Foss grad Wortham takes over TCC men’s basketball program
Rachi Wortham knows Tacoma. He grew up playing basketball at the Al Davies Boys & Girls Club in Hilltop. He was the point guard of the Foss Falcons 2000 state championship team.
So when the opportunity to take over the men’s basketball program at Tacoma Community College came knocking, Wortham jumped on it. To him, it’s another way to give back to Tacoma.
“Being organic at home, helping kids in the community with basketball, helping kids get recruited — my name was on their radar,” Wortham said. “I always say it’s God’s plan. I’m a Christian guy. Wherever God leads me, I’ll go. I’ll pray about it. I want to help the community and do basketball at the same time.”
Wortham has an impressive resume. As a high school player, he led Foss to a 25-4 record and the Class 4A state championship in 2000. He played basketball at TCC for two seasons before transferring to Eastern Washington, helping the Eagles to the 2004 Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
He coached as an assistant at Eastern Washington from 2007-2011, at Oregon State from 2014-16, and the University of Montana from 2016-19, before moving back to Tacoma with his wife Lisa and their 8-year-old son, Joaquin, to work for COUNTRY Financial.
Wortham said he’s grateful to a number of people for his development as a coach and mentioned Montana head coach Travis DeCuire specifically as a coach who has been integral in his growth.
“He’s like an older brother to me,” Wortham said. “He’s been a phenomenal inspiration to me. He laid a foundation for me, he does things the right way. … He’s organic with his guys. It’s not fake. I want young dudes who come behind me to do the same thing for their community, be able to give back.”
Wortham will take over for former TCC coach TJ Caughell and will be tasked with turning around the fortunes of the Titans’ basketball program. TCC posted a 5-22 record in the 2019-20 season. Wortham’s plan to get TCC back on track? Finding the right student-athletes, first and foremost.
“Getting good character with good talent,” he said. “That’s anywhere. Everyone talks about culture, that matters. You keep people around, keep people happy. You get good character first. Make them play hard. I truly believe if you get good character kids with talent, you’ll win. If the kids know you love them, they’ll play for you.”
Wortham said he’s eager to tap into the plethora of high school basketball talent in Tacoma and the greater South Sound area.
“I’m excited to be able to implement my own culture, recruit guys here,” he said.
On the court, Wortham said his teams will emphasize defense leading to chances on the other end of the floor.
“We want to get stops on defense and get out in transition,” Wortham said. “The best players make threes but the higher percentages are at the rim. Let’s play the percentages. I want to make sure our guys move the ball. Watch the University of Montana, those guys move the ball. (DeCuire) demands it. You move the ball until you get the open shot. The last thing, we’ll play inside out — have a big fella that will at least pass the ball.”
TCC has won seven Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) championships under three different coaches, the last coming in 2012.
“When they’ve had really good success, TCC has had a lot of good Tacoma kids,” Wortham said. “All the best players in the city of Tacoma have played (open gyms, fall leagues, etc.) at TCC. I want to bring that back.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 3:03 PM.
