The Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2024 on Friday, July 12 at Highmark Stadium, and though the three inductees all began their journey with the Hounds on the inaugural 1999 team, the ceremony bridged the gap between past and present as the club celebrates its 25th season.
Paul Child, Randy Dedini and Gary DePalma brought the Hall of Fame’s membership to nine, and a crowd of nearly 100 enjoyed the proceedings as family and friends of the inductees connected with current staff, players and special guests for the night. The attendees enjoyed food and refreshments provided by Hounds’ food & beverage partner Sodexo Live!, and after a 6-7 p.m. cocktail hour, emcee and Hall of Famer Justin Evans kicked off the proceedings.
Evans first introduced current Hounds coach Bob Lilley, who spoke to the rapid emergence of the Hounds from his view as a rival coach at the time with the Hershey Wildcats, and how that original foundation paved the way for the team’s growth now in its third decade of operation. Along with Lilley, assistant coach Rob Vincent and the Hounds’ last two captains, current players Kenardo Forbes and Danny Griffin, were in attendance.
The crowd was then treated to a short video presentation (see below) featuring interview clips and photos of this year’s inductees before Evans and fellow Hall of Famer John Kowalski introduced the honorees, starting with Child.
A member of the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame and multiple other such halls, Child is no stranger to moments like this, and he talked briefly about the early days of the club and the people who contributed, including the two deceased members of the Hall of Fame: team founder Paul Heasley and his longtime friend, coaching colleague and broadcast partner, Gene Klein.
Dedini was next to speak, and the California native made the most of his first trip back to Pittsburgh since his playing days, making the longest speech of the night. The visibly grateful former goalkeeper shared that he earlier drove back to visit the Hounds’ original home — Bethel Park High School — to soak up the memories at the recently renovated venue, and he repeatedly said how Pittsburgh was the favorite stop in his 11-year playing career. He then closed talking about the value of teammates being like family, and how thrilled he was to see so much of his Hounds family in attendance.
DePalma was the final inductee of the night, and he also spoke of family. In his instance, DePalma was referring to the support he received from his parents in launching his soccer career, specifically his late father. True to the billing given to him by Evans, his friend and teammate, DePalma’s speech was not lengthy, but it provided a thoughtful end before the formal ceremony ended. That didn’t end the night, as many of those in attendance stayed for an hour or longer, checking out memorabilia set out and simply catching up with old friend.
The night also had its lighter moments, such as Kowalski and Lilley exchanging playful barbs about attendance and wins during their two seasons coaching against each other. (For the record, Lilley’s Wildcats were 4-3 against Kowalski’s Hounds, but Dedini can claim credit for one of those as a result of winning the MLS-style shootout used in the A-League in 1999 — the only game won by the Hounds in that fashion.)
Dedini also provided a laugh in the room during talk of the current success of the Hounds Academy. As major programs such as North Carolina, Pitt and Alabama were named as destinations for Hounds Academy girls, Dedini threw in a playful shout for getting some of them to start going to Sacramento State, where he has been the head coach for 17 years.
The fun for the inductees continued to the next night, as they were honored at halftime of the Hounds’ match and got to witness the team’s most lopsided win in three years, a 5-0 rout against visiting Oakland Roots SC.
All totaled, the third Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame Induction was a delightful look at the past and the contributions of those being inducted. But the look back also illustrated how far the team has advanced in 25 years, and left plenty of high hopes for where things could be headed for soccer in Pittsburgh over the next quarter century.
Watch the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony video
