Grayson High School girls basketball head coach Tim Slater has enjoyed quite a run so far in the 2023-24 season, as his team is undefeated with less than a week remaining in the regular season.
This is Slater’s third season with Grayson since coming over from Lanier High School, another Gwinnett County program, where he led the Lady Longhorns to a 29-3 season, a region title, and a state championship in 2019.
Supporters and followers of the Grayson girls basketball team are hoping this season will produce its own magic. Slater’s first two years with Grayson were 20-win seasons, placing the Lady Rams among the top programs in the state’s highest classification. Now he has Grayson at the top of the state rankings and recognized as one of the nation’s top girls basketball programs.
Let’s find out more about Slater and his Grayson team with these four questions.
Q: Coach Slater, I have enjoyed keeping up with you and your Grayson girls program so far this season, as I am sure a lot of folks have. It’s been quite a ride for your team so far although I know there are bigger goals still to accomplish this year. Have you ever had a season and a team quite like this?
A: Every season is unique in its own way, and this question is akin to asking a parent to pick their favorite child. You simply can’t. There are things about each year that make it special to you in its own way.
Obviously, this year has had some firsts. Cracking into the top 25 and then top 10 nationally was huge. Having a marquee win against IMG (Academy) was also a program first.
But, truthfully, this team is built upon the foundations of every team before them either by influencing me as a coach or by direct relationships with the players. The standards and expectations set forth by my seniors in 2022 is the groundwork we are building upon.
Q: I mentioned that you previously coached at Lanier, another Gwinnett County high school, where you led the Longhorns to a state title. Take us back to the beginning of your coaching career. Where did you get your start in coaching ?
A: I was actually a career-changer and left a pretty lucrative job in the business sector to take an assistant job in the GISA at Bulloch Academy under then head coach Chandler Dennard. Coach Dennard gave me my first shot at coaching and is someone I still talk to today and lean on for mentorship and advice.
My first head coaching job was at Robert Toombs Christian Academy under head master Jon Dorminey. I was always thankful to him for giving me a crack at the first seat.
I didn’t get up to this area or into public school until Gene Durden at Buford connected me with then boys coach Allen Whitehart, someone I talk to still daily.
I didn’t get into coaching girls until Jason Harris at Rome brought me in as his assistant AD (athletic director), and I helped him there. The rest is history. I went to Lanier, won the 2019 title, and am now at Grayson attempting to do the same.
That’s the best part of this job, being able to look back at the other coaches who have influenced and helped you along the way. I am very grateful to have so many great people and great coaches in my past.
Q: What has been the key to turning around this Grayson girls basketball program and making them one of the more competitive programs in the state, especially with the dominant play of this year’s group?
A: I think the biggest thing is just the belief that it can be done.
It starts with our admin. Former principal Dr. Dana Pugh and AD Brian Deberry made it very clear that they wanted to win and that they would support me in any way to get that done.
I have a great staff who are all phenomenal coaches.
Cleo Foster is one of the best coaches I have ever had the privilege of working with. Truthfully, she is underemployed and should be a head coach.
Ryan Nelson has been with me for over 10 years now and brings a wealth of experience to the bench.
Curtis Houlder is new this year, but his knowledge of the game and ability to read players and their emotions is uncanny.
Lastly, but certainly not least, my two sub-varsity coaches – Dakendra Collins, who is going to be a really good head coach one day, and Bill Batchelor – do a great job developing and pushing our younger kids so they are varsity ready.
You couple that with parents who wanted a winning program and kids who want to work, and it is the perfect storm.
So the key to this resurgence? It’s the people.
Q: Can you talk about the makeup of this year’s team? To have the kind of success you and your team are having, does it require a special balance of talent and great team chemistry? I would think there are a lot of elements that go into having a special team like you have in this team, right?
A: I think most people would look at the roster and say, “They have five starters who will all play D1 and multiple kids coming off the bench who are college players when they graduate. That’s easy!”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Getting that many great players to play together, share the ball, play defense, accept roles – it’s a full-time job. My staff does a great job keeping track of the pulse of the roster and making sure everyone is sacrificing for the greater good.
The kids, though, are what make this year special. We have had so many of them talk about the goal of winning a state title and that individual accomplishments and comfort pale to that. Having that many talented players all bought into a team goal is really what makes coaching this group fun.
