Rams’ Salata dismissed from basketball coaching post

RIO RANCHO — Longtime prep basketball coach Wally Salata didn’t see this coming: He was told Wednesday, March 26, he was no longer the head coach of the Rio Rancho Rams, where he’d spent the past 16 seasons.

He’s been a high school player and a college player, even a pro basketball player. And, of course, as is the nature of the profession, fired before. But Salata had said only a day earlier he had plans to keep coaching.

Maybe it’s a good thing he found another way to stay involved with the sport he’s loved since he was growing up in Rio Rancho.

The day of his ouster, Salata said he didn’t want to talk about it — yet — and Rio Rancho Public Schools Executive Director of Athletics Todd Resch said he had no details to provide, only — in a text sent shortly before 9 a.m. — that “Rio Rancho HS is looking for a new boys basketball coach.”

Here in the City of Vision, Salata had been the head coach of the Rams since Cleveland High opened in 2009 and then-Rams coach Brian Smith moved across Northern Boulevard to head the Storm cagers, and Salata was named as his replacement.

Salata has seen a lot from his spot from 16 seasons on the Rams’ bench, including taking them to the state Class 6A championship in 2016 as the 11 seed in the 16-team bracket.

Salata had a recent opportunity to work games on the floor as an official, and it made him think twice about the role of an official — at any level, from youth sports to the college level, even to the NBA.

His main reason to officiate was to get exercise: “I get no exercise during the year; it’s very hard. During my prep (period), I’m doing basketball stuff.”

Check out his recent post on Facebook — it says it all. (Keep in mind, his experience came shortly after the finale of the just-completed season and after another huge turnout at his youth basketball camp at RRHS.)

“This past weekend (March 22-23), I stepped away from being a head basketball coach and put on an official’s jersey and officiated 10 games at the West Mesa Youth Basketball Tournament in a 24-hour time period. CRAZY that I did this many games!

“You ask why would I do this. One, I needed to some exercise. During the basketball season I get no exercise. Two, I wanted to help officials. I wanted to experience the AAU scene. Three, I love the game of basketball. So, at 8 a.m. on Saturday, I was officiating I… a fifth-grade semi-final game. From the beginning tip, fans from both teams were screaming at every call my partner and I made.

“After two minutes, I stopped the game and told the fans if they continue complaining I will kick them out of the gym. Then I went to both coaches and told them there is a coaching box and they needed to stay between a certain line. Some teams had four parents on the bench and they all think they can coach. LOL. The rest of the game went a lot smoother.

“The moral of the story: Officials are human beings. Officials don’t care who wins or loses a game. Without officials, there are no games.

• AAU coaches and parents, change your tune. Coaches, coach/teach the game of basketball to your players and stop complaining/bitching.

• Parents, cheer on your son/daughter and stop complaining/bitching.

• Kids hear all the negative noise and when I get them at the high school level, it is hard to break bad habits.

“I will continue to officiate a few more tournaments this spring,” Salata concluded. “I do this for the love of the game.”

His daughter, former Rams basketball player Ally Salata, who has officiated football and basketball games since her Rams days and college days, knew how her dad felt.

“If a 60-year-old, 30-plus-year veteran coach can do it, you entitled, loudmouth parents can and should definitely give it a try; just saying, AAU ball is such a disgrace to the game of basketball these days.”

Accordingly, Ally added, “Thanks for coming to the dark side for a weekend to see what we as officials deal with! Proud of you for stepping up!”

“All I’m trying to do is help the cause,” Wally Salata said. “My goal is to be with Ally; (my son) Walt started last year; he signed up as well. Ally and Walt did games at Cibola (the weekend Wally was at West Mesa). It’s cool to spend time with your kids, even though they’re 30 and 27. And, it was fun.”

Getting fired? Not as much fun. Maybe being a full-time official is in the cards.

Bottom line: “I’m here for the kids… I don’t care who wins and who loses. That’s the thing people don’t understand.,” he said. “I just want to call a fair game.

“Eventually, I do want to do high school games,” he added, not knowing at the time that that might come sooner than expected.