach over the years. He was an assistant coach in charge of running backs and defensive backs this past fall on Mike Brennan’s football staff.

He had high praise for Wartella, who encouraged him to apply for the position.

“Jake did a lot for me, encouraged me to do it,” Heffner said on why he applied for the position. “I think I have a really good relationship with the kids in the program. Coaching football and basketball, I can’t say enough good things about the kids in the program already.

“I had great coaches while I was here, great experiences here. It means a lot to me to give the kids the experiences I had. The community has been welcoming … nothing but great experiences here at Pottsville. I hope to give that back.”

Pottsville graduates six seniors — starters Letrel Montone, Derek Watkins and London Ivy and reserves Tahlil Flucker-White, Michael Allen and Gianni Hughes-Crane, who missed the season due to injury.

A strong corps of players returns, led by current juniors Christian Alvarez, Ryder Bowers and JuJu Bainbridge and sophomores Colin McGinley and Max Clews, giving Pottsville strong hope of another successful season in 2025-26.

“I’m excited,” Heffner said. “We have a good group of kids. They’re more than just basketball players, they’re good kids.

“I’m excited for the future, the young groups we have. There’s an incredibly high standard here. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”