'A shining, positive light': Friends, family remember Southmoreland coach Ron Frederick

The last football game that Rob Frederick watched his brother Ron coach wasn’t a Southmoreland game.

Instead, it was a youth football league game in which Ron’s son, Colin, played.

Rob said he was “captivated” watching Ron coach Colin. There was more pep in the proud father’s step that game.

“He was just smiling from ear to ear,” Rob said. “I’ve never seen him so animated and so happy coaching a football game, and it came not as a varsity coach, but coaching his son. I think that’s something that’s going to stick with me forever.”

Ronald Frederick Jr. died unexpectedly Feb. 3 of what is believed to be a heart attack. The husband and father of three from Mt. Pleasant was 40 years old.

Frederick, who served as Southmoreland’s assistant football coach since 2017, found out he was set to become the program’s next head coach just one day before his death.

As a Southmoreland alumnus, Frederick dreamed of one day being its head coach.

On Thursday, that dream came true when the school board voted unanimously to posthumously name Frederick as head coach.

Tim Bukowski, Frederick’s close friend and fellow Southmoreland coach, described the hiring as a joyous, tear-filled scene.

“To see his dream become fulfilled, and his family and friends and players there to watch, it was a touching moment,” Bukowski said. “I give the school credit and the school board credit because they made sure it happened.”

Frederick graduated from Southmoreland in 1999. He played college football at the University of Tulsa and California University.

After graduating from California University in 2004, he returned to the Pittsburgh area, where he coached at Southmoreland, Charleroi and Ringgold.

Friends and family describe Frederick as a kind and encouraging coach. Dan LaCarte, who coached with Frederick at Charleroi and Ringgold, said Frederick took coaching to “another level.”

“He was a shining, positive light for kids,” LaCarte said. “It wasn’t about wins and losses with Ron. … It was all about making kids productive, positive citizens. He built their self-esteem up.”

LaCarte recalled Frederick would make hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for players to help build their strength, or spend time molding a player “without a lot of talent” into a starter.

Ron helped lead Southmoreland to the playoffs twice in the past four years.

The program hadn’t made the playoffs in 40 years.

Bukowski said Frederick took great pride in this accomplishment.

“(The football program) really became a great atmosphere,” he said. “Our stadium was full, and the program was on the right track. He was going to work hard to take it to that next level, but he accomplished a lot in his four years here.”

Off the field, Ron was “light-hearted, funny and family-focused,” his brother Rob said. “You couldn’t help but smile” when you were with his brother.

“He was the person you wanted to be around. The person you wanted to sit by at the Thanksgiving table. The person you wanted to hang out with at all times because he always made you smile and laugh,” Rob said.

Luke Mollis, who coached with Frederick at Charleroi, said Ron was always someone he could trust.

“Everybody has good friends … but I don’t think everybody has a ton of friends that you can call and count on for something,” Mollis said.

Frederick was a great family man, according to his brother. All four men recalled the love Frederick showed for his wife, Liz, and children Sophia, Colin and Dylan.

“I think if I can lead my life the way Ron led it, I think I’ll be doing pretty well for myself and my family,” Rob said.

Frederick loved visiting the Outer Banks and Disney World regularly with his family. LaCarte noted Frederick’s positive and uplifting spirit made the coach “kind of like a Disney character,” himself.

Frederick’s funeral was Monday at the Mt. Pleasant Church of God. His family asked mourners to donate money to South­moreland’s football program.

“Football brings a community together like nothing else, whether it’s winning championships or something like this,” Bukowski said. “It’s very nice to see everybody come together in support.”