Niagara books Hylton as next hoops coach
Niagara College has turned to a familiar face to replace retired Phil Mosley as the head coach of its men’s basketball program.
Named to the position this week is former player Lequan Hylton. The graduate of protection, security and investigation and general business suited up for Niagara for four seasons. His playing resume includes: OCAA Second Team All-Star in 2016-17; OCAA Academic All Canadian in 2016-17; OCAA bronze medalist in 2018-19; three-time team captain; two-time team MVP; team leadership awards in 2016-17 and 2019-20; Ralph Nero Award winner in 2016-17; and, the program’s career assists leader.
Hylton has been a member of Mosley’s staff since 2020 and was part of the inaugural class of the OCAA Mentorship Program in partnership with the Coaches Association of Ontario. The program was designed to give young coaches experience and prepare them to be head coaches.
The 28-year-old Mississauga native felt he was ready to take over the head coaching position when it became available.
“It was being able to learn under coach Phil and him allowing me to take on responsibilities within the offence and the defence. He allowed me to put in my defensive system which was very successful.”
Niagara ended up being the No. 1 defensive team for two years.
“My defensive philosophy allowed me to be confident and be sure that I was ready for this position and also my level of experience within the basketball community and having that feel and passion for the game.”
Prior to joining Mosley’s staff, Hylton coached at the grassroots level and trained players in the summer, including athletes with post secondary aspirations.
His coaching philosophy focuses on defence first.
“That is what I prioritize. It is mainly forcing a lot of turnovers and playing off those turnovers in transition.”
His defence emphasizes protecting the middle of the court, preventing entry into the key and shots close to the basket, and making teams rely on three-point shooting.
“Numbers-wise and analytically those are the lower percentage shots.”
On offence, his strategy is to attack the paint, convert high percentage shots and get to the free-throw line by putting teams in early foul trouble.
The biggest lesson Hylton learned from Mosley is maintaining his composure.
“Coach Phil was one of the most composed coaches that I played for and coached under. He really knows how to stay composed no matter how intense and serious the game is and how down to the wire the game gets. He stays calm through it all. It rubs off on the players and if you are not composed the players won’t be composed.”
Since starting in 2020, he feels the biggest step in his coaching is his enhanced knowledge of the game.
“It just being in certain scenarios as a coach. This past year it was learning how to coach in fourth quarters when you are up in the game. We lost a lot of games within the fourth quarter so it’s building that knowledge and seeing what to take advantage of and how to be efficient in the fourth quarter.”
Hylton has lofty team and personal goals for his first year as bench boss.
“Being the best defensive team in the league is the No. 1 goal. I want to keep that identity as a team and the next goal is to continue to make the playoffs. I don’t remember the last time we didn’t make the playoffs. Individually I would love to win coach of the year in my first year.”
Central to all of his goals is to continue to maintain the culture that developed during Mosley’s tenure as head coach.
“Coach Phil and I had a term. It was OKG. It meant Our kind of guy, which was high character, academically inclined and willing to succeed academically. We did a great job of turning this program around academically and is was having respectful, young men on our team.”
The team was brotherhood-oriented and like a second family.
“This year, we are going to have a lot of guys coming from out of province and they will need that second family.”
Hylton has seven returning players and six recruits to work with as he starts his job.
“I am looking for a couple more pieces but we are pretty set right now and I am confident in the group that we have.”
Niagara athletic director Michele O’Keefe is excited that the 13th head coach in program history is an alumnus, based in Niagara.
“We are proud to have Lequan step into the head coaching role of our Knights team,” she said. “As a proud alum, Lequan understands the culture we are working to strengthen at Niagara College and will transition smoothly into this position. His work at the club level will allow him to step right into the recruiting world and no doubt continue to build our strong foundation with our men’s basketball team.”
