Micallef Ready for Challenge at Fair Lawn

If not for his daughter Courtney, Rich Micallef might not have returned to the game of basketball.

Micallef, a former player and assistant coach at Brooklyn College, had settled into a career on Wall Street working on the foreign exchange markets. As his older daughter began to play the game, Micallef started coaching her recreation and travel league teams in Saddle River. Now, Micallef is ready to start the latest chapter of his second life in basketball as the new boys basketball head coach at Fair Lawn High School.

"Coaching, I just feel that's an extension of me," Micallef said. "I'm back to my roots, I'm back to the game I love. If not for Courtney really inspiring me to coach kids, I probably wouldn't be here today."

Micallef's return to basketball started about six years ago when Courtney started playing on the recreation team in Saddle River. He also was instrumental in running the rec leagues as well as re-establishing the middle school basketball program at the Wandell School in town.

A product of Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, Micallef played at Brooklyn College from 1980-84 and left as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,740 points. He also worked as an assistant coach there before shifting his attention to Wall Street.

For Micallef, who primarily worked for foreign banks, his experience on the court helped him in the world of business.

"It was a game every day," Micallef said. "You're playing with millions of dollars, you're making split decisions that can cost you your job. I did it for 13 years and it's a high-pressure type of atmosphere. You're teaching junior traders and you're coaching them certain techniques and how to react. I think that kind of pressure is like playing in front of 10,000 people."

Micallef looks to take some of these lessons to the sidelines at Fair Lawn, saying that academics and character will be his top priorities as he looks to build the Cutters' program from the ground up.

"My philosophy is that the kids have to understand that academics are first," he said. "This is just a game, and they need a good education. Being in athletics teaches the discipline, loyalty and commitment. That's how I want to build the program."

Micallef will enter a situation which will require a lot of building. With the graduation of 10 seniors from last season's team, the Cutters will have a young team this upcoming season.

"I'm looking towards the future of this program," said Micallef, who has reached out to the returning varsity players as well as incoming eighth- and ninth-graders. "I feel you need to build the program from the bottom up."

In addition to Courtney, Micallef and his wife Kim have a 10-year-old daughter Megan.