Archbishop Ryan football coach suspended for a recruiting violation
Mark Ostaszewski was suspended for a year because of a recruiting violation. Ryan plans to reinstate Ostaszewski next season.
Archbishop Ryan football coach Mark Ostaszewski has been suspended for a year in an unprecedented move made by PIAA District 12 for recruiting violations, according to the school and District 12 chairman Michael Hawkins.
Ostaszewski will be replaced this season by interim coach Lee Marvel, Ryan’s defensive coordinator, who played at Council Rock North and Bucknell and is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach at Ryan.
Ostaszewski is the first Philadelphia Catholic League coach to be suspended for recruiting violations since the Catholic League joined the PIAA in the 2008-09 school year.
The suspension involves an eighth-grade student-athlete from the Bensalem School District who participated in a Ryan football camp in January, which the student-athlete was allowed to do. The violation came when Ostaszewski followed up by asking the student-athlete if he would like to apply to Ryan, which is in violation of PIAA rules. A Bensalem High School administrator reported the infraction to District 1, which passed it on to District 12.
In early spring, the complaint was addressed at a disciplinary regional hearing, according to Hawkins and Ryan administrators, in reaction to the District 1 complaint. A six-member panel, comprised of three representatives each from District 1 and District 12, voted in favor of a suspension, according to Hawkins and Ryan administrators. Ryan opted not to appeal. According to the PIAA constitution, the minimum suspension for recruiting violations is a calendar year. The maximum suspension is three years, or for life, depending upon the severity of the offense.
“For the record, if you’re a new coach coming in, I strongly urge you to sit down and read the rules, follow procedures, and talk to your athletic director about where the boundaries are,” Hawkins said.
Catholic League high schools are allowed contact with student-athletes from Catholic feeder and grade schools but not with student-athletes from surrounding public grade schools.
According to Catholic League rules, a public school student-athlete requires documentation showing proof that they attended a Catholic League school open house, took an entrance exam, or attended a “shadow day,” in which the prospective student walks with a senior representative of the Catholic League school for a day, before a Catholic League school coach can have unlimited contact with that prospective student-athlete.
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Ostaszewski, according to sources within Ryan, did ask the prospective student-athlete to reach out to the Ryan admissions office, which the student-athlete did not do.
Ryan went 3-8 in Ostaszewski’s first season in 2023. Last season, he guided the Raiders to a 7-4 record, winning the Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division (small schools) with a 5-1 record, before getting knocked out of the Catholic League Class 4A semifinals by Cardinal O’Hara, 44-23. Ostaszewski, a 2014 Ryan graduate, took over a dormant program and, according to sources within Ryan and the Catholic League, “created a positive culture” at the school and is considered “a good guy” by Catholic League peers.
Ostaszewski, who could not be reached for comment, will be back when the suspension is over in January 2026, according to school administrators.
Ryan athletic director Joe Zeglinski, who also serves as the boys’ basketball coach, and Ryan principal Joseph McFadden said Ostaszewski has “done a great job.”
McFadden and Zeglinski also said the school was not hiding behind the verdict and acknowledged that a mistake was made. Still, they questioned whether the punishment fit the infraction.
“While we may not agree with the decision, we respect and accept the outcome issued by the Inter-District Committee,” McFadden wrote in a statement. “We fully support our head coach and look forward to his return for the 2026—2027 season. For the upcoming football season, we have appointed assistant coach Lee Marvel to serve as Interim head coach and he has agreed to that role for the current season.”
Ryan was a statewide football powerhouse in the early 1990s under legendary coach Glen Galeone, who won four straight Catholic League championships (1990 to 1993) and had a 47-PCL game unbeaten streak (45-0-2) before losing to Bishop McDevitt in the 1994 Catholic League quarterfinals.
Since then, the Raiders have been a middling program, with declining enrollment across the Catholic League and open enrollment, which began in the 1993-94 school year, allowing Catholic grade school student-athletes to attend schools outside the boundaries of their traditional feeder schools.
Since 2010, St. Joseph’s Prep, which follows rigid entrance guidelines, has won 11 Catholic League titles and nine PIAA state championships (two Class 4A and seven Class 6A since 2016). A record three programs reached the PIAA finals last December (St. Joe’s Prep at 6A, Roman Catholic at 5A, and Bonner-Prendie at 4A), and two won championships (St. Joe’s Prep and Bonner-Prendie, which won its first).
“The Philadelphia Catholic League is committed to upholding the rules set forth by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA),” BJ Hogan, the Catholic League football chairman and Lansdale Catholic athletic director, said in a statement. “We view adherence to these guidelines not only as a matter of compliance but as an opportunity to foster integrity, discipline, and sportsmanship within our programs. By respecting the rules, we create a fair and level playing field for all athletes, coaches, and schools. We are dedicated to using each experience as a learning opportunity, ensuring that our coaches and athletic programs grow stronger and more accountable, both on and off the field.”