COLUMBUS, OHIO – In another life, Hugh McCutcheon might have found his niche as a CEO, or perhaps a management guru. The Gophers volleyball coach guides his program's ideology as carefully as he directs its strategy on the court, using a vocabulary more typically heard in the boardroom than the locker room.
McCutcheon and his players speak frequently about empowerment and collaboration. Making their second consecutive trip to the Final Four, he said, is as much about creating a culture and leadership as it is about Sarah Wilhite's bruising swing or Samantha Seliger-Swenson's flawless sets. Wednesday, at a news conference at Nationwide Arena, he chose another MBA-caliber word to describe the rigid coaching approach he disdains.
"I've said often, this job is not algorithmic," McCutcheon said, referring to the idea of one-size-fits-all management. "[The job] is really about fitting the system and the culture, and all the parts that go into it becoming a high-functioning team, to the group you have, versus saying 'It's my way or the highway.' "
There is The McCutcheon Way, however, and it has raised an already strong program to even greater heights. The top-ranked Gophers play No. 9 Stanford in Thursday's NCAA semifinals, with the winner facing either No. 2 Nebraska or No. 5 Texas in Saturday's national championship match.
This is a business trip, not a vacation, the coach said, for a team that fell short in the national semifinals last year. It returns as a wiser group that has benefited from another season under a coach who is more new-age than old-school. After taking over the program in 2012 following the retirement of longtime coach Mike Hebert, McCutcheon instituted a modern management style that has the Gophers well-equipped to chase their first NCAA championship.
There is no yelling, and players are treated as adults. Athletes feel free to speak their minds, knowing their input is valued. The Gophers do not chafe under McCutcheon's stringent expectations for commitment and workload, because they believe they have the support and tools they need to succeed.
"It's a different coaching style than the harsh, degrading coaching style that many student-athletes face," senior Paige Tapp said. "It's all about empowerment and encouragement and building us up. [McCutcheon] has motivated us to do everything we can for this program."
That has delighted the fans who pack the Sports Pavilion, including alumnae. Tori Dixon, who played for both Hebert and McCutcheon, is thrilled with the progress.