Wayne Hills High made a tremendous choice in naming Rob Carcich its new boys basketball coach.

Carcich, who had tremendous success at Passaic Valley for over a decade, with his vaunted 2-3 defense, takes over a program which enjoyed some good seasons under Kevin Grimes, for the past five years. The 2017-2018 Patriots won the Passaic County Tournament championship and made a nice run in the NJSIAA Tournament, en route to a 21-8 season. Grimes also guided the Patriots to three straight 20-win seasons, including last winter, as well as multiple Big North Conference championships.

Defense will certainly be emphasized this winter, as Carcich’s intense, upbeat style will require 32 minutes of commitment, in every game. The man will demand no less.

Carcich, here during a PV practice years ago, will have that intensity burning at Wayne Hills this coming season. (Click on photo for larger image)

Carcich coached at Passaic Valley for a dozen years, in which he led the Hornets to 11 straight winning seasons, a state sectional championship as well as three appearances in the sectional final. It’s hard to imagine that the Patriots won’t enjoy a good deal of success this winter, and beyond. After all, when he arrived at PV, in 2004, the Hornets were 6-63 in the previous three seasons. In his first season, Carcich led Passaic Valley to nine wins, and two years later, the team won a state championship. In 12 seasons, he won over 200 games at PV and averaged a 17-9 record, per season.

Rob, along with sons Robbie (left) and Michael. (Click on photo for larger image)

Including his stops as a head coach at Palisades Park and Hasbrouck Heights, before coming to PV, Carcich is 107 games over .500 for his career.

Carcich, here with Wayne Hills athletic director Jeff DiLollo, will trade in his familiar green shirt for a maroon look this season. (Click on photo for larger image)

He’ll have an enthusiastic group of players when practice officially begins in a month. And those kids will learn the game the only way Carcich, himself a standout athlete at Hasbrouck Heights and later Pace University, knows how to administer.

When Carcich coached at Passaic Valley, one of the Hornets’ biggest conference opponents was Wayne Hills, especially when Joe Kenny (above) played for the Patriots. Now, Carcich is at Hills and he’ll coach in the same conference against his former team. (Click on photo for larger image)

Having covered basketball for the better part of 43 years, I can safely say he’s the best coach I’ve ever been around.

It should be an interesting season. All the best, Rob !