Belen High hires Daniel Bachicha as girls basketball coach

Daniel Bachicha arrived at Belen High with a chance to change the direction of a girls basketball program that needs stability fast. After a four-week search, the Eagles hired the 40-year-old former Manzano High School assistant to take over a team that finished 7-20 overall and 0-8 in District 5-4A last season.

The move gives Belen a coach with a long New Mexico basketball background and a reputation for working directly with players. Bachicha has coached at Valley, Cibola, Highland, La Cueva, Sandia and Manzano, and he also previously served as a head coach at Laguna-Acoma. At Belen, he is expected to bring an aggressive, scrappy man-to-man approach while trying to rebuild a program that has struggled to find momentum in recent years.

What made the job appealing, Bachicha said, was the chance to work with a group that is not starting from scratch. He pointed to 12 returning players with varsity experience, a core that gives Belen an immediate base as it tries to climb back in District 5-4A. The Eagles also had more than 30 girls try out last fall, the most in recent years, showing that the program still has numbers and interest behind it.

The feeder system was another factor. Bachicha said the BHS Middle School pipeline was a major selling point because he likes developing athletes early and building skills from the ground up. That matters in Belen, where families pay close attention to school sports and where a program’s stability can shape participation as much as wins and losses.

Belen athletic coordinator Jim Collins said Bachicha understood the community and its history and wanted to be in Belen for the long haul. Collins resigned as athletic coordinator on May 12, adding another layer of change around the girls basketball program just as the school moved to fill one of its highest-profile coaching jobs.

The coaching change followed a turbulent spring for the Eagles. Sam Gavaldon resigned in April, later asked for his job back and said he had stepped down under duress. Belen did not reverse course, and the district moved ahead with a new hire. Gavaldon finished 34-73 in four seasons, after taking over a program that had gone 6-57 in the previous three seasons, including a 1-25 campaign before he arrived.

The Eagles also lost their district tournament opener to Highland, 57-44, on Feb. 23. With veteran guard Danilynn Bob back after five varsity seasons and a larger returning group in place, Belen is betting Bachicha can turn experience into wins and give the girls program a steadier foundation heading into next season.