Mick Hughes had interviewed before for head coaching positions with the Plumsted Township School District, but he knew this time would be different.
He was previously hired as head track coach at New Egypt Middle School, and he had also been appointed the high school’s head boys cross-country coach and an assistant girls basketball coach. This time, he believed he would need a grease pencil and made a point to remember to bring it.
He was right. Hughes was being interviewed by Gene Mosely, in his second year as New Egypt High School principal, for the boys basketball head coaching position, replacing Matt Kukoda, who stepped down after two seasons to become head coach at Wall High School.
Mosely had a two-hour session with Hughes, complete with a white board that Hughes was asked to diagram plays on based on situations created by Mosely, who drew on his own head coaching experience at Princeton High School and Bound Brook High School, as well as time as an assistant at South Plainfield High School.
“I had a pretty strong feeling he’d take it in that direction. I knew he was a former coach and I expected that going in. I had some things in mind,” Hughes said. “As a former coach, he got down to the fine details of the game.”
Mosely said he wanted to hire someone “who would excite the people at New Egypt. He came out of there [the interview] worn out and did extremely well. He’s at the stage that he’s ready to become a head coach. He lives and breathes basketball.”
In the end, Hughes was hired to take over the varsity boys basketball program at New Egypt.
He gained a lot of experience from coaching six seasons with head girls basketball coach Matt Brogan. The Warriors had backto back NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I finalist teams, winning it the first time in 2011. He also coached three years at New Egypt Middle School and is starting his seventh year as New Egypt High School boys crosscountry coach, winning the Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division championships in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
“We had a lot of success with the girls. I enjoyed my time there,” Hughes said. “It was a great experience, an opportunity to put myself out there for bigger responsibilities and challenges.”
Former New Egypt player Ron Tortoriello was hired by Hughes as varsity assistant. Tortoriello’s younger brother, Gino, is a junior point guard in the program, along with seniors Mark Dempsey and Jonathan Mitchell. Leading graduates include Travis Ward, Matt Knigge, Steve Wetzel and Ryan Grasso. Hughes said he still needs to hire a freshman coach.
Hughes said he has gotten a good response from the players and their offseason work in the weight room. He said goals must be set high because it’s a tough division, and he said he is tapping into the knowledge of Brogan and former varsity boys head coach Jay Corby for advice.
“My philosophy starts with defense. Defense wins,” Hughes said. “Offensively, we’ll be very patient — possess the ball and share it. This is a very young group and [there is] not a lot of size, which means the first thing we have to do is defense. And then on offense, we have to be very smart, very patient and get good shots.”
Prior to his new basketball coaching duties, Hughes will start cross-country practice on Aug. 11. Seniors Mitchell and Nick Pisani provide the leadership. Juniors Griffin Hinrichsen and Matt Lombardo also show strong potential.
There is a tradition of success. Sean Nikola won the Freedom Division race three years in a row from 2005-07, while Sean Vasquez (2008), Nikolai Hladik (2011) and Kevin Smith (2012) won individual division titles.
For now, Hughes is looking for ways to replace some of his graduated players.