The children of a former IUP administrator and assistant football coach have established a scholarship in his honor.
The new Coach Ed Receski Boardwalk Bowl scholarship pays tribute to the longtime IUP coach, who worked for the university for 45 years. He earned his masters degree from IUP in business education in 1966 and worked in the administration and finance department for many years, eventually becoming vice president of the department. He retired from that in 2005. Along with that, he was an assistant coach of the IUP football team, and in 1968, the team played in the Boardwalk Bowl. That was the first time that an IUP football team to take part in a national playoff game, and played in the first NCAA playoff game to be held indoors. Although they lost the game 31-24, that team was remembered for its perfect 9-0 regular season record and they were the first team in IUP history to gain national ranking in the NCAA at #13 in the UPI poll. The game was also the first time IUP was broadcast on live TV.
The endowment was set up by Edward Recescki, now of Lexington, Kentucky, and Andrea Fako of Fox Chapel. They said they wanted to make the $25,000 endowment because late IUP coach Frank Cignetti wanted to build an endowment for the football program. The Boardwalk Bowl scholarship is open to qualified student-athletes in the IUP football program.
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