It’s all about roots, loyalty and commitment.

That’s the formula that got Mahanoy City’s native son Mike Rhoades into the big-time world of collegiate basketball as a coach.

When Rhoades ascended to the top rung to become the head coach at Penn State in 2023, he knew where he was going — and he had a plan.

That plan was to surround himself with two local products: Panther Valley’s Jake Szczecina and Pottsville’s highly successful Division 1 coach, Pat Flannery.

Rhoades never forgot where it all started, and when he addressed the crowd at Macaluso’s Restaurant recently, he quickly spotted one of his former teachers.

“And there’s my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Kalista,” said Rhoades.

And there was Flannery and Szczecina. They’re loyal, closely knit, and in Rhoades’ eyes — “family.”

Flannery goes way back with Rhoades. He says it all started when the Nittany Lions’ coach was eight years old. The Pottsville native and highly-successful coach was in retirement and said, “he called me out of the bullpen.”

For Szczecina, he was a former Panther Valley star basketball player who wasn’t sure which direction he wanted to move in after his playing days ended at Misericordia. He was a grad-assistant at East Stroudsburg, and when his time was up, Rhoades was looking for the same at VCU, and called Szczecina and offered him the job.

“I was a GA for one year (at VCU) when Mike called offering the job as video-coordinator, and I took the job,” said Szczecina.

In Szczecina and Flannery, Rhoades has kept his ties back to the Coal Region, both with that ever-fading loyalty aspect, something that is fleeting faster than the summer sunsets.

Flannery was a perfect fit for the position with the Nittany Lions in today’s world of the NIL (Name Image Likeness) in college sports. After leading Bucknell to prominence in the Patriot League and the coveted NCAA Division 1 tournament, he stepped aside from the head job, and moved into a development role for the Bison. His credentials were ideal for Penn State as NIL coordinator.

“It’s been a great year, and coach is so much fun to be around,” Flannery continued. “He has a great staff around him, all good people.”

Maybe you can say it was a shot in the dark for Szczecina, but being in the right place at the right time was very fortuitous for the kid from the Panther Valley area.

“I love it,” Szczecina said. “He’s the best boss in the world, we’re both super-competitive and we want to win … (but) Mike knows there is more to life than winning.”

Szczecina says it’s all thanks to technology. He digs into every nook-and-cranny when the staff asks to see film on opposing teams. Szczecina also is heavily involved when it comes to recruiting. There are times when the coaching staff needs more film on a potential recruit, and Szczecina’s job is to look further and deeper to get as much information as possible.

“My primary focus is doing related video to scouting,” he explained. “Capturing the (information) for practices and games. Getting as much (video) of our opponents and putting it up on (computer). It’s all about technology.”

“It’s all for the love the game,” the head videographer for the Penn State men’s basketball team blurted out.

After graduating from Panther Valley in 2014, he went to Misericordia to play basketball at the Division 3 school. He had his sights set on being a coach, and East Stroudsburg offered him a job. However, Szczecina said his aim was to go to physical therapy school, but after a year, he had yearned for coaching.

“I came home from physical therapy school and told my parents (Marie and Jeff Szczecina), ‘I don’t think this is for me.’ They jumped in and fully supported me.”

As one can tell, it’s fun for Szczecina, who spends his day gathering the information needed for the staff.

The move obviously was suited for his passion and desire for basketball. Szczecina gets into the office at 7:30 a.m. and spends his day coordinating information for the coaches, and sometimes is home for dinner with his wife — a Pottsville native, Olivia (Campion) — and his six-month-old son.

Rhoades has reached great heights in his coaching career, but he’s never forgotten where he came from, or who helped him get there.

“I always say ‘If you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life,’” said Szczecina. “I was fortunate enough to get offered a job by Mike.”