Mosley hangs up clipboard
The retiring coach of Niagara’s men’s basketball team has finally had his Phil of coaching.
“When I started coaching the men’s program, I knew it was on a year-to-year basis. I knew that each year I would reassess. I did have some goals and objectives when I started the job and I would reassess those and see how much progress I was making and whether the program was moving in the right direction and whether or not it was providing me with the satisfaction I needed as a coach. It always had,” Phil Mosley said. “But as the years wear on, your priorities change. I have been coaching steady for 35 years and at a certain point you know when it is time to make a change.”
He knows exactly how he will be spending his spare time moving forward.
“My wife (Sylvia), my daughters (Katy and Kiera) and my extended family have been so supportive in terms of coaching for my entire career and now I have grandchildren (Reid and Halle). My thoughts for the future are to enjoy my family and look forward to spending more quality time with them.”
Prior to joining Niagara’s men, the Oklahoma native had a two-year stint as head coach of Niagara’s women’s team and coached high school football and basketball at Westlane (12 years), Thorold (eight years) and Centennial (nine years).
The graduate of Eastern Michigan University was Mike Hurley’s lead assistant with Niagara’s men’s team during the 2017-18 season and has been in charge of the program since the start of the 2018-19 season.
“I have always enjoyed my time at Niagara and there was no reason to leave other than I just knew it was time for a change.”
His overall record at Niagara concludes at 50-35, including an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association bronze medal in the 2018-2019 season. His teams have also succeeded off the court, garnering 14 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association National Scholar Awards and 20 OCAA All-Academic Awards.
He is confident he is leaving the program in a good place.
“That is what I am most proud of. We moved the program in a good direction and it is in a very good place. I wanted to leave on good terms with the program, the athletic staff and that is absolutely where I am at right now.”
His high point during his time at Niagara will be the relationships he made with young student/athletes.
“It’s being able to watch them progress through their college careers in terms of basketball and academics. Games and wins come and go but the long-lasting relationships you make with people, those are the memories you take with you.”
Mosley is most pleased with the culture his coaching staff created at Niagara.
“With the players that have come through during my time, I was always proud of the way they represented themselves both on and off the court. We had phenomenal student/athletes who were a pleasure to be out on the road with, in public with, out for team dinners with and I loved how they handled themselves. I am hoping it will be a culture that will remain and can be built upon.”
The college will be sad to see him go.
“Phil Mosley is one of those people that you always want around your student/athletes,” said Michele O’Keefe, Niagara’s director of athletics and student engagement. “His professionalism matches his heart and commitment to the young men on his squad. We are so proud to always be part of the conversation when it comes to competitive teams in the OCAA and CCAA thanks to Phil’s efforts.”
Mosley’s successor will have four to six returning players to work with as well as the players Mosley will recruit prior to leaving the job May 29.
“We have a really strong recruiting base that we have relied on through the course of the year. We are now starting to bring recruits in and we’re excited about that. I will stay on and try to make the transition as seamless as possible for the next coach.”
He encourages qualified coaches to apply for the job.
“Niagara College has a great support system in terms of its athletic staff and it is a wonderful educational institution. The job itself requires a lot of work but the rewards are the student/athletes that come through the doors at Niagara College and the culture that is set through men’s basketball and Niagara College athletics as a whole. It bodes well for a coach to be satisfied and fulfilled in that role.”
To apply for the coaching job see https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=NIAGARACOLLEGE&cws=38&rid=2308
