This CT coach, who died Thursday at age 47, impacted ‘thousands’ of kids in Hartford
Former Weaver High boys basketball coach Reggie Hatchett, who led his high school team to three straight state championship games and won one title, died Thursday at age 47 in Georgia due to complications from diabetes and chronic heart failure. Hatchett, who had graduated from Weaver in 1997, coached the high school team for seven years, had a 121-51 record and went to three state finals from 2014-16, winning the Class M title in 2015. Hatchett worked at Weaver but also had been the director of sports, fitness and recreation at the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford.
He also coached AAU and youth teams in Hartford and impacted “thousands” of kids, current Weaver boys basketball coach Shawn Bell said. “I haven’t even posted anything yet (on social media) because I don’t know what to say,” Bell said. Derrick Butter Small, who was Hatchett’s assistant coach through the championship run with Weaver, said Hatchett’s passing hit hard.
“He was really big in the community,” Small said. “He knew mostly everybody and everybody knew him. He brought a little bit of the pride back that we had in the early ’90s back in my day (at Weaver).
” Hatchett moved to Georgia five years ago with his fiancée, Keisha Smith, and their two boys Benjamin and Azir, who both play basketball. “Post-COVID, our family decided we wanted to bring our boys together for basketball and sports and we thought it would be good to have the family all together in Georgia because it presented some different opportunities for them for basketball,” said Candace Smith, Keisha’s sister. “He took a big leap with Keisha and the boys, leaving Hartford, where he had poured in so much and spent so much time making a name there and really impacting the lives of those kids around there.
” Their sons are now 12 and 14. “The boys have said that’s probably the most comforting thing for them right now is everybody’s telling stories about their dad, as a coach, things he did,” Candace Smith said. “Lots of people have been reaching out to Keisha and the boys.