Back in the Saddle: Nate Roche returns to Carver where he led Rams to back-to-back state titles
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
When George Washington Carver began play this month in the New Orleans Metro Summer League, the Rams had a familiar face back on their sideline.
After a two-year absence to oversee the network of Collegiate Academies in the New Orleans area as athletic director, Nate Roche returned to the school where he led the Rams to four straight trips to the state tournament and consecutive state championships in 2022-23.
“It was a pleasure and privilege to create competition exposure events for our scholar-athletes within New Orleans,” Roche said. “Just serving those kids, being a support to our athletic directors in the network was good for me. To be on the administrative side of things, seeing how things work from that lens.
“To come back to Carver basketball, something that I built from the ground up and continue to help that program thrive, is something I look forward to,” Roche said. “To help and support those kids is a wonderful opportunity. Being away from the game for two years, I missed it. I’m excited to come back.”
Roche returns to Carver where the Rams were 13-16 and bounced from the first round of the Division II select state playoffs last season.
That was on the heels of the program’s fifth straight trip to the state tournament where the Rams were stopped in the state final by Peabody, 52-48.
Roche, who won 72% (145-54) of his games, replaces Devin Andrew, his former assistant who replaced him the previous two seasons.
“We have some fine-tuning to do,” Roche said. “People know it’s not at the level when I left. I’m excited about coming back and working with those kids and building the program back to where it once was before.”
When Roche held his first meeting for players and parents, there was still an air of familiarity because the players who are rising seniors, particularly point guard Chesney Sadler, were on Carver’s last team as a freshman that won the Division II state select championship.
“I get to come back and be close, watch them walk across the stage, and be there to support them through all of their endeavors this upcoming year,” Roche said. “That’s what is special about it to be back around the kids.
“When I met with everyone, I went over the standards and identity of this basketball program,” Roche said. “I said, ‘This is where I want to take it. These are our expectations. We have the same vision and values throughout our schools and I’m an extension of that.”
The 36-year-old Roche had a variety of tasks during his two-year endeavor away from the bench.
He was never far from the playing fields, attending football, basketball, and baseball games in his administrative role that benefited players, coaches, and fans.
“I had to be on the sideline with coaches and making sure things were running from an administrative point of view,” he said. “It’s a whole different lens at a basketball game. Whether it’s being at a football or basketball game, or even baseball game, early on it was kind of feeling it out. It’s micro-managing the environment from controlling the fans, the opposing team, or officials.
“There were moments I wished I was closer to the sidelines, closer to the huddles,” he said. “I had different responsibilities and made sure everything was in compliance (with the LHSAA) and a great experience for the players, fans, and community.”
The first seven years for Roche at Carver, including his first year as an assistant, served as a catalyst in his decision to become the network’s athletic director.
It sparked a passion for change, not only for players but for schools, communities, and basketball and athletics in the state.
Roche’s influence carried over to developing a process for what success should look like.
He wanted coaches, who were enthusiastic about their profession in practices and games in the afternoons and evenings, to have that same excitement in the classroom during the day.
“We talked about having a clear structure and routine for the kids,” he said. “One of the things I always told coaches, the same actions and agreements you modeled from 7:30-3:30 had to be the same as we modeled from 3:30-7:30 when a practice or game is over.
“Our actions dictate our visions we have for these kids,” he said, “and we want them to be successful. Never underestimate an opportunity to impact them.”
Roche’s influence on Carver basketball wasn’t overnight, but it didn’t take long to convert the team’s culture to a winning environment.
The year before taking over, Carver won 2 of 32 games, when the Rams went 11-14 in Roche’s first season.
A 22-win season signaled a brighter future when a fight broke out against John F. Kennedy in the final district game of the regular season. As part of the LHSAA’s sanctions, the Rams weren’t permitted to take part in the state playoffs that season and didn’t get to play at home the following season.
Carver made the best of a difficult situation, though, and enjoyed its second consecutive 20-win season (26-9) that ended in the state quarterfinals.
The Rams were forced to travel to Shreveport for two consecutive rounds over a four-day period of the Class 4A state playoffs where they defeated Booker T. Washington (61-42) and Huntington (65-61) to reach the state tournament for the first time in 17 years.
They were knocked out in the state semifinals against Breaux Bridge; a 37-29 setback Roche took personally.
“We scored nine points the entire second half,” Roche said. “They played a zone, and I came back and said I had to get better as a basketball coach because I failed those kids. We got slowed down offensively and I didn’t have anything to help get us some offense.”
Carver began its stretch of three straight appearances in the state championship game. They lost 49-48 to McMain on a late free throw by standout Corey Chest, but the Rams (29-2) were just getting started.
Carver capped a 33-5 season with a convincing 66-31 triumph over McMain to win the Class 4A state title in 2022. With a move to the select side of the bracket the following season, the Rams won a 34-25 defensive battle against Madison Prep for the Division II state title to complete a 24-12 season.
Roche was thankful for the roles his assistant coaches played during that stretch, a run that included Andrew Ensley (boys coach at DeSoto High in Texas), Blair Brunson (Carver girls), and Andrew (succeeding Roche) who all went on to become head coaches.
“They contributed to the success of the program,” he said. “It wasn’t all me, we all contributed and held each other accountable.
Carver also had a run of players that exemplified Roche’s vision for the program.
Not only were they terrific basketball players, but they turned their high school experiences into college memories – setting examples for the next generation to follow.
Solomon Washington and Jaylon Hicks both earned first-team Class 4A All-State honors with Washington being named the state’s Most Outstanding Player and the state’s Mr. Basketball recipient.
Washington and Hicks both signed with Texas A&M and Alcorn State, respectively, while Michael Pajeaud also signed with Alcorn where he recently graduated with a degree in agriculture business.
Dorian Finister signed with Kansas State before transferring to Sam Houston State and now UL-Lafayette, while the Rams also had a pair of signees in Willie Anderson (Alcorn State) and Kenwyion White (North American University in Houston).
“We want our kids to be successful,” Roche said. “
Our goal is to prepare these kids for college for lives of unlimited opportunities. I want to do that through basketball. I’m going to hold the kids accountable in the morning when he gets off the bus and when they’re in transition going from class to class. When we’re practicing, playing games, and when games are over.”
Roche recently reiterated those objectives to his newest team.
“Trying to teach them to be responsible for themselves,” he said. “We’re building life lessons through our vision and values. We’re using basketball to get these kids to understand that. To be better men, to learn the importance of grinding, being humble when it’s easy.
“I tell the kids all the time that if we play hard, we’re going to win games,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want them to know what hard work looks like, what’s the benefit of focus and detail and working hard. I want you to know if you do those things you’ll be successful in life.”