Q&A Session With Assistant Coach Chris Mudge
10/28/2015 9:27:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With the start of basketball season three weeks away, GoBearkats.com begins a series of question and answer sessions with the assistant coaches for both the Sam Houston men's and women's today.
Today's session feature men's basketball assistant Chris Mudge.
Coach Mudge joined head coach Jason Hooten's staff on June 1, 2010. Earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas, Mudge worked at Midland College and Texas before coming to Huntsville.
Question: HOW DID YOU GET INTO COACHING?
Coach Mudge: I started as a volunteer student manager for the men's basketball team at the University of Texas and instantly fell in love with college athletics and coaching on this level. I quickly knew it was what I wanted to do for my career.
Question: WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE JOB HERE AT SAM HOUSTON?
Coach Mudge: Coach Hooten is close friends with several mentors and friends of mine and they had nothing but great things to say about him as a person and as a coach. When I came for my interview, the people on campus and the feel of the university were terrific. Between the past success of the program and the people here at Sam Houston, it was a no-brainer job for me.
Question: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PROSPECT WHEN RECRUITING FOR THE BEARKATS?
Coach Mudge: There are a lot of talented players out there, but the intangibles and character separate which of those talented guys fit our culture. It's so important that we find young men who fit the characteristics of players that have been here and had success under Coach Hooten. Toughness, competitiveness, integrity and a good work ethic are some of the most important qualities that have defined the guys we have brought in and that have been successful for us on the court and in the classroom.
Question: WHAT'S THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
Coach Mudge: The best part of my job is being around our guys every day. It's a blessing to be able to build relationships with these guys and help guide them through college as they grow into young men. We just have great kids who are funny, work hard and are a joy to be around.
Question: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE AWAY FROM BASKETBALL?
Coach Mudge: When I get a chance to get away, I spend as much time as I can with my family. My wife, Lindsey, and I have 2 young daughters who are a blessing and a lot of fun to be around.
Question: THE 50 VICTORIES DURING THE PAST TWO SEASONS IS THE MOST IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS AT SAM HOUSTON SINCE THE 1970s. WHY HAS THE PROGRAM HAD SO MUCH SUCCESS?
Coach Mudge: Coach Hooten has done a good job of creating a winning culture and bringing in the type of players who are tough, who are winners and who put the team before themselves. Even with all the talent we have had, our players have valued winning above all and sacrificed their own personal agendas and accolades to help us reach our team goals. The culture has been built so that even when new guys come in, they have no choice but to fall in line with the way we do things here at Sam Houston.
Question: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT SO FAR AS A BEARKAT COACH?
Coach Mudge: It's really hard to choose just one, but beating Oral Roberts in the conference tournament in the 2012-13 season was a big turning point for our program. We had been in so many close games that year and seemed on the cusp of breaking through so many different times. That win was the most defining moment of showing that our team had learned how to get over the hump and helped us to become the team we would be the next few years.
Question: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PRO TEAM (BASKETBALL OR ANY OTHER SPORT)?
Coach Mudge: I don't follow a pro team as closely as I follow the University of Texas. I've been a Longhorn my entire life and even though my wife is an Aggie, we wear burnt orange in the Mudge house.
Question: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?
Coach Mudge: There are several quotes that are among my favorites. Here are two:
Romans 8:31: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
“If at first you don't succeed, try doing it the way your coach told you to do it the first time.”
Coach Mudge and the Sam Houston Bearkats open their 2015-16 men's basketball schedule against SMU in Dallas on Saturday November 14. The Kats' first home game at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum is Tuesday, November 17, against Saint Thomas at 6:30 p.m.
