Carmine Cortazzo has been an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education at IUP since 1981. He received his Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from IUP in 1970 and his Master of Science in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Illinois in 1972. He has furthered his study at the University of Pittsburgh in Sport Administration and has completed all but his dissertation toward his doctorate. He previously taught at West Liberty State College in West Virginia for seven years.
Currently, Mr. Cortazzo teaches majors classes consisting of Foundations of Health, Physical Education, and Sport; Teaching of High School Physical Education; Teaching of Health and Physical Education for Elementary Education Majors, Physical Activity classes, and a Liberal Studies course of Health and Wellness. He also advises Health and Physical Education students in Sport Administration and has supervised student teachers during their clinical experiences.
While being employed full time in education, he also served in various coaching positions. His assistant football coaching duties were at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., West Liberty State College in West Virginia, IUP, and the Marion Center Area School District. He was the head volleyball coach at Marion Center Area High School for five years, where his teams obtained success by going undefeated in the conference all years, being district champions in 1992, and going three times to the Pennsylvania state tournament. Coach Cortazzo continued coaching volleyball from 1998 to 2005 as head coach of the women’s team at IUP, where the team gained its first ever PSAC championship in 2002 and six consecutive trips to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament. The team of 2002-2003 also received the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Team Academic Award. While coaching volleyball at IUP, Coach Cortazzo was selected three times as AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and two times as PSAC West Coach of the Year.
He was formerly a member of AVCA and is currently a member of the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. Also, he is a member of the PSAHPERD (Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance), where he previously was vice president of the Division of Men’s Athletics and initiated a new award for Coaching Excellence. He has strived professionally for excellent teaching and coaching education.
