The architect of two decades of success at Graydon Sealy Secondary School is moving on.
Long-time basketball head coach Orland Roach will be leaving Paddock Road for Cane Garden for the upcoming school term after being appointed to the post of senior teacher at The Lester Vaughan School.
Roach revealed the move in an interview with MIDWEEKSPORT. He taught at Graydon Sealy for 23 years – the last three acting as senior teacher.
“Truth is it is a decision that took a lot of discussing with my family, but that is the decision that we made,” the industrial arts teacher said of the move.
“I will be a lot closer to home now though because Lester Vaughan is like five minutes’ drive away from me and I have a young son that I want to spend more time with.
“But I’m not fooling myself; this is going to be hard and I will probably really feel it come September 1,” he affirmed.
It marks the end of one of the great coaching careers in all of local school sports as Roach leaves the former Garrison Secondary with countless cups and titles in both the junior and senior leagues – including the last two Under-15 league and playoff titles.
But his legacy will be best remembered in girls’ basketball while leading the school to an unmatched nine championships and appearances in all 12 title games.
“To build a programme and leave it is difficult but when you leave it in capable hands then your mind is a little more at ease,” said Roach, who expects assistant Shawn Jones to take up the mantle.
“All along I would’ve been saying to my players this is probably going to be my last season here, so this won’t come as a surprise to them.
“I also told Jones that this would eventually be his team but I didn’t want to leave the programme as one in the rebuilding stages, so I left a championship side for them to build on,” he added.
Roach’s impact hasn’t been limited to, or centred on just winning, though, as the 46-year-old teacher has developed so many top flight players including Jefferson Trotman, John Jones, Tremaine Shaw, Justin Maloney, Sadé Clarke, Nikita President and sisters Chantal and Tiffany Husbands.
And the long-serving coach doesn’t figure to end there either, having said he would offer his assistance at Lester Vaughan if it is needed.
“I would have to be asked, though, because I don’t want to come and encroach on anyone’s programme or take over from anyone’s hard work,” Roach said of coaching at Lester Vaughan.
“If they need me I will be around but I know they already have a successful thing going there and I have plans of doing some other stuff at Lester Vaughan other than basketball.”
Lester Vaughan has two junior national players in Brandon Hope and Brett Williams, but still lost last term’s Under-15 final to Roach’s Graydon Sealy.
