State of the Gaels: Q&A with Graduate Assistant Coach Taylor McHugh

Abstract

On Sunday February 9, 2020 Jeremiah Clermont had the chance to sit down with first-year graduate assistant Taylor McHugh. McHugh is a recent graduate of Bryant University where he played four years of basketball for the Bryant Bulldogs. Along with basketball, McHugh served as a mentor to boys and girls ages 9-14 on how to be successful on and off the court while teaching basketball skill development. It is here where McHugh gained valuable in-game coaching experience.

Clermont: Taylor this is your first coaching experience of any kind in a capacity. How does this differs from playing

McHugh: The main difference for me is that as a coach, I don’t feel like I have as much of a direct outcome on winning and losing on game days and I am much more nervous because of it than I was as a player. Also as a coach, I have to focus on managing different players and different personalities rather than just focusing on myself like I did as a player.

Clermont: Now in your answer you alluded to different personalities and perspectives how do you find balance into managing it

McHugh: In a lot of ways it’s about patience and it’s about listening. Guys will come to me about different things being that I am close to their age and I can relate to what they are going through. So for me it’s just about being there for them and being compassionate but also brutally honest when I need to be.

Clermont: What are your day to day activities as a Grad Assistant

McHugh: It honestly depends on the day. Most days I am responsible for making sure guys go to class and that they make their tutoring or any other academic meetings. I am responsible to oversee our team of managers and make sure everything is set up for practice. I also do individual workouts for guys who want to get some extra work in but that varies on the day.

Clermont: Are you looking to move up the college ranks and if so why

McHugh: I definitely am looking to move up the ranks. I want to make a career out of coaching, so I am motivated to do it at the highest level possible.

Clermont: What do you look to gain in this experience as an Assistant coach

McHugh: I get to learn from one of best coaches in college basketball in Tim Cluess. I just want to expend my basketball knowledge and learn different styles and ways of coaching which hopefully will prepare me to be a head coach and run my own program some day.

Clermont: Now you and I both know that this game can bring out emotions should your team be up or down. How do you control your emotions?

McHugh: Our team has struggled with that and it’s something I wasn’t the best at as a player either. It’s something you have to work at and give a conscience effort to keep a level head when adversity hits.

Clermont: Speaking of emotions can you notice a change in the players in terms of confidence?

McHugh: We are coming off 2 straight conference wins which is huge for us. You can see our confidence growing.

Clermont: And in the topic of confidence how confident are you when it comes to this season outcome

McHugh: Iona is the defending MAAC champs 4 times running for a reason. I feel confident that when march rolls around we will be hitting our stride and playing our best basketball.

Clermont: With 4 straight conference titles What techniques that you use to ensure that players specifically returning remain focus

McHugh: It’s not so much a technique but rather a trust in the work we put in every day. We work really hard and when you do that, good things tend to happen.

Clermont: In the topic of focus what is the team main point of focus

McHugh: The main focus of the team is to focus on one game at a time and to not look ahead. Every day we put our hard hats on and go to work with mindset of going 1-0 each time we step on the court.