Coach Bob Hurley Sr.: a Jesuit Educated Heroic Leader
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Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal Volume 10 Number 1 Article 3 5-2021 Coach Bob Hurley Sr.: A Jesuit Educated Heroic Leader Francis Petit Fordham University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.regis.edu/jhe Part of the Marketing Commons, Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, and the Other Business Commons Recommended Citation Petit, Francis. "Coach Bob Hurley Sr.: A Jesuit Educated Heroic Leader." Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal 10, 1 (2021). https://epublications.regis.edu/jhe/vol10/iss1/3 This Reflection is brought to you for free and open access by the Scholarly and Peer-Reviewed Journals at ePublications at Regis University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal by an authorized administrator of ePublications at Regis University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Petit: Coach Bob Hurley Sr. Coach Bob Hurley Sr.: A Jesuit Educated Heroic Leader Francis Petit Associate Dean for Global Initiatives and Partnerships Adjunct Associate Professor Fordham University [email protected] Abstract The purpose of this research was to determine if Coach Bob Hurley Sr. (Coach Hurley) was a Heroic Leader. Coach Hurley was the long time Varsity Boys Basketball Coach at St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, which closed in 2017. Coach Hurley was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. The methods of this research included a historical study of the life and career of Coach Hurley as was captured within the traditional media and academic literature. In addition, this research included one-on-one phone interviews that Francis Petit conducted with Coach Hurley in July 2020. Upon the completion of this qualitative research key takeaways were then applied and measured against the Four Pillars of Success as presented in Heroic Leadership. The conclusions of this study indicated that Coach Hurley was a Heroic Leader and successfully integrated the Four Pillars of Success which include Self-Awareness, Ingenuity, Love and Heroism. Introduction St. Anthony’s High School was a co-educational college preparatory school operated by the In 2019, corporations in the United States spent Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. As an over $83 billion on corporate training.1 This independent school that received no funding by expenditure has progressively increased over the the Catholic Church, St. Anthony’s mission was to past thirty years.2 Large corporations (10,000 plus take “the most economically challenged young employees) averaged $17.7 million on training per adults from in and around Jersey City and teach year while midsize (100-999 employees) and small them that they have the character, talent, wisdom (under 100 employees) companies averaged $1.7 and intellect to become valuable, contributing million and $367,490 respectively.3 Sample areas members of their community.”5 of expenditures include executive development, management training, interpersonal skills, It should be noted that the genesis of this research information technology, customer service, sales, is rooted in this author’s deep respect and compliance, and onboarding.4 admiration for Coach Hurley not only with his success on the basketball court but also with his Case studies can be used as a vehicle for impact on this small Catholic high school in Jersey professionals and executives to learn about City, New Jersey. With a bold mission and a leadership when funding is limited. This research considerable lack of resources, Coach Hurley had will present a case study of an exceptionally a track record of success that should be successful professional within his given field. The researched and understood by all professionals professional career of Coach Bob Hurley Sr. will including executives. The goal of this study was to be researched and analyzed from the Jesuit examine Coach Hurley’s life and career and to perspective known as “Heroic Leadership.” Coach determine if in fact he was a “Heroic Leader.” Hurley, who was Jesuit educated, had unprecedented success as the coach of St. Success as a Basketball Coach Anthony’s High School Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team in Jersey City, New Jersey. Coach Hurley is considered one of the top high school basketball coaches of all time. In his forty- five years (1973-2017) as the Head Boys’ Varsity Jesuit Higher Education 10(1): 9-19 (2021) 9 Petit: Coach Bob Hurley Sr. Basketball Coach at St. Anthony’s High School in St. Anthony’s High School during its struggles to Jersey City, Coach Hurley’s teams have generated remain open. the following athletic achievements: In addition, the methodology also included one- • 28 New Jersey state championships; on-one phone interviews between Coach Hurley • 13 Tournament of Champions titles; and Francis Petit (the author) in July 2020. Phone • 4 national championships; and interviews were conducted due to the timing of • 8 undefeated seasons.6 the COVID-19 pandemic with the purpose to collect data on the methods in which Coach In addition, Coach Hurley had a 1,185-125 Hurley managed and led his teams and institution. win/loss record.7 Upon the completion of this qualitative research, key takeaways were then applied and measured In 2010, Coach Hurley received the highest honor against the Four Pillars of Success within Chris within his field as he was inducted into the Lowney’s Heroic Leadership. Each pillar was Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is subsequently a focus within the phone interviews one of only three high school basketball coaches with Coach Hurley. This allowed for the to receive such an honor.8 application of the Four Pillars of Success within Coach Hurley’s professional career. St