Jericho's Wally Bachman wins battle of brothers-in-law coaches vs. Wheatley's Rich Slater
Wally Bachman, venerable Jericho varsity boys basketball head coach, left, and brother-in-law Rich Slater, Wheatley head coach, pose for a portrait after a non-league game between the two teams at The Wheatley School on Monday. Credit: James Escher
This may have been just another game for the boys of Jericho and Wheatley. It was much more than that for the opposing coaches, two men bound by basketball and family ties.
They’re brothers-in-law but more like brothers.
When it was over Monday afternoon at Wheatley, Jericho’s Wally Bachman owned his 497th career win and Wheatley’s Rich Slater was still at an ample 342. The Jayhawks rode junior guard Guri Chadha’s 21 points and a strong defensive effort to a 70-52 non-league victory that moved them to 11-1.
“It’s a really tough feeling,” Bachman said about facing Slater. “He’s so part of my family. He’s such an outstanding coach. To go against him, the same things I do, he does. Same plays.
“We have shared our basketball experience our whole life together. I had the privilege of coaching him as a player and the privilege of mentoring as he’s become, I think, one of the best coaches on Long Island.”
The same can be said of Bachman, a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame to name just one of a handful of halls that have welcomed him, a cousin of St. John’s coach Rick Pitino and the husband of Slater’s sister, Mindy.
Bachman turns 75 in March. Slater is 64. They go back to when Bachman coached Slater as a seventh- and eighth-grader at Valley Stream North.
“I am who I am because of him,” Slater said. “He’s everything that I wanted to be growing up. He’s the most important person in my life. He’s the brother I don’t have.”
Slater moved on as a sophomore to play at Jericho. He coached the East Meadow, Locust Valley and Long Island Lutheran girls and is now in his third season leading the Wheatley boys. Bachman went on to coach the Valley Stream North varsity before coming to coach Jericho, where he has been for a little more than three decades.
The Wildcats beat the Jayhawks when Bachman and Slater initially squared off last season.
“We had dinner last night together,” Bachman said. “My love for him is off the charts.”
Chadha scored eight in the first quarter, then eight more in the second when Jericho took charge, going from up 19-14 after one to up 39-24 at halftime.
“We have many scoring options,” Chadha said.
When Edison Li hit a three in the third, the lead swelled to 56-28.
Wheatley (6-7) was paced by Lawrence Brown’s 18 points.
“Every day our coach tells us to go hard,” Chadha said. “We just push the tempo every game and we make sure to lock in on defense. I don’t think we have any weaknesses.”
