Tim Slater led the
Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) girls basketball team to the school's first state title, a 32-1 record and No. 6 spot in the MaxPreps Top 25.
For his efforts, Slater has been named the 2023-24 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year.
As he prepared for a ceremony honoring the team’s Class AAAAAAA title and season, the third-year Rams coach said he's been able to take a few weeks and reflect back on just how special the season was for Grayson.
"I think it’s a testament to the parents, the community and our administration," Slater said. "I always give them flowers and grace. The kids wanted to be great and they put me and my staff in a position to help them. They always believed in the vision.
"This might be my individual accolade, but it’s because of my staff, because of the players."
Slater, who won a state title at Lanier (Sugar Hill) in 2019, said the past two seasons where Grayson won 20 games were the foundation of what came this season.
"But it all boils down to the girls," he said. "It was a special group of kids from 1 to 11 who wanted to do it the right way."
The Rams were led by MaxPreps All-American
Danielle Carnegie, but Slater said everyone had the singular vision to pursue greatness.
Tim Slater has compiled three 20-wins seasons at Grayson in his first three years at the school. The MaxPreps National Coach of the Year led the Rams to their first state title, finishing 32-0 and No. 6 in the final MaxPreps Top 25. (Photo: Julie Brown)
"You look at someone like
Malaya Jones," he said. "She was the county player of the year and had all these individual accomplishments and said ‘I’ve done all this individual stuff and I want to do what it takes to win. She sacrificed her stats in order to win."
Players like
Erin Rodgers, who was out last season with an injury, and
Tatum Brown did the same.
"To have kids who are great (individually) and have them sacrifice in a society that constantly tells them to get theirs … it’s the primary reason we were 32-0, won a state title and got to Indianapolis (to play in the Chipotle Nationals)," Slater said.
Each season, the 16-year veteran said he writes down goals — best case, realistic and worst case.
"Honestly, best case was not 32-0," he said. "We played so many good teams and tournaments. We knew we’d be competitive, but not as good as we were.
"The best thing about this group is that they love to compete."
He said that was evident in the second game of the season against 29-3 Mount Paran Christian (Kennesaw), which won the AA state title.
Down 11 with under two minutes to play, Slater called a timeout and remembers his players saying, "We’re not losing."
The Rams sent the game to overtime and came away with a 55-52 win in overtime.
"If we lose that game, we never get on the national stage (of being ranked)," Slater said. "And then when we were nationally ranked, they never let it get too big. There was never any fear of losing what we had, just a will to show people who we are."
A self-described practice nerd, Slater said the film work, the stat work and preparation was key to Grayson’s success and that sometimes the most competitive games were between themselves.
"Some of the best stuff is when we’d go green against white," he said. "The joy of the process is in the practice."
Along the way this season, Grayson beat nationally-ranked IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) along with regional powers Panther Creek (Cary, N.C.), McDonogh (Owing Mills, Md.), South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.).
Being the only public school invited to the Chipotle Nationals was icing on the cake.
"The mayor was one of our biggest supporters throughout the season and she showed up in Indianapolis to cheer us on. What mayor does that for girls basketball?" Slater said. "But that’s just what it’s about. It’s everybody. It’s not about me, but about the town. It’s everyone wanting to win that first state title."
Past MaxPreps National Coaches of the Year
2014 — Dan Rolfes, Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
2015 — Tom Gonsalves, St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.)
2016 — Karen Weitz, Centennial (Las Vegas)
2017 — Joe Lombard, Canyon (Texas)
2018 — Frank Orlando, Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.)
2019 — Terri Bamford, La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
2020 — No award (Pandemic)
2021 — Terry English, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)
2022 — Tim Miller, Hazel Green (Ala.)
2023 — Stan Delus, Etiwanda (Calif.)
