He was an ultra-talented point guard when he played basketball for Wheeling Central Catholic.
BUT … that also meant he was on the other side of the rivalry between Linsly and the Maroon Knights. There are reasons, though, why the 1987 CCHS graduate now serves as the head basketball coach and field house coordinator for the college preparatory school located along Leatherwood Lane.
“The No. 1 reason I am here at Linsly is (head of school) Justin Zimmerman. That’s the bottom line,” Wojcik said. “I believe in his vision, I like his personality, and he’s been to a lot of places. When he came to me, I thought about it and thought about it, and I am glad I did it. I really do like it here.
“I have always felt the ceiling was high here at Linsly, and we have the facilities. Some upgrades are needed so we can showcase them while we are reaching out to people about our school,” he said. “I just finished my second year here, and I really like it here. I like that we can play whomever we want to play whenever we want to play them. And yes, I like that we can attract kids from outside the United States, too.”
Wojcik enjoys when local student/athletes are in Linsly’s basketball program, but he also relishes the opportunities to recruit players from outside the Upper Ohio Valley.
“I do like the recruiting process because I like talking with people,” Wojcik explained. “It’s a lot like a college here at Linsly, and I enjoy presenting this product because I believe we have a very good product here. I’m looking forward to taking the next step to really get it out there.
“We do have a lot of talent in this area when it comes to the game of basketball,” the head coach continued. “But one thing we don’t have much of here in the valley is size. We didn’t have it here when I was a high school player, and we still don’t for whatever reasons. That’s where the recruiting comes into play.”
A Linsly Legend
Skip Prosser was the head coach at Central Catholic following his short tenure at Linsly, but he departed the Friendly City for the college game and a position as assistant coach at Xavier University in 1982. That meant Dino Gaudio became head coach so he was whom Wojcik played for before graduating and heading to Loyola College in Baltimore to continue his playing career. Those two gentlemen, in fact, played instrumental roles when it came to both Wojcik’s playing and coaching careers.
BUT … a man who spent 39 years as a teacher, a coach, and as the athletic director at Linsly is yet another reason why Wojcik accepted the position in 2019.
“I think another big reason as far as why I came to Linsly is (Eugene) ‘Eudie’ Joseph, and that’s because he is who got Skip Prosser into coaching,” he said. “I can remember, when we were playing against Georgetown when they had Allen Iversen, and Skip said, ‘Boys, I think we have to pull out the ‘Eudie Joseph’ 2-3 zone.’
“It was a joke, of course, but it was made out of respect for Eudie,” Wojcik explained. “I never met Eudie, but I had always heard what a great man he was, and that’s why I wanted to be a part of this place.”
Dribble, Pass, Shoot
Just like most student/athletes throughout the Upper Ohio Valley in the 1980s, Wojcik was a three-sport athlete at CCHS.
BUT … there came a day when a decision had to be made. In what sport could he play in college just as his big brother did? How could he live up to that reputation?
“When I was young, basketball just took over. I played the other sports, and I really liked playing baseball. Actually, baseball was my first love,” Wojcik said. “But when my brother went to the Naval Academy and had his experiences with David Robinson, he made ‘Wojcik’ a name around here. That’s when I was coming up through high school, and when I was a sophomore, I made the decision to concentrate on basketball.
“From that point, I did nothing else,” he recalled. “And then I was fortunate to be able to go play on the college level, and I owe that to Skip Prosser and Dino Gaudio. They really worked for me and got me into the right camps so I could get seen by coaches on the next level. They helped me, and I went on to play four years, and that’s when I decided to go into coaching, and the rest is history.”
He and his wife, Heather, moved 14 times so Wojcik could coach at 14 different institutions, and that includes his four years as the head coach at San Jose State. But the college level, for him and his wife, is history, as well.
“I really loved the college game, but it’s something I wouldn’t want to get back into because it’s out of control with the recruiting and all of the transferring that’s been going on,” Wojcik said. “When I came home, it was a great decision because my wife is a teacher in Marshall County, and she loves her job. And finally, after moving 14 times, we feel like we’re putting our roots down here, and we’re close to both of our families.
“I like it here in Wheeling, and I like the simple life,” he admitted. “There are such good people here in Wheeling and the valley, so we are having a very good time here. I never forgot how great a place this area is, so when it came time to come home, I looked forward to it.”
