West Virginia University
10/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/27/2024 22:07
WVU graduate finds his way through role with women’s basketball program
Cordell McClung, shown here holding a Let's Go flag, credits key experiences at WVU with helping him find his way from the basketball court to coaching. (WVU Photo/Matt Sunday)
Cordell McClung may not have known right out of high school that he was going to eventually end up at West Virginia University, but his mom started saving anyway to be sure he could afford to attend their home state flagship university if he chose to do so.
McClung, a Summersville native and current owner of OAB Sports Complex, took what he called a "roundabout" way to get to WVU, but it paid off with two degrees, a newly found love for coaching and work with youth in athletics.
A family affair
McClung said he knew he was interested in a career in athletics, but after high school, he wanted to continue playing basketball at the college level and looked elsewhere for a place to land.
After spending time at a small school in Northern Virginia playing basketball, he transferred to WVU where his family has an extensive history.
"My mom was probably the first one who knew I was going to WVU, and she was right, even though I took the roundabout way of getting there," McClung said. "All my family, mom and dad went to WVU, as well as my stepdad, so we're through-and-through WVU fans."
During his time at WVU from 2015-20, McClung earned a bachelor's degree in sport management, followed by a master's degree in sport coaching from what is now the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences.
"I wanted to play college basketball to get a taste of it, and just decided I wanted to go to the coaching side, and WVU was the option that was close to home," he said.
Player to coach
While McClung still played basketball as a student at the Student Rec Center, he shifted his mindset on the court and joined the women's basketball program as a student manager under then-coach Mike Carey.
"There were a lot of memorable moments with the women's team - the Big 12 Championship in 2017 was a big one," McClung recalled.
WVU alumnus Cordell McClung proudly waves a Let's Go flag. He credits his experience working with WVU women's basketball and longtime coach Mike Carey for where he is today - a small business owner training athletes of all ages and helping them to reach their goals. (WVU Photo/Matt Sunday)
"But I think witnessing all the women who got drafted to the WNBA and also signed overseas contracts after WVU was awesome to see, because you just make friends for a lifetime and you don't even realize it while you're there."
McClung credits working with Carey to helping mold how he teaches up-and-coming basketball players today at his training center.
"Everything happens for a reason and coach Carey is like second family to me," McClung said. "His family, we still talk pretty regularly to this day. I never imagined working in women's basketball, and it has definitely helped mold me into the person I am today."
Life as a Mountaineer
After graduation, McClung opened his training gym to help athletes of all ages achieve their athletic goals by offering workout sessions and rental opportunities.
He said he didn't believe he'd ever be a business owner, but WVU prepared him to take the next step.
A product of the "unmatched" opportunities available at WVU, Cordell McClung is a walking testimonial of how helpful hands-on learning can be for students hoping to find their professional path while on campus. (WVU Photo/Matt Sunday)
"All of us that were in that group had that entrepreneurial mindset from our professors," McClung said.
"They were very understanding, especially in my case, with my commitment to the women's basketball team, that I wasn't going to be able to do everything that's required. But they knew the hands-on learning that I was getting was going to help me out down the road. And I'm very grateful for that, because if it wasn't for that, I don't know if I could have balanced both.
"I think with the opportunities at WVU, which is something I've talked to plenty of people all over the country about, with the network in basketball, West Virginia offers so many programs for their students. The lessons you learn, and hands-on learning that WVU provides, is just something that's unmatched. And I am speaking straight from it. I think every student at WVU can find their own path that way."
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