Scott McClary, who led Bethlehem Catholic boys basketball to an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference title in 2022 and two District 11 championships, has retired as the Golden Hawks coach.
McClary was 120-76 over eight seasons, including a 12-11 mark in the 2025-26 season. The Golden Hawks qualified for the District 11 4A tournament but lost to North Schuylkill in the quarterfinals.
According to a release issued by the school, McClary was the longest-serving head coach in the Becahi athletic program.
“Coach McClary has been a steady and respected leader of the Golden Hawks boys basketball program since taking over in 2017, ” said Steve Tomaszewski, the team’s athletic director. “His teams were known not only for their competitiveness, but also for their discipline, teamwork and commitment to representing Bethlehem Catholic with pride.”
Scott McClary coaches Bethlehem Catholic in a District 11 4A playoff game at Liberty in 2019. McClary has resigned after eight seasons as Becahi’s coach. (RICK KINTZEL / THE MORNING CALL)
Tomaszewski said McClary brought a wealth of coaching experience to the program. Before coaching at Becahi, he was an assistant at Allentown Central Catholic. He also coached at nationally known DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he worked with coaching legend Morgan Wootten. He also was the head coach at Muhlenberg College for eight seasons and had stints at Bishop O’Connell High School and Coastal Carolina University.
He has been part of over 750 victories, 400 as as a head coach.
“Beyond the wins and championships, Coach McClary’s legacy at Bethlehem Catholic is rooted in the relationships he built with his players, fellow coaches, and the entire school community,” Tomaszewski said. “A proud member of the Bethlehem Catholic family, Scott and his wife made the school a central part of their lives, choosing to send all three of their sons to Bethlehem Catholic, two of whom had the special opportunity to play under their father in the Golden Hawks program.”
McClary said in the release, “I could not have been more blessed than to have spent the last eight years of my coaching career at Bethlehem Catholic,” he said. “While it is so easy to feel proud of what we accomplished on the court with the wins and the championships, it pales in comparison to how proud I am of what kind of young men graduated out of our program every year.
“I was fortunate to have three sons attend Bethlehem Catholic and they granted me a front row seat many parents don’t get to experience,” he continued. “As much as I will miss the games and the formal practices, I will miss the other stuff that made the Beca experience unique for the boys. The overnight retreats, camp leadership opportunities, so much travel and out-of-area experiences, alumni connections, service, countless college visits and yes, those early-morning workouts before school that so many players loved to be a part of.”
Tomaszewski said that throughout McClary’s tenure, he emphasized the importance of academics, leadership and service while helping to develop student-athletes both on and off the court. He said his leadership continued the school’s proud tradition in boys basketball and strengthened the program’s connection to the broader Bethlehem Catholic community.
“None of this would have been possible without the amazing support, starting with some tremendous coaches on my staff,” McClary said. “We even broke the gender barrier seven years ago [with the addition of Katy Mitton] and proceeded to make it a non-story. I have worked with many athletic directors in my 37 years of coaching, none as supportive as the two I worked with here at Becahi in Chris Domyan and Steve Tomaszewski. They are two guys who simply get it.”
Tomaszewski added that McClary will be stay connected to basketball by supporting his son, Parker, who will continue his career at Susquehanna University.
“We thank Coach McClary and express deep gratitude for his years of service and leadership,” Tomaszewski said. “We thank him for everything he has given to Bethlehem Catholic and wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter. Coach McClary was ‘Once a Hawk and will ALWAYS be a Hawk.”’