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First, one coach resigned.

Then the appointment of another to replace him was rescinded.

No wonder Ed Stepanski, the third Crestwood girls basketball coach in two months, came to the program talking about a long tenure with the team.

“I empathize with the team, with the players, with the parents,” said Stepanski, who was hired to coach the Comets Thursday night by a 5-3 vote of the Crestwood school board. “It’s been kind of rough, not having a coach. I’m hoping to just help out where I can, and add a little stability to the team.”

The program has been scrambling a bit since Pat Brogan abruptly resigned as Crestwood head coach in April, after guiding the program for two years and taking the Comets to the first two District 2 Class 3A playoff wins in school history – accomplished over consecutive seasons.

Crestwood thought it had its man to replace him when the school board tabbed former Berwick girls basketball and Hazleton Area girls softball coach Vince Trivelpiece during a May board meeting. But Trivelpiece refused the appointment after reportedly accepting a new job, and Crestwood rescinded the appointment Thursday and hired Stepanski.

“That was kind of unusual,” Stepanski said.

Stepanski, 53, is the older brother of Joe and Steve Stepanski, who both played on Eddie Gayeski’s back-to-back state championship teams in the mid-1980s.

“I wasn’t quite good enough to make the high school teams of that era,” said Ed Stepanski, who graduated from Northwest in 1980. “But I was part of the alumni teams, and we scrimmaged them when they were making their run for states. I basketball growing up, played it through my adult years.”

He also coached it.

Ed Stepanski served as Northwest’s freshman and assistant girls varsity basketball coach from 2003 to 2010, and also has experience coaching AAU basketball with the Luzerne Lightning.

He said the opening at Crestwood attracted his attention immediately.

“It’s a very prestigious school. I’m pretty familiar with it,” Ed Stepanski said. “It was a great opportunity. I’m really interested in it. It’s a chance to make a difference somewhere. I really love what I do. I feel I have something to contribute. I’m really proud to be part of the Crestwood family.”

Interestingly, Ed Stepanski said his first order of business will be to sit down with the families of his players.

“I’m kind of new to this,” Stepanski said. “My first job is to set up a meeting with the parents as an introduction, get to know the team a little, what the girls’ possibilities are. We’re hoping to get an offseason program running, maybe get in a summer league.

“We’re really hoping to do something special there.”

He said he’ll soon find out when or if the Comets may expect injured all-state forward Maddie Ritsick to return for her senior season. The Division I scoring champion and two-time All-Pennsylvania selection suffered a torn knee ligament that required surgery to repair at the end of last season.

“I see Maddie as a big part of that,” Ed Stepanski said. “Hopefully, she’ll be able to contribute to the team.”