‘Melzer and the Miracles’
Former Stamford player and coach turns Rams basketball into a winner
NEW CANAAN — The decision did not come easily.
A Stamford Black Knight through and through, Danny Melzer had been offered the job of head coach of the New Canaan boys basketball team in 2016, taking over a struggling program.
The move would mean leaving the school he had played and coached for, and the man who had been his head coach and, later on, athletic director: Jim Moriarty.
“It was incredibly tough,” Melzer said. “I spoke to so many different people — a lot of people who had New Canaan and Stamford ties: Tony Pavia, Art Brown, tons of different people. One of the most difficult things for me was leaving Mo. He was like a father to me and it was a very, very difficult decision — one that I had a tough time making.”
In the end, Melzer joined the New Canaan Rams as both a head coach and a full-time physical education teacher. The results have led to some on Twitter to refer to the Rams as “Melzer and the Miracles.”
New Canaan will play for its first state championship in 57 years when it takes on Granby Memorial in the CIAC Div. IV title game at 10 a.m., Saturday, at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Rams last appeared in a final in 1989, when they lost to Danbury 78-76 under coach Don Usher. They last won a state title in 1962 when they defeated Plainville, 49-48.
“You look up there (at the boys basketball banner)
and 1962 is the last state champion for New Canaan,” Melzer said. “To have the opportunity where we could be the first team to win one since 1962 is pretty incredible.”
The winning doesn’t surprise Melzer’s former head coach.
“He’s a student of the game,” Moriarty said. “He was an excellent high school player, an excellent college player at Connecticut College, and he served a good amount of time as an assistant coach at Stamford High before becoming then head coach (for four years) and doing a great job. He’s the FCIAC Coach of the Year, which is deserved because he’s a had a great year with those kids.
“He has a great rapport with his kids and we wish them luck on Saturday.”
When Melzer got to NCHS, the team he inherited hadn’t been to the postseason since 2009 and hadn’t won a playoff game since 2008. The athletes were in place, but the dedication to basketball wasn’t.
“I had coached against New Canaan, but you only play them once (per year), so you don’t really know the kids,” Melzer said. “I didn’t realize how little basketball the kids played. When I got here, I could see that it wasn’t just football and lacrosse. All our kids play multiple sports, which is a great thing, but we’ve been able to get our kids to still keep a basketball in their hands even during their other seasons, and that goes such a long way.”
The kids took to the new
philosophy, although it didn’t result in wins right away. In Melzer’s first two years, the Rams were a combined 9-31 before exploding this season with a 19-5 mark which includes an FCIAC playoff berth and a state tournament run to the title game.
“When Coach Melzer came in, he was really able to make kids value basketball,” New Canaan senior tri-captain Luke Rwambuya said. “So we started working a lot more in the offseason which is something we hadn’t done before. Kids really made basketball a priority and as a result we’ve seen a lot more winning and a lot more people in the gym.”
“He’s made basketball a priority because in previous years, kids would just have basketball as a backburner sport,” senior cocaptain Jack Richardson said. “Now, basketball is really at the forefront for most of the kids who play. That’s made a huge difference. Kids are working out all year long and always focusing on their game and improving. That’s a testament to what he’s put in and the work we’ve put in.”
Melzer’s Stamford roots run deep, and the choice to come to New Canaan hasn’t changed that.
“I definitely miss Stamford and I miss the people,” Melzer said. “When we’re not playing against them, I’m rooting for Stamford High. I’m still a Black Knight at heart — that’s my high school and my hometown and I won a state championship playing baseball there.
“I’m a father, I’m a teacher, and I’m a coach, so there were a lot of elements to it. It certainly wasn’t just about basketball. At the end of the day, I had to do what was best for my family and so far, it’s worked out really well.”
Moriarty said it was difficult to watch Melzer leave the Knights.
“It was very tough,” Moriarty said. “From 1923 to 2012, Stamford High had four basketball coaches. It was Paul Kuczo, Willard Kemp, Herm Alswanger, and then myself, and I fully thought Danny would be 20-25 years at Stamford High School. I know it was difficult for him and it was difficult for me to see him leave because I knew what a great coach he was going to be and he’s proven that at New Canaan High.”
Melzer gives a lot of the credit for the program’s success to his assistant coaches, many of whom hail from Stamford as well. They include Mike Tiscia and Mike Macchio, who were on his staff at Stamford, along with Adrian Arango, Chris Satterlie and Mike McAteer.
“This goes so far beyond me,” Melzer said. “We have the most dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable coaches that a head coach could ask for. These guys put so much time and effort into everything that we do. I’m very, very grateful to have them.
“That was a major factor in my decision to come here. If they weren’t going to come with me, then I wasn’t going to take the job. That’s how important they are to my success and our success. They all deserve just as much if not more credit than I do. They’re phenomenal.
Ironically, New Canaan’s most dramatic victory this season came against Stamford. Trailing 49-46 with less than a second remaining, the Rams tied the game when Aaron Fishman hit three consecutive free throws. Ryan McAleer then stole a long inbounds pass and banked in a 3-point shot from halfcourt to give the New Canaan a 52-49 victory at the buzzer.
The drama even got Melzer to join in the celebration.
“I celebrated — I never celebrate,” Melzer said at the time. “I’ve never done that in my life, but I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t expecting it to go in. I was thinking we’ve got overtime and then the ball went in. What a great moment.”
“I was at New Canaan High School when they beat Stamford High School and scored six points in the last 0.9 seconds,” Moriarty said. “That was a great win for them and I think that catapulted them forward. Stamford High was a good team and I think that game really made (New Canaan) believe in themselves.”
No matter the outcome of Saturday’s state final, Melzer and his coaches have already achieved success at NCHS. The Rams now believe in themselves, the program has set a foundation, and the crowds have come back to the gym.
“He always pushes all of us to the best of our ability,” junior Alex Gibbens said of Melzer. “Even if you’re not one of the starting five and even if you’re not playing in the game, he always treats you like you are a contributor. He pushes everyone to the same expectations and I think that’s what separates him from other coaches.”