I had the pleasure to sit down with Rich, “Big Daddy” Salgado and speak to him about his insurance business, his work in philanthropy, and the many athletes he works with. Salgado is an outgoing man, tall in stature and commands every room he walks into. He is what most call a gentle giant. He is the oldest of 3 boys followed by Lewis then Jimmy. Lewis is also in the insurance business and is based in Florida with his wife Jade and son Aidan. Jimmy is married to Carolyn and have two sons Jalen and Lincoln and a daughter Laila. Jimmy spent the past six seasons with the Buffalo Bills and is now the cornerback coach for Michigan State.
Salgado is the founder of Coastal Advisors, a full-service Insurance Consulting firm that provides Life Insurance and Disability Career Ending Insurance. They’re able to provide and guide their clients with all insurance needs. Salgado got his start in the sports insurance business after graduating from Maryland in 1989. He moved to Pittsburgh to look after the affairs of his college roommate, Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell. While around Pittsburgh sports, he got into the insurance business and quickly began to make his mark. Athletes have been known to blow through their money, thinking they are invincible, so Salgado was always in their ears about the need for life insurance, disability, and other risk-reducing vehicles. More than three decades later, he’s still in their ears and insuring them. He has expanded to corporations, individuals, and everybody in between. His relationships run deep, and he’s trusted by all.
Asking Salgado what makes him stand out from the competition he stated, “It is the over 500 professional athletes from all professional leagues that I have worked with, as well as the NFL Coaches, General Managers, and NFL Team contracts.” Salgado is proud to share that Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Adam Schefter, Jay Glazer, and Kevin Weekes, are just a few of his clients that he works with today.
Salgado is very philanthropic and lends his time to many different charities such as NSLIJ, Long Island Children’s Museum, Kids Need More, as well as fundraising for schools and sports teams. Further, he hosts a football camp with his brother Jimmy at their hometown high school. The one special charity that is close to his heart, is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (St. Jude). Salgado recently hosted his Big Daddy Celebrity Golf Classic at world-renowned Oheka Castle in Huntington, Long Island supporting St. Jude. “Yes, this is such a highly anticipated event that takes place over two days. On Sunday night, we had our guests check into Oheka. We had a small cocktail party with the celebrities, sponsors and special guests who enjoyed delicious food, cocktails, and smoked cigars with Oheka’s owner, Gary Melius. On Monday, we had our celebrities and golfers meet for a breakfast and at tee off at 1:00pm. From 6:30pm -730 pm, we had our signature cocktail party, followed by a live auction and dinner. Our entertainment for the evening started with N’Kenge, who is a Grammy/Emmy/Tony Nominee and Broadway performer. She was incredible! Michael Martocci who sings Sinatra, performed with his 16-piece orchestra. The place was rocking! We were able to raise significant funds for such a special cause. I have visited St. Jude twice and both times I walked away knowing that the work they do is real and saves lives. It is a place of HOPE. Children should never die, and they do their best to prevent this from happening. I will be visiting again soon, and I’m committed to attaching St. Jude to any events that I host. Next year, the Big Daddy Celebrity Golf Classic is on Monday, June 24, 2024, at Cold Spring Country Club in Huntington, Long Island and we will be solely supporting St. Jude.”
A man as busy as Big Daddy always has the opportunity to meet many different people and get involved with various projects. It only makes sense for him to expand his horizons and utilize his rolodex. As Big Daddy laughed and agreed, he shared that he is the owner of a mobile fueling and electric vehicle charging company, Gas It Up, lnc. & Charge it Up. He is the Chief Communications Officer, and they have offices in New York, Dallas, and Philadelphia. “Some big things are ahead with these two companies. I also have a podcast, Big Daddy & Friends. I had to take some time away as I was getting ready for my golf outing but I’m hoping to pick up again this fall with my interviews with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. I also plan on partnering with a Long Island Pork & Meat distributor to start my own Bacon line. It will be called Big Daddy’s Bacon. Stay tuned for that one!”
To follow Salgado: https://www.facebook.com/BigDaddyInsures
