By Cara Crawford

In a recent interview with The Match, Upper School Dean of Students Mark Palyo reflected on how his upbringing shaped his mentality, which unexpectedly brought him to Collegiate. Palyo is not originally from Richmond but instead he grew up in Lincoln Borough, Pennsylvania, a rural and predominantly blue collar community 25 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Many people in his hometown worked at the Clairton Coke Works—otherwise known as the steel mill—one of the largest US factories for creating carbonized coal, a vital fuel for the creation of steel. Palyo recalls being able to “see the smoke rise” from his childhood home. During his winters as a child, Palyo reflected on how you could see “the soot on top of the white snow.” In fact, in 2025, when there was an explosion at the factory, Palyo’s childhood home shook due to its proximity to the plant. 

Palyo attended South Allegheny High School, where, according to the U.S. News and World Report, 100% of the current student body qualifies as economically disadvantaged. Palyo recalls that in his youth “almost everyone in the community worked at the steel mill,” but life in Lincoln Borough revolved around high school football. Palyo recalls having one of two options after high school: working at the steel mill, or getting a football scholarship to college. He chose the latter. 

Palyo in high school.

During the football season, it was never a question if Palyo was working hard enough. As an offensive lineman who played three years of varsity football, Palyo would tell his teammates: “Run behind me, because I am going to road-grade the guy across from me. I am going to plow him into the ground, and I will do that play after play.” 

Not only did Palyo take football seriously, but so did the Western Pennsylvania area. Palyo recalls that the local league was known for its “very tough mindset and physical players.” His two weeks of preseason in the summers demonstrated that, with three two-hour practices where “you might get one water break.” Oftentimes, instead of having a water break, they would be given salt pills. Their drills were extremely physical, and many are no longer practiced at the high school level today, due to the potential risk of injury. 

While these intense practices sound like a difficult feat, Palyo’s favorite memories from high school are playing football with his friends under the Friday night lights. They would play in the large Glassport Memorial Stadium, which served four local communities. The stadium would be full of thousands of people, and “even though it was a small community, everybody would go to the Friday night football games.” 

Palyo was not only a tough athlete but a prepared student, as he took the most challenging classes offered at his school and recalls having “a good rapport” with his teachers and coaches. His coaches helped him earn a football scholarship and get recruited as an offensive lineman for The University of Richmond in 1981, making Palyo the first member of his family to go to college. After a stellar career as a college football lineman, Palyo made it all the way to the NFL’s LA Raiders in 1985 as an undrafted free agent, but he was ultimately released. He returned back to Richmond looking for new opportunities and a way to support himself. His previous Richmond Spiders coach, Jim Marshall, put him in his car and drove him over to Collegiate. Palyo recalls spending the day talking to coaches Charlie McFall, Grover Jones, and Jim Hickey, “and the next thing you know I am coaching varsity football.” 

Palyo as varsity football head coach.

While Palyo was the varsity football head coach for sixteen years, from 2007 to 2022, starting out proved to be a challenge. Coaching at the high school level after just being released from the LA Raiders camp taught Palyo how to “tone back” his coaching style due to his past coaching experiences. Palyo reflected that this change was necessary, believing that “you have to be able to work to understand the young people that you are serving, so that you can help them be at their best.” 

So what is the Palyo mentality, really? Well, it is smashing obstacles in front of you and driving them into the ground, “play after play.” Palyo himself summarized it beautifully when asked about advice for current high schoolers: “If you truly want something—even if it is a big reach, or you have been told “no”—fight for it, work for it, and make it happen for yourself.”

All photos courtesy of Mark Palyo.