Slaughter returns to lead Orrville boys basketball team

In Sly Slaughter’s first stint with Orrville’s boys basketball team, he won his share of games and championships.

The former Red Rider standout is hoping to not only repeat that success as he assumes the reins of the program a second time, but also is looking to do a lot more than just post wins on the scoreboard.

“First thing we will be working on is making sure our student-athletes are taking care of things in the classroom and in the community,” said Slaughter, who was hired late last month. “Helping to create good young men that our community can be proud of will always be at the forefront of everything we do. From there we will emphasize playing hard and playing together.”

The 49-year-old Slaughter, who guided Orrville from 2009-20, takes over after spending the last three seasons on the Red Riders girls basketball coaching staff of Maggie Davault. He replaces Jim Frizell, who stepped down after four seasons.

And don’t get Slaughter wrong. He’s ready to build up a storied program that had its share of success in the past, highlighted by state championships in 1992, 1995 and 1996, along with other Final Four appearances in 1980 and most recently in 2010.

However, Slaughter — a member of that 1992 title-winning squad and coach of the 2009-10 team that was runner-up in Division III — is more focused on getting the program to being more about the city of Orrville and not just what they do on the court.

“Over the last three years, Maggie has been nice enough to let me work with the girls program, and in doing so, I was able to see a lot of positive things happening in that program and the relationship with the community, and I want to bring those things to the boys program,” he said. “I’m excited about the players that I will get to coach and about infusing things that I have learned while with the girls program into the boys program, working in and throughout the community.”

The Red Riders are coming off a 5-18 season, 4-10 in the Principals Athletic Conference, but do return a program that had a host of underclassmen pick up valuable experience.

With forward Malachi Gray, sharpshooting guard Michael Diehl, and other potential returning players in guards Braylon Slaughter, Brayden Cox and Case McDaniel, coach Slaughter is excited about the potential the roster could bring.

“I believe that the returning players from last year showed growth from the beginning of the season to the end of the season, which tells me they are very coachable young men,” he said. “We also believe that we will be able to get some other athletes out that can really help with depth and athleticism as well.

“We will see which players come out/back, and we will find a style that compliments those players’ style the best. We want to put our players in positions to succeed and play with confidence.”

Slaughter, who currently is in his fourth year as the assistant principal at Orrville Middle School, has had his share of success on the sidelines.

After starting his coaching career as an assistant with the Red Riders, he took over the program and won four district championships and a regional crown, along with guiding the program to a state runner-up finish in 2010, where it dropped a 60-57 decision to Lima Central Catholic in the final. Slaughter, who also spent 11 seasons on the school’s football staff, serving as quarterback coach for the 2018 state title winning team, also was a two-time District Coach of the Year and PAC Coach of the Year in winning 120 games in 11 seasons before joining the girls program in 2021.

“I want to thank Jim Frizell for the time and effort he and his staff put in over the last four years at Orrville. I wish him nothing but the best,” Slaughter said. “I also want to say thank you to the Orrville City Schools administration and board of education for giving me another chance to lead this program that means so much to me. Lastly, I want to thank the community of Orrville for all the support that they have always given to me.

“My coaching staff and I will work as hard as we can to develop good young men that will be leaders on and off the court and productive members of the community.”