Marian recently announced that District 11 Hall of Fame basketball coach Paul Brutto has been appointed head coach of the boys’ basketball program, succeeding the late Scott Murphy, who passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 14.

Brutto has been a familiar presence on the Colts’ bench for the past three seasons, serving as assistant coach under Murphy.

He played a key role in Marian’s 2024-25 season, which culminated in a District 11 Class 2A championship and a berth in the state playoffs.

“We are thrilled Coach Brutto has accepted the position, and we are happy to have him as head coach of our boys’ program,” said Athletic Director Billy O’Gurek. “We have no doubt he will continue to bring success to the program, just as he did over more than 30 years as coach of our Fillies.”

Brutto expressed mixed emotions about the appointment, stating: “I’m happy for this opportunity, and while it comes sadly under the circumstances of the loss of Scott, I’m looking forward to continuing what he started three years ago, which culminated this past year with a District 11 championship.”

Brutto is among the winningest coaches in District 11 and Pennsylvania history, with a 40-year career in girls’ basketball — 30 years at Marian and 10 at Shenandoah Valley. He amassed an impressive 750-349 career coaching record (.708 winning percentage), including 606 wins at Marian and 144 wins at Shenandoah Valley.

In October of 2024, Brutto was inducted into the District 11 Hall of Fame. In his time as the Marian’s girls coach, he had 27 winning seasons in 30 years, including a 32-1 mark in 2007-08 when the team won a state titles.

The Fillies, during his tenure, captured 15 league championships, three district crowns and 11 D-11 runner-up finishes. His teams also reached the state playoffs 22 times.

In addition to coaching, Brutto dedicated 40 years to Catholic education. He spent 16 years at Marian, from 2007 until retiring in 2023. He served as assistant principal and director of studies at Cardinal Brennan for seven years, and taught at Mahanoy City Catholic for 17 years.