When stepping onto the basketball court at Old Rochester Regional High School for the first time, a young Steve Carvalho knew he wanted to work hard and play for the Bulldogs one day. Little did he realize what kind of legacy would await him on that court.

Old Rochester Regional High School boys basketball coach Steve Carvalho was named Coach of the Year by the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association for the second time after leading the Bulldogs to a state championship appearance during the 2024 season.

The Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association is an organization dedicated to promoting high school basketball across the state. Every year, they give out awards to coaches who have reached a variety of milestones in their career as well as recognizing coaches who have put together a particularly excellent season.

"I am very humbled and very grateful to give back to a school and community that has been an integral part of my life since I was 5-years-old," said Carvalho.

An Old Rochester alumni and world history teacher at the high school, Carvalho began his Bulldog basketball career many decades before being honored for his accomplishments as a coach.

Carvalho said he grew up with a basketball by his side because his father was the head coach of Bulldogs basketball for many years.

Carvalho went on to play youth and high school basketball and captained the Old Rochester team as a senior. He returned as a coach in 1995 where he began his career as the assistant to the freshman basketball coach.

"I couldn't wait to get started coaching and be back in the place I called home for many years," he said.

Over the next decade, Carvalho climbed the coaching ranks until he landed the Varsity Boys Basketball head coaching job in 2004.

"I had about 10 years of experience under my belt and I felt like I was ready," said Carvalho. "I worked under three different head coaches, learning different systems. but I certainly had to grow with the game."

He said the early years of his varsity coaching career were not full of wins but the program has seen success for the last decade, including a state championship title in 2015 that earned him his first coach of the year award.

As the game of basketball has evolved during his coaching career, Carvalho said he has made adjustments to his approach but some things have remained the same.

"I try to make [the kids] feel like they are a part of something where nobody is more important than anyone else," he said. "I tell them that when they started off as young kids there were hundreds of them playing basketball and now there is only 12."

He added last year's team embodied this mindset and it helped them reach the division three state championship.

While the Bulldogs fell short to Charlestown High School, Carvalho described last season as "magical," and commended his players for being "unselfish" developing a strong team mindset.

"I was so proud of the kids for growing as individuals and teammates throughout the year," he said. "We won the South Coast Conference for the third year in a row, which is a big deal and that meant a lot to me and the kids."

Carvalho added that making sure kids enjoy their high school basketball experience is just as important to him as winning by making sure everyone on the team gets playing time.

This season, he said that a number of starters from last year's team graduated but the Bulldogs have already clinched a playoff berth and are awaiting their official seeding for the tournament.

"I am always proud to be a Bulldog," he said.