Chuck Rapp
- Thread starter colhenrylives
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One thing is sure about Chuck, he gets his kids to play hard as hell. And with the home crowd behind that, it’s tough to win at their place.
I'd agree he gets the most out of his talent but would qualify that by saying it's not like they never have any talent at Serra. This year JR PG Pettis is really good - he has to be on the D1 radar and they have other good athletes. But yes, he's a tremendous coach and they are a very good, consistent program.
One of the hardest things to coach is getting a kid to accept and be a star in a role. Year in and year out Rapp gets the kids to buy into that philosophy. Not everyone can be a D1 recruit and you'd be lucky to have 1 of those on your team. but the rest of the dozen or so players go to do what helps the team win which includes setting screens, constantly moving without the ball, boxing out, giving 100% effort on defense. Serra isnt the flashy team but one thing is for sure they wont beat themselves for lack of effort. Opponents really have to earn that win vs them.
The “available talent” to a WCAL school come from anywhere lol. I get what you are saying but that’s insulting to some really good public school coaches that are actually limited to geographical boundaries that they get their available talent from. Coach Rapp can pick and choose who his talent is. Totally agree that every year his teams are mentally and physically prepared. Tremendous coach and tactician so kudos to him on that regard.
Rapp is great. He does get solid players but when is the last big recruit? I recall a 6”5 kid who went Ivy League a few years back. But in Hs if you have a couple d2/jc guys and some role players it’s amazing what you can do with a HOF coach like Rapp
Coach Randal at UHS should be in that conversation. Consistency year after year. Super tough academics..selective school, D-3 guys, but he wins.
In some ways, Rapp's driven, gritty, disciplined style of play dissuades any number of so-called top prospects from ever venturing to his little chamber of horrors on West 20th Avenue. His exhausting practices are legendary and the word definitely gets out among teens. In so many ways, his program is the opposite of the typical AAU club approach to the sport. Rapp, in many ways, is a throwback, a contrarian. And, yes, there are other outstanding coaches out there, many of them laboring in relative obscurity in the public school ranks. But, at least in the WCAL, Rapp stands out in his own unique ways. At some points, it almost seems that he prefers NOT to have a roster loaded with scholarship talent. Teaching is what he does. And some of the more gifted guys today don't handle teaching (criticism, demands, details, etc.) all that well or readily. They tend to come with too much baggage. Rapp is not a fan of baggage. He won't bend his principles. He won't change.
The more impressive thing about this is the hoops program hasnt been infiltrated by those player/families that demand that you kiss their ring and bend over backwards for them all in turn resulting in some programs to bottom out. Serra's at the very least .500 in league and is more on the top end rather than bottom end of the standings. Pretty good for I would say for a pre-dominantly football/baseball school.
Henry Caruso who later played at Princeton then professionally in Europe (Italy, France, Netherlands). He was a great player in high school back when the WCAL was stronger IMHO.
If by "pick and choose" his talent you mean assemble a team from the kids who enroll, then I agree.
Exactly and let’s be real. Since Decensae White how many D1 players
Chuck also got them to state in 2005 and they played a loaded Westchester squad led by Amir Johnson. Westchester was too strong.
I had forgotten about Killingsworth and their state title run back in '16. I was actually there in person at Sleep Train. That was a classic scrappy Serra team no stars other than Killingsworth just tough man-to-man rugged defense which shut down Poly. St Francis won the WCAL that year went 14-0 in league which was / is tough to do~ They had a great team back that year but got bounced in the Open first round at Sheldon If my faulty memory serves me right.
Yup. I remove those kids well. I can appreciate the fact he doesn’t deal with the drama and bs of aau. “Baggage” is so real today.
Serra had no answer for RL Miller and Jerry Mixon last night. Too much athleticism and strength and the ability of the Irish players driving and finishing at the rim. SHC’s Caesar Smith gets credit in turning this program around against a well coached Serra team. A team that relies on outside shooting such as Serra usually struggles shooting in an open arena rather than the cozy confines of a HS gym. Both teams move on to NorCals. Congrats to the Irish!
Let’s please not be naive and open that door. I know several kids on the team very well and I’ll leave it at that. Once again he’s a great coach and I don’t take anything away from him at all. His program is outstanding and it’s all because of the leadership and environment he creates. Good luck to them in the NorCal playoffs.
Well its nothing what P Walsh has going in FB. I would venture to say all or almost all of hoop kids are from SM county.
Serra hoop kids buy in as frosh. Taking charges on the outdoor hardtop is a ritual. The D tenacity does not just show up varsity year
Serra hoop kids buy in as frosh. Taking charges on the outdoor hardtop is a ritual. The D tenacity does not just show up varsity year
Remember when Coach Buckner was at Riordan - when they played Serra it was typically first team to 40 wins. Oftentimes it seemed neither team broke the 30s. It was a rugby scrum masquerading as a bb game.
I agree. Im not sure how I felt about SHC Caesar Smith at first being hired as one of the Athletic Directors and Head Basketball Coach. Maybe, I thought he should have had just one of the jobs. But what he was able to do this year was amazing. Having said that, I do hope what Mixon said is true..."We put SHC back on the map, people going to want to come and play for him now."....I sure hope this is true in coming years, but it hurt to see SI and Riordan bag so many basketball players as Freshman the last couple of years. Hopefully, we will find more "gems" too with the winning program.
Hard nosed, runs a program that has strong standards, demands work ethic that fosters a true team atmosphere. Their will be a time where his style/charisma can no longer get it done. What we do know for now is our teens need more chucks in their lives ! Good guy who has courage and fights for the right things through the game of basketball.
why is his way right? what exactly has he done to make things so perfect and great?
you dont think any of the champions that were crowned this past weekend work hard? they arent a team? you dont win a title without teamwork.
Not sure if that was directed at my post. I see it is a reply to it. If so, all the champions crowned are deserving. They are all “teams”. They all have teamwork !
Say what you want about Chuck, he does get his Serra teams to play hard consistently...that he has proven many years over.
He's the like the 6th man on the court at Serra home games especially when they bring in all the Peninsula homer referees. Worst referees I have ever witnessed......
Chuck needs to have a chat with 3 and D Randy on Lyon Street. Just shoot the ball fellas.
