Category: Official | Sports: Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball
A 1964 graduate of St. Casimir in Pittsburgh, Rick Locaitis has served as a long-time PIAA official across six different sports. Locaitis still officiates baseball, basketball, football, and soccer for the WPIAL, and has also worked softball and volleyball. He lettered in baseball, basketball, and soccer at Alliance College, and graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor’s degree in English, later earning Master’s degrees in elementary guidance from the University of Pittsburgh and secondary guidance from Duquesne University. Locaitis has been a member of the West Penn Basketball Officials Association for 50 years and was its past president, and has served with the Tri-State Officials Association for 30 years in basketball and football. He has officiated six PIAA championship games - three in basketball, two in baseball, and one in football - and numerous WPIAL finals in those same sports. Locaitis has also worked as an official at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels in baseball, basketball, and football, and in 2000 he worked the first three innings of a MLB game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals while the major league crew was delayed by weather. In addition to his extensive officiating career, Locaitis served as the head coach of North Hills baseball for 16 seasons, and coached basketball at North Hills, Serra Catholic, and South Side Catholic. He retired from North Hills School District after 35 years of service as a teacher and guidance counselor, and has been recognized by the PIAA for 50 years of service.