Giving Back
FOX CHAPEL — If there's one thing Mark Faulx knows, it's basketball.
The 1994 Knoch graduate was a point guard for the Knights and scored approximately 900 points.
He was a standout player at Indiana (Pa.) University.
His father, Dee Faulx, has coached for more than 30 years, including 24 seasons as the head assistant to Butler County Sports Hall of Famer Les Shoop.
“The game has given so much to me,” Faulx, 43, said. “One thing I learned growing up ... When something gives that much to you, find a way to give it back.”
Faulx has done that through coaching.
A teacher in the Plum school district for 19 years, Faulx served as an assistant basketball coach at Penn Hills and Plum for a number of years.
He recently completed his sixth season as head boys basketball coach at Valley High School in New Kensington.
“They were in our section when I played at Knoch,” Faulx recalled. “We were big rivals and we had some great games with them.
“But I'm so far removed from that time, it's had no bearing on my coaching there. We have some great kids and I'm thrilled to be their coach.”
Faulx's siblings work in education as well. His brother, Aaron — Knoch's all-time scoring leader when he played — is a teacher in Virginia. His sister, Loren, teaches in the Springdale school district.
The year before Faulx took over as coach in July of 2013, the Vikings were 3-16, ending the 2012-13 campaign with a nine-game losing streak. His first three seasons at the helm didn't fare much better.
Valley was 15-45 in Faulx's first three years as head coach, including 6-34 in section play.
“We only had one win one year (1-20 in 2015-16),” Faulx said. “We had a lot of young kids and we took our lumps.”
The Vikings averaged only 38 points per game that year. That same group of kids returned and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs the following season.
Valley hasn't missed the postseason since. The Vikings are 25-11 in section play over the past three years.
“I like where we're at and I like where we're going,” Faulx said. “Like I said, we've got good kids in this program. They work hard and they want to be successful.
“I'm not looking to coach anywhere else. As far as I'm concerned, I've got the best coaching job. We want to continue to take forward steps.”
Faulx is 1-4 in postseason play at Valley. Last year's team won its first WPIAL playoff game before losing in the quarterfinals to Quaker Valley, then losing its only PIAA playoff game during his tenture.
This year's team ended its season with a 77-60 WPIAL 3A first-round loss to North Catholic Saturday.
“I don't mind teaching at Plum and coaching at Valley,” Faulx said. “The schools aren't far apart and while it's true I don't see my players in school during my teaching day, there are some benefits to coaching where I don't teach.
“It's easy to separate my job as a teacher and as a coach. I can concentrate solely on basketball at Valley and I like that.”
