WVU Tech Athletics

Joe Kania has had an extensive and successful coaching career at both the high school and collegiate levels. To add to his impressive resume, Kania has coached basketball, football, tennis and baseball over the years.

Kania began his playing career at Gauley Bridge High School (1967-1971), helping his team earn 58 wins and only 14 losses. He was part of the All-State Tournament Team from 1970-1971 and was part of the Class AA All-State team in 1971.

He continued his basketball career at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (1971-1972 and 1974-1976) with a brief stint at Concord University from 1972-1973. He was one of three team captains for the Golden Bears in 1976.

Kania began his coaching career at Ironton St. Joseph High School in Ironton, Ohio, in 1977, where he served as Assistant and Head Football Coach, Assistant Boys Basketball Coach, and Head Baseball Coach until 1979.

Kania returned to West Virginia to become the head boys’ basketball coach at Charleston Catholic High School in Charleston, West Virginia, from 1979-1981. Under his leadership, Charleston Catholic went to the regional semi-finals in 1980 and regional finals in 1981.

Returning to his alma mater to coach in 1981, he served as the head women’s basketball coach until 1984. He had a 56-23 winning record. Simultaneously, Kania was the assistant men’s basketball coach (1981-1993) where he coached the Golden Bears to numerous WVIAC regular season and tournament championships, including two national NAIA tournament appearances in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1982, Kania earned the WVIAC Coach of the Year honors.

Kania also served as the head men’s tennis coach at WVU Tech from 1991-1993.

Kania took a position at Brooke Point High School (Class 5A) in Stafford, Virginia, in 1993. He led Brooke Point to several commonwealth district tournaments, regular-season championships and numerous Virginia regional tournament appearances. After almost 300 wins at Brooke Point, he retired in 2016 to spend more time with his family. Kania was the only head basketball coach at Brooke Point until his retirement. In February 2019, Kania was “humbled and honored” when Brooke Point High School renamed the Black Hawk Gymnasium to The Joe Kania Court.

Kania was also inducted into the West Virginia Legends Hall of Fame in 2019, thanks to the recognition of Coach Tex Williams and the West Virginia Sports Legends organization.

Kania says he has been blessed to coach players including Sedale Threatt, Antoine Scott, Sam Cooke, Steve Morrison, Arthur Culbreath, Ron Beatty, Cheryl Harper, Val Weems, Liz Deemer, Toni Green and a host of others. He says they were not only great players but great people.

Kania’s family includes his wife of 40 years, Lori, a son PJ and his wife Leah, and daughter Sarah and her husband, Chris. His pride and joy, he says, are his three grandchildren, Liam, Livi and Mikey.