Success: Measured by the Culture - A feature story on Washington and Lee Men's Basketball Head Coach Chris McHugh

LEXINGTON — The first practice of the 2017/2018 season for the Washington and Lee University Men’s basketball team was a momentous start to a new era of Generals basketball. Newly hired Head Coach Chris McHugh could hardly sleep the night before and could barely contain his excitement.  

 

He was about to begin leading his alma mater and former team to compete in a strong Old Dominion Athletic Conference. W&L’s Michael F. Walsh Director of Athletics, Jan Hathorn, knew McHugh had already fallen in love with the job. 

 

“He was wired. The man was so excited,” Hathorn said. “It’s the job of his dreams. He always wanted to come back and be the head coach at his alma mater.” 

 

As an alumnus of W&L, a certain pride comes with the head coaching position for McHugh. Having experienced playing on the basketball team as a student-athlete and later returning to coach creates an unmatched passion that has translated into a successful athletics program.   

 

“We want to be a values-oriented program that does things the right way on and off the court,” McHugh said. “If we’re doing that, if we’re putting our best foot forward in terms of our effort, intent, hard work, and IQ basketball-wise, I can go to sleep at night saying ‘hey, we represented the program well today.’” 

 

McHugh started acclimating to W&L’s basketball culture back during the 2005/06 season, his first year at the school. He entered the team along with 6 other first-years and quickly learned the difficulties that come with collegiate athletics after only winning four games in his first season. Despite the struggles, McHugh understood the strong foundation the team was building. 

 

“We felt like we had a young core of guys that were going to stick it out and not leave the program and make sure that we left it in a better place,” he said. “We were going to be the ones that took pride in taking our team from the bottom of the ODAC to being a contender.” 

 

His faith in the team paid off for the Generals. The team would improve over the next three seasons, culminating in an ODAC Championship appearance during McHugh’s senior season.  

 

“That’s a long journey with lots of ups and downs, but very rewarding taking the program from the bottom to being a real contender,” McHugh said. 

 

Following graduation, McHugh was hired as an assistant coach by Ryan Kadlubowski, the coach who recruited McHugh to W&L, at Mount Saint Mary College in New York. The position afforded him opportunities to work in and around all facets of the team, including recruiting, scouting, game planning, etc.…  

 

McHugh was building his foundations as a coach and would continue to develop his skills over the next few years. He would go on to make stops at Connecticut College and Emory University, also as an assistant or associate coach.  

 

“I’m really fortunate that I’ve been able to work for some incredible coaches that were thoughtful,” he said. “I was able to try and take some of my favorite characteristics of each coach. So, kind of putting that all together and in one mixture and then putting my flair on it and my personality.” 

 

Before the 2017-2018 basketball season, the Generals' men’s head coaching position opened up. Hathorn said there were around 70 applicants for the position, with McHugh’s rising to the top and ultimately prevailing. His energy on the court was palpable and emphatic right away.  

 

“I thought the guy was going to kill himself because he is just up and down the sideline. You’re going to pull a muscle or wear yourself out because you’re so active,” Hathorn said. “But that’s just how he is.” 

 

Assistant Coach Isaac Hibbard just concluded his first season with the team. He said McHugh’s belief in the culture and his energy every day motivate the team. 

 

“When you’re around him, when it’s time for practice, he’s ready to go,” Hibbard said. “I think the guy’s feed of that energy, and I feed off that energy.” 

 

Senior Captain Thomas Feigin noted that the team’s binder they each receive, with shared values and beliefs. The binder unifies the team under the same ideals, as well as shared team mottos like “enjoy the journey.” Feigin and Hibbard also noted the team’s acronym they write on the whiteboard before every game, “ACT.” The term stands for accountability, commitment, and trust.   

 

“[The binder] preaches a lot of the same honor and tradition that our school does” Feigin said.  

 

Hathorn said that McHugh’s ability to be steadfast in his cultivation of a team committed to his beliefs, such as “ACT” have set him apart from some of his coaching peers. She said he intrinsically believes in what he teaches to the team, which makes it much easier for players to buy in. 

 

Being a former student also helps McHugh relate to the team. Head Volleyball Coach Bryan Snyder is also an alumnus of W&L, with 25 years of coaching experience for the Generals. He said being an alumnus of the school certainly brings additional passion, but also a deeper level of understanding of his players. 

 

“Having had the experience of being a student here, you understand how impactful your time at Washington and Lee can be on who you become later in life,” he said. “Being able to be a part of that for so many students is very special.” 

 

Sophomore Student Manager Alex Kagan noted McHugh’s dedication and ability to relate to students and alumni. 

 

“He’s been here, and he was here before, so he can relate,” Kagan said. “He’s very engrossed in the culture. It’d be hard for a coach to come here and just get it, especially with how unique W&L is.” 

 

Beyond his relationship with his current team, McHugh is highly involved in getting alumni back on campus and interacting with the program. He helps set up and run events and outreach programs to connect with former players, including alumni days, alumni games, an email database for alumni, social media, and even just getting together when alumni are in town. 

 

“I really take great pride in representing the program, and we want to always win for the current players and the team that’s there. But you also want to win and represent for your alums who have laid the foundation,” McHugh said.  

 

Another alumnus, the Executive Director of Alumni and Career Services, John Jensen III, noted McHugh’s ability to stay in touch with former players. 

 

“He understands that alumni are key to the team’s legacy and future, and he makes it a point to keep those relationships strong,” Jensen said.  

 

McHugh’s record at W&L through his first eight seasons is 115-72, or a .615 winning percentage. This past season was his worst season record-wise, finishing 11 games under a .500 winning percentage and his first season under that mark.  

 

Despite the adversity, Hathorn said this season epitomized everything McHugh is about. 

 

“They didn’t stop loving each other. He didn’t stop loving them just because they weren’t winning,” she said. “It wasn’t about just winning. It was about all these other things that develop people into being good people.”