2025 Sportsperson of the Year: Rich Vlacci Jr.
Homegrown talent breeds homegrown commitment.
When Rich Vlacci Jr. took over the Riverhead varsity softball program in 2024, he knew that group of girls had a chance to do something special. The team had just lost in the Suffolk County Class AAA semifinals after having an up-and-down season. He adopted the mantra, “Job’s not finished,” and the players really took to that.
“When Vlacci came in to coach, it changed the whole demeanor of the team,” Mya Marelli said, who earned All-State recognition at Riverhead and is currently at Mercy University. “Everyone showed up to practice actually wanting to be there, and everyone always had a smile on their face.”
It was Vlacci’s master plan: Build a positive environment for everyone to thrive in the program. Softball is a sport that you’re going to fail at more times than not. It was imperative to change the approach to how you view every at-bat. Vlacci abandoned the old-school, tough-as-nails approach and doubled down on the idea that it’s OK to fail.
“We learned that if we made a mistake, he would take the time to work with us to fix it for next time,” Marelli said. “He trusted us, and we trusted him, which I feel pushed us even harder to win. Coach always had a positive mindset, no matter how tough or stressful the situation was. There was no room for negativity, and we appreciated that.”
The softball team transformed into a juggernaut almost overnight. They became the first team in Riverhead softball history to produce a perfect 19-0 in League I play and earned the top seed in the playoffs. That year, unfortunately, didn’t go according to plan as Blue Waves’ season was cut short in the semifinals again. Marelli got shut down with a shoulder injury and was unable to pitch the final two games. Though it didn’t end with a championship, the team finally realized its championship potential and rode the unwavering momentum into the 2025 season.
That winter, Vlacci, who is also an assistant coach on the boys varsity basketball team, helped lead that team to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They even won a first-round playoff game against Commack. This was a year after the team went 3-16.
“I have been coaching with Rich Vlacci since 2019,” Riverhead varsity basketball head coach Pat Fabian said. “He’s the ultimate optimist. His impact on his athletes goes way beyond X’s and O’s. He works tirelessly to build his players’ confidence. Not only does he do this on the field and the court with his athletes, he is the exact same way in the classroom. Rich is a deeply caring and compassionate coach, teacher, colleague and friend. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
In 2025, the softball team finally put it all together. After countless hours in the offseason and hard work tweaking things in everyone’s swing, the Blue Waves set a school record in runs scored with 201 in only 18 league games. Ten players posted a batting average over .300 for the season. He found a way to get the most out of every single player on the team no matter what role they played.
“He just has a way of connecting with his ballplayers,” said Jason Kwasna, whose daughter Jordyn plays on the team. “Not every coach can do that. He connects with and motivates everyone.”
Marelli threw a no-hitter to vault the Blue Waves into the Suffolk County championship for the first time. Suddenly, they were in uncharted waters. But nothing fazed them that day. In the championship, they played incredibly as they brought home a 4-1 victory over Sachem East. Marelli, Jordyn Kwasna and Madison Saladino all had big RBIs in the championship. It was Riverhead softball’s first Suffolk County championship in school history. Though the run ended in the Long Island championship on a walk-off single against Massapequa, Riverhead’s name was on the map. Long Island was on notice.
“They say all good things must come to an end,” Vlacci said after the loss. “However, great things will last forever. What they did will be talked about for years and years to come.”
Being born and raised in Riverhead makes this more than a job or paycheck for Vlacci. He truly cares. He bleeds blue and has said it on multiple occasions. He really wants the best for Riverhead and all the athletes in it. You won’t find anyone with a more positive mindset, and it rubs off on everyone around him.
For transforming Riverhead’s softball program into a championship contender and bringing out the best in every player through his positive coaching philosophy, Rich Vlacci Jr. is the Riverhead News-Review’s 2025 Sports Person of the Year.
Previous Winners
2024: Mike Heigh and Rasheen Moore
2023: Caryn and Troy Albert
2022: Bob Finan
2021: The Riverhead Athlete
2020: No winner chosen due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019: Ethan Greenidge
2018: Pat Kelly
2017: Bill Hedges
2016: Paul Koretzki and Bob Szymanski
2015: James Suarez
