Alfredo Manzano is Saugus.
He’s lived in Saugus since 1987, is a 1994 graduate of Saugus High and is a real estate broker in Saugus.
He played basketball for the Cents in high school and became an assistant for the Saugus varsity boys basketball team last season after coaching the JV team from 2014-16.
So, when he received word he was selected as the head coach of Saugus boys basketball, relief and excitement collided.
“Everything is such a great relationship with these boys, that’s where the emotions come from. To know we’re still going to be here and we hope to do good things,” Manzano said.
Manzano was named the interim head coach when former head coach Bill Bedgood stepped down in late June.
He plans to draw from his experience with Bedgood, who encouraged him to take the head coaching position, as well as lessons learned as a Centurion student-athlete to develop a coaching style that’s tailor-made for the School.
“Something that I use to this day and I learned as a Saugus basketball player … just the hard work,” he said. “The blue collar mentality. No one’s going to outwork us and we’re going to be the best-conditioned team. All that stuff I used to hear all and the time is something I take to today and spread to the players.”
With a team that will only be returning three varsity players this season, Manzano has the opportunity to grow alongside the players he’s helped progress to where they are now.
“These guys have all bought in and I’m just excited to know that we’re going into this together,” he said. “I’ve coached all these kids as freshmen and I get to see them now on the varsity team. It’s going to be a big challenge but I’m really excited.”
Saugus finished last season 6-4 and ended its year in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2A tournament.
