Hall of Fame
As a freshman, Pete Dimperio won a starting berth on the Thiel Eleven as a tackle. His play during the 1926 season earned him a coveted berth on the All Tri-State football team. During the 1927 and 1928 seasons, Dimperio turned in outstanding games against the powerful University of Pittsburgh.
In 1929, Dimperio was captain of the football team during which he played perhaps his greatest season. Following this season, he was selected to the All Tri-State football team for the second time. Perhaps a quote from the 1928 Endymoin under his picture best sums up Dimperio’s honors as a football player: “The mind of a man can accomplish whatever it resolves on.”
Pete went into coaching after graduation and coached basketball at Herron Jr. High School for his first 12 years. His teams compiled 187 wins and only eight losses in that time. He then moved to Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh as football coach. His philosophy of love for the game, desire to excel sacrifice made Westinghouse High School synonymous with winning football. During those years, his teams compiled the top winning record in the nation: 123 wins, five losses and two ties. He sent 230 boys to college on athletic scholarships and added a fiber of toughness into the lives of hundreds of boys who have played on his teams.
For Dimperio’s contributions, he was named Pittsburgh’s Man of the Year in 1958 and he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1964. Thiel presented him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 1965 and he was enshrined in the Pittsburgh Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame in 1967. In 1975, he was inducted into the Pittsburgh Dapper Dan Hall of Fame.
