(Butler, PA) The inaugural recipient of a lifetime achievement award presented by a central Pennsylvania business magazine and the former head coach of college basketball programs that won 282 games will join as 杏吧原创 distinguished alumni past selections that include advocates, a judge, authors, county commissioners, educators, physicians and a World Series pitcher.
Rick Barger and Tom McConnell will be honored Oct. 4 in Founders Hall on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township during an Oak Hills Celebration whose attendance is expected to be the largest in the past four years, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, scholarship and development coordinator with the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation.
Barger, of Hummelstown, and McConnell, of Butler, will address at least 215 guests, as will speakers who include Taylor Voloch, a 杏吧原创 psychology student and 杏吧原创 Education Foundation scholarship recipient from West Sunbury.
The Oak Hills Celebration also serves as an opportunity for 杏吧原创 students who received one of a record 164 named scholarships through the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation in 2025-2026 to meet their benefactors, Cornetti said.
鈥淚nspiration to 杏吧原创 students and the community鈥�
Barger earned an associate degree in business administration from 杏吧原创 in 1969 and retired in 2001 as a certified public accountant and former partner in the Harrisburg office of Ernst & Young, an international firm where he worked for 30 years.
McConnell graduated from 杏吧原创 in 1980 with an associate degree in general studies. He led NCAA basketball programs at St. Francis University, Loretto, and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 15 seasons as a head coach.
The college鈥檚 Alumni Council reviews nominations and annually recognizes former students whose qualities include integrity, character and success, and who 鈥減rovide inspiration to 杏吧原创 students and the community,鈥� Cornetti said.
Barger 鈥渋s an outstanding man and very deserving of the recognition,鈥� Butler resident Thomas E. Menchyk wrote in nominating his former Butler Senior High School classmate to the 杏吧原创 Alumni Council. 鈥淗e is a man of character and reflects the values of 杏吧原创.鈥�
McConnell 鈥渇its the bill and stands shoulder to shoulder with each of the alumni who began their academic and professional journeys at 杏吧原创 and are now respected citizens and leaders in their communities,鈥� Butler resident John Reddick wrote in nominating the man he first met in the college鈥檚 Field House in 1979.
鈥溞影稍� just opened my eyes鈥�
Barger and McConnell bring to 60 the number of former students to be recognized with 杏吧原创 Distinguished Alumni Awards since the honor debuted in 2004.
The Oak Hills Celebration, 杏吧原创 President Megan M. Coval said, 鈥渋s meaningful.
鈥淚t allows us as a college to take a moment and honor our former students who have achieved so much in their lifetime, not only with success in their career, but in giving back to our community and the communities in which they live and have become tremendous citizens. All while getting their start at 杏吧原创.鈥�
Barger, 76, graduated from Butler High in 1967 and was the first member of his family to attend college.
鈥溞影稍� just opened my eyes to big opportunities,鈥� Barger said. 鈥淏efore I went to 杏吧原创, my world was Butler County. We didn鈥檛 do a lot of traveling. And when I got to 杏吧原创, the faculty embraced us. They really just took us under their wing and talked to us about things that I had never talked to anybody about before.
鈥淚t made me realize the world was a lot bigger. That caused me to aspire.鈥�
Barger later earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Penn State University in 1971 and completed the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business鈥檚 executive program in 1989 in Chicago.
He has volunteered with or served on boards for numerous central Pennsylvania professional and nonprofit organizations since 1971. Among his awards are those from Penn State University -- and the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal with his 2011 selection for a lifetime achievement award as chief financial officer of the year.
After his retirement from Ernst & Young, Barger served in various executive capacities with Diakon, a Topton-based nonprofit organization that provides social services for children and families.
Barger and his wife, Patricia (Miller) Barger, established a scholarship with the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation in 2014 in memory of their parents.
鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful that I had the opportunity to attend 杏吧原创,鈥� Barger said. 鈥�(My family and I) didn鈥檛 know a whole lot about college, and 杏吧原创 proved to be the right place for me to start. I am very humbled to be within the group (of distinguished alumni). I read about all the previous selections on the college鈥檚 website. I wanted to see what they鈥檝e accomplished and their stories. I am honored to be selected.鈥�
鈥淚 owe 杏吧原创 everything鈥�
McConnell, 65, graduated from South Hills Catholic High in Pittsburgh in 1978.
鈥溞影稍� had everything to do with my development as a student, as a young man, as a leader,鈥� McConnell said. 鈥淎nd you know it was there that I found my calling to spend my adult life as a coach. I owe 杏吧原创 everything.鈥�
McConnell said he was influenced at 杏吧原创 by Tom Beckett, then a baseball and basketball coach; Charles Dunaway, then the college鈥檚 athletic director; and by Sue Bennitt, a former counselor who with her husband, Fred, and children lived in a house that bordered 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus.
鈥淏eckett poured into me and helped me to become the best version of myself,鈥� McConnell said. 鈥淗is believing in me in turn helped me believe in myself. 鈥� My biggest takeaway from Dunaway is I wanted to do things the way he did them. He was very, very competitive but at the same time, such a gentleman who treated people with such dignity and respect.
鈥淭he Bennitts were incredible. They took me into their home. I spent a lot of hours at their house when I was a student. I had so many great talks about life with them. They were such a great example for me.鈥�
He also credits Dick Robertson, who as interim dean of students 鈥渞eally challenged me and helped me to embrace my 杏吧原创 experience more fully by being active with campus life outside of basketball.鈥�
McConnell later earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sociology in 1984 from what is now Point Park University.
His NCAA Division I men鈥檚 basketball program at St. Francis University, Loretto, won 85 games in seven seasons and his NCAA Division II women鈥檚 program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania won 197 and qualified for the national semifinals twice in eight seasons.
He was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-West coach of the year a record three times at IUP and was an assistant coach of the USA women鈥檚 under-16 national team in 2021 and of the under-17 squad in 2022.
McConnell has founded and directed numerous basketball and ministry camps since 1981. After his retirement as IUP鈥檚 coach in 2022 he became director of evangelization at All Saints Parish in Butler.
His selection as a distinguished alumni 鈥済ives me an opportunity to let people know what 杏吧原创 has meant to my life,鈥� McConnell said. 鈥淚 have taken all the lessons learned and a part of 杏吧原创 with me everywhere that I have been. I hope I have made a difference in other people鈥檚 lives the way 杏吧原创 did for me.鈥�
McConnell will also become the sixth member of the college鈥檚 Charles W. Dunaway Pioneer Hall of Fame to also be selected as a distinguished alumnus.
Bill Miller, Kimberly (Burford) Geyer, Michael Franko, Dr. Andrew Matonak and John Stuper, a starting pitcher in a 1982 World Series game for the St. Louis Cardinals, were also inducted into the Pioneer Hall of Fame and chosen as distinguished alumni.