After 38 seasons as head coach for Red Hook’s varsity basketball team, Rod Chando is turning in his whistle. Chando, 63, is the winningest coach in Section 9 history: he notched 626 wins in his tenure with the Raiders, is one of only six coaches in New York state history to attain over 600 wins, and has been enshrined in the N. Y. State Basketball Hall of Fame.
And he never turned in a losing season during his reign as Red Hook head coach.
Chando leaves Red after an disappointing season plagued by injuries, during which Red Hook failed to nab the Section 9 title or contend in the state tournament for the first time in many years. That disappointment is itself a testament to the high expectations and consistency delivered by Chando’s teams.
Chando has flirted with retirement in years past, but this time his decision is final. Chando’s exit creates a coaching vacuum that will likely be filled by Assistant Coach Andrew Makebish.
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