BearcatReport.com - Catching up with Myron Hughes

June 19, 2009

Scott Springer
BearcatReport.com Staff Writer

Multi-tasking is a relatively new word.

Really, it's just a new word that looks good in want ad job descriptions, textbooks and presentations.

What it involves is nothing new...doing more than one thing, juggling, reacting. Those of us that are parents with active kids "multi-task" in our sleep.

So, last week I did me some of this newfangled "multi-tasking" by talking to UC Alumni Association Executive Director Myron Hughes.

Reason #1 was for career advice and networking purposes (networking was just a TV word when I went to school in Myron's day). As I've routinely indicated, I NEED WORK!

But, the more pleasant conversation with Myron involved his basketball days (of which I saw many a game). The former 6-7 bruising forward is now back in town and in charge of what goes on at the Myers Alumni Center just off Campus Green. (For those of you that haven't stepped on campus in decades, it would be the upper right-hand corner of what was the Fieldhouse Lot.)

Myron Hughes was with Bearcat basketball from 1981 'til 1986. He sat out his third season due to a knee injury, but probably couldn't have done much to help them anyway. That was the first year under Tony Yates where they won just three games.

He came to UC from a small town in Alabama near Muscle Shoals.

"Leighton, Alabama?a tiny dot in the northwest corner of the state," Hughes said. "Probably known for two great people coming out of there. One, a great football player by the name of Ozzie Newsome (current Ravens GM). The other, a great singer by the name of Percy Sledge ('When A Man Loves A Woman'). Small, little place with about 800-900 people."

Naturally, you wonder how someone from Alabama comes north to play basketball in Cincinnati.

"I think it dates back to my sophomore year in high school when I started on my team and we ended up going to the state championship," Hughes said. "My junior year, we didn't perform as well, but I ended up being first team all-state and so I started to get a little notoriety. My senior year, an assistant coach by the name of Harry Meeks recruited me and the rest is pretty much history."

In the end Hughes was down to UC and Tennessee and he "volunteered" to be a Bearcat.

"With the UC College of Business and some of the companies that existed in the city at that time, I was figuring if I didn't make it in the NBA, I'd have a pretty good shot at working at a good company once I got my business degree," he said.

While Hughes got his playing time at UC (finishing just shy of 1,000 points) the Bearcats were only able to come up with winning seasons in his freshman year (15-12) and his junior year (17-14 and an NIT berth). In between there was an 11 win season, the year he was out when they only won three and his final season which netted 12 wins.

Myron Hughes, when healthy, was a standard presence in the starting line-up and led the 'Cats in rebounding in his final two seasons. From a talent standpoint, he feels some of those teams could've been better.

"The way I look at it, because of some injuries here and there, we didn't have a good family-type team to be successful," Hughes said. "The definition of team really does come into play when you're playing sports and you have people you depend on. We had great players in each position. You're looking at Junior Johnson, a smaller point guard?Junior knew how to play the game from an intelligent standpoint out there. You had Bobby Austin about 6-4 and Kevin Gaffney about 6-6 playing shooting guard. 'Jelly' Jones at 6-8, Mike Williams and Jeff Robinson at 6-8 or 6-9. I think we had the talent and the skill, but if you don't come together as a team, you have a tough time winning."

Myron's coach in those initial days was the colorful, plaid-jacket attired Ed Badger.

"Ed was a great person," Myron said. "I liked him from the moment I met him as a senior in high school. I think Ed probably gave us too much freedom. I think it came from Ed in his pro days, coaching on a professional level."

With that freedom, came the mistakes young college students can make.

"We took advantage of him?not having things like curfews like you'd have at home," Hughes said. "Just coming into a college situation and not understanding what it takes to win on this level?we did what we thought was right, but it might not have been what was needed to win at the college level. Especially, if you want to win championships."

Hughes still speaks to Ed Badger at least once a year.

"I feel indebted to him for giving me the chance to play here at this wonderful university," he said.
Unfortunately for Myron, Ed Badger got the "Bearcat bounce" after his sophomore year. The new coach was Tony Yates and Hughes was almost not here to be a part of it.

