Donald Asmonga This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. MMVASHOF - 2000 Inductees

   www.mmvashof.org/2000_inductee - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/11/2000   Last Visited: 2/20/2001

   Donald Asmonga
   
   Although a native of the West Mifflin-Munhall-Homestead area, he became a fixture in the Mid-Monongahela Valley as Belle Vernon Area High School's first basketball and baseball coach in 1965. His tenure in these positions spanned 26 years. In 1978 he coached his basketball team to the WPIAL basketball championship. He holds the school's record of all-time winning basketball coach with an overall 287-254 record.
   
   Don was born on February 15, 1928, the son of Steven Asmonga of West Mifflin and the former Mary Melnick of Belle Vernon.
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   Don was the oldest of three boys and six girls.
   
   An outstanding all-around athlete at Homestead High School, he led the basketball team to a 28-0 record and the state championship in 1946. Under the tutelage of the legendary Chick Davies, the cagers went undefeated until the state final game, where Homestead lost to a strong well balanced Allentown High School aggregation. It was later revealed that Allentown had used ineligible players in their victory over Homestead and they were stripped of the title. Don Asmonga led his team in scoring and was chosen to All-State honors.
   
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   Asmonga was also an exceptional football and baseball player in high school as All-WPIAL in both sports. Don went on to Alliance College on an athletic scholarship. There he captured the Tri-State scoring honors in basketball and scored a total of 49 points in one game during his collegiate 1946-1947 campaign. In football he made the first team at age 18. After one year and two months of college, Asmonga signed a professional baseball contract with the Boston Red Sox's scout Socko McCarey of local Pittsburgh fame. Don had tried out the year before with the Pittsburgh Pirates. At that tryout Pirate Jim Russell was amazed at Asmonga's fielding abilities when he caught a ball bare handed.
   
   He played in Wellsville, New York in 1948. San Jose, California was the next stop in 1949. While there he pitched a no-hitter for 12 and a third innings in a game he entered in the fourth inning. The game was eventually called because of darkness after 20 innings with the teams tied 4-4. His next team was Birmingham, Alabama of the Southern Association. In 1950 he was optioned to Scranton of the Eastern League.
   
   In 1951 he played in Louisville. In 1952, while at spring training with the Red Sox, he re-injured his arm and was forced to give up baseball.
   
   Don's career could have continued as he was a good hitter, but even playing first base he couldn't throw the ball.
   
   Asmonga played professional basketball with the Altoona Flyers from 1949-53 and spent part of a season with the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA before they folded. He also played semi-pro ball for area teams like Mt. Washington in the Greater Pittsburgh League and Munhall-Homestead, Duquesne Zemps and Manning Spellman of the McKeesport Daily News League.
   
   Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s Asmonga worked as a milkman by day for Menzie Dairy of McKeesport and in the Duquesne Water Department at night. He resumed his college education in 1963, and in 1965 received his teaching degree in social studies at California State College.
   
   Asmonga landed his first teaching job at the age of 39 in the newly formed Belle Vernon Area School District.
   
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   Asmonga retired from his coaching duties in 1988 and retired from teaching in 1993.
   
   Don married Bernice Staisey, sister to Allegheny County Commissioner and Judge Leonard Staisey, in the early 1950s.
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   The couple has six children Mary Ann Knapp, Cathy Ciaccia, Danny, Emilie Gadd, Nancy Calleton and Donald.
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   Don is a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hall of Fame inducted in 1988. He is also a recipient of the Dapper Dan Award given in February of 1979.