By DAVE WOODALL
Slidell sports writer
SLIDELL – After almost 40 years of coaching, Salmen boys basketball head coach Jay Carlin has hit a milestone.
The local coach now has 800 wins under his belt, who is currently in his 40th year of coaching. While this is Carlin’s 31st year of coaching at Salmen, the Spartans coach has established himself as one of the elite in the close knit fraternity of high school coaches who all hold him in high regard.
And if you are looking for a little bit of irony, Carlin got his 800th win against the Chalmette Owls where he was an assistant coach from 1975 through 1980.
In 1980, Carlin got his first head coaching job at South Lafourche High School where he captured his first win in what would become a very successful run as a head coach.
Salmen hired Carlin as its head coach in 1984 and he has been winning ever since.
Some of his impressive credentials include 23 district championships; six Top 28 state appearances while at Salmen; one state semi-finalist appearance at South Lafourche; and one state championship as Salmen’s head coach.
Carlin credits his father with his zeal for coaching.
“It started at a very early age,” Carlin said. “My dad was my first coach and he was there with me to the very end sitting in the Jesuit gym on a Tuesday night before passing away a few days later.”
From then on, a number of coaches would become instrumental in shaping his outlook and his approach to coaching basketball.
“I was very fortunate to have played for some coaches that were great role models and outstanding teachers of the game that helped set the foundation of my approach to coaching. My high school coaches Art Cedotal and Louis Veret, junior college coach Charles McKinney, and college coaches Don Landry and Jerry Sanders all impacted my career in some way. Coaches are always looking for new ideas and maybe a wrinkle here and there that will help develop a player or improve their team. These coaches along with so many others have contributed in some way to my success,” Carlin said.
When asked about certain players who have made significant contributions to his programs, he was reluctant to single out any one player.
“I have had so many outstanding young men that I have had the opportunity to coach. It would be difficult and almost unfair to mention any particular player since so many have impacted our program and my career,” Carlin said. “I feel blessed to have had this opportunity to come in contact with so many young men that were coachable, determined, dedicated and committed to being a great player and a great teammate.”
In a career that has spanned 40 years, there have been many highlights which could be mentioned, but several of them hold a special place in his memory.
“There are so many games that I remember like yesterday but some of them stand out in my mind like the 1981-1982 quarterfinals where we won a 48-46 triple overtime game against a 27-0 Booker T. Washington team to advance to the final four. Another was in my early years at Salmen (1986-1987) when we came back from 15 points down in the fourth quarter against Donaldsonville to win and advance to the final four for the first time in school history. Then there was the 2008 Salmen team that beat 34-0 Peabody in the quarterfinals 60-59 to advance to the semifinals.”
The biggest moment of his career came in the 2009 season.
“The best moment for me would have to be the 61-46 state championship win in 2009 against Bossier. This was the ultimate goal for me as well as every other high school coach. I wish every coach could experience it at least one time in their career. All of the wins I mentioned were wins that were exciting and we accomplished things that many people didn’t expect. But our players dug deep and just found a way to win.”
In his life off of the court, Carlin credits his wife, Ramona, in her support of his career and her devotion to their family.
“My wife has been by my side in victory and defeat throughout my career. She has been amazing. It’s not easy to be the wife of a coach. There are a lot of exciting times but there are also challenging times. She has been awesome through thick and thin. I have been very fortunate to have a family that has been all in when it comes to my career. Sports has had a huge impact on my family and still does today. My two sons are both coaches and my daughter are married to a coach and her children are involved in sports as well.”
Carlin summed up his career by saying, “Success doesn’t just automatically happen. It is a team effort from the coaches, players, administration, and family. So many of them have been instrumental in my achieving this 800-win milestone. I have never looked at my profession as a job. It has been fun teaching physical education and being involved in a profession that is very competitive. The challenges that are involved in such a career can be very rewarding. Seeing the smiles on kid’s faces when they achieve success on and off the court can be very satisfying.”
So when you see coach Carlin on the sidelines, be assured that no matter who he is playing, he has a plan that has worked 800 times before.