"He and I talked about this a few weeks ago..." Hughes recalled. "When he first came in, I wanted to leave because I didn't know anything about him and the coach I came here for wasn't here. I didn't want to give anyone a chance. If anyone knows anything about college scholarships?they're not a four-year scholarship?you get them renewed every year. Well, I waited up to the very last moment to get mine renewed. I had pretty much made my mind up that I didn't want to stay here. After thinking about it, I realized there were other things besides basketball. I decided to stay here and right now I'd have to say Tony is still like a father-figure to me."

Having spent the last four years or so in Tampa, Hughes is happy to be back in Bearcat-land and anxious to see the hoops program hit it's stride again.

"I hope we get back to the level where the program is respected and people fear the University of Cincinnati," Hughes said. "Mick (Cronin) is going to have his hands full, but I think he has the talent in order to make this work. But, it's going to take a team effort to get UC back to the way it used to be under Huggins. I think he has the tools to get there, it's just a matter of people playing together and wanting to win. It's going to be a little up hill battle, but I'm sure all of the resources are available to help them accomplish some good things."

Personally, I wonder why someone like a Myron Hughes isn't on the floor teaching a few post moves. Naturally, I asked....

"I don't know if they want me to teach them anything or not," he said. "I'd do anything it takes to help UC's basketball program, but no, I haven't got any calls like that. Whatever ways I can help, not only on the court, but off the court. That would be in terms of getting kids to realize that everyone does not make it to the big time after playing. So, a lot of thought has to be given to life after basketball. In my current role as Executive Director of the Alumni Association, there's ways I can assist from that angle."

"Whatever it takes to help this program move forward, that's what I'm here to do," Hughes continued. "I look at it from the bigger picture, the program's just a piece of this thing we call life. They need to make that transition in order to become productive citizens not only here in Cincinnati, but throughout the world."

Also, off the court, Hughes is open to helping with recruiting. Just like Oscar Robertson and others went on to successful business careers, Myron Hughes has had many successful jobs in various locations. It can never hurt a potential recruit to see what one can become without a basketball in their hand.

"We haven't crossed that bridge yet, but that's something I'm hoping to do," Hughes said. "Many years ago, when Huggins was here, I used to try to help out a whole lot. In this role right here, I haven't been able to get in with Mick just yet. I've known Mick for awhile, so I know the door's open and I look forward to helping out. Especially, with the parents if they have a kid who's going to school here. I'd talk to them about the opportunities their child would have dealing with life in this city and dealing with life after basketball."

And, with his current job with the Alumni Association, Hughes can reach out to other connections that could possibly help a young student.

"There are (UC) alums throughout this entire world," he said. "Wherever they're from, I guarantee there's some alums out there that would be willing to help and willing to assist. We here at the UC Alumni Association look at being a family, whether you play basketball here or are a chemist or part of CCM. We're here to help regardless of where you might be."

Now, I can't just let a basketball article about Myron Hughes go without asking "The Question".

For those that follow the program closely and keep up with Crosstown Shootout folklore, you may know what's coming.

So...what about taking a "swipe" at Eddie Johnson during one of those UC/Xavier tilts?

"If you played with me, you'd understand," Hughes started out. "I'm a very quiet person. But, once you turn the lights on, it's time to go out on the court, which to me, means it's time to battle. It's probably easier to mess with me than to mess with my teammates. I get to a place where you can only push me so far."

That was the preamble, now the "good stuff"....

"With the Shootout, it was a situation where one of Xavier's players (Mr. Johnson) elbowed me one too many times," Hughes recalled. "I just took it and said, 'You've gone a little bit too far, so let's clean this up a little bit'. I just took matters into my own hands. He understood what took place and we've talked and joked about it since?it's all good?it was just in the heat of the moment."

" Any player, regardless of whether they're competitors or not, understands that it's just a game.
We know in the heat of the moment, things take place. Off the court, we can sit around and laugh about things and talk about getting together and doing something with one another."

From the nearly 90 minutes I spent with Myron Hughes, I can tell you he's a good guy to sit around and laugh with. And, he's a good guy to have back in town (and on your side)!

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