TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

McHugh's Tough Love Gets Results

ADVERTISEMENT

By CRISTINA LEDRA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 25, 2007

There doesn't ever seem to be a middle ground for the Pasco High football coach. It's either way up or way down.

It was a job Tom McHugh didn't feel he was ready for until he was an assistant for a decade and it took four interviews for the school administration to be sure he was the right man for the job.

After one season of tough love, McHugh transformed the Pirates from struggling at the bottom of the standings to district champions for the first time in more than 10 years, earning the Pasco Tribune's Football Coach of the Year.

"I had a certain vision of what I wanted them to be like and what I thought a football team should be like and I wanted them to accept my vision of what I thought they could be and to play to the best of their ability and to play as a team," McHugh said. "So we started preaching that from the moment we got there as a coaching staff and there's a learning curve and I think most of the kids accepted that. And when you see success at something, then you start to accept it."

When he took over, one of the more notable changes to the players was that the weight room was open and there was a program to go with it.

In the summer, the Pirates attended Gator team camp in Gainesville.

When fall practice and school began, the Pirates had mandatory study hall after school before practice. Work in the weight room also was required.

"I think that some of the kids who may have not liked how things were going before immediately jumped on the bandwagon. ...I think once you get a little success, more people start buying into it," McHugh said. "Right away we had some and it took longer for others. And there still may be some that don't buy into it. And those guys, it's sad to say, they didn't get to play the rest of the year."

It didn't take long for players and the attentive community to have something tangible to rest their hopes on.

Pasco beat Land O' Lakes the first game of the season.

The Pirates had their high points and low points, trying to work in some younger players with those that were returning and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.

But Pasco stayed on its course and won four of five district games. And because of how everyone else in the district fared, the Pirates were district champs.

Pasco lost in the first round of the playoffs to Eustis and finished the season with a 6-5 record.

"I told the kids when I first met them that I don't go out to lose anything, if it's badminton or Candyland or anything," McHugh said. "Unless I'm playing my daughters, I play to win. Wins are very, very, very important. But also there are more important things than winning - think integrity and your ability to focus and stay within yourself and to grow and be a better athlete and it sounds corny, but to be the best that you can be."

Go to All-Pasco County football for the All-Pasco county football selections.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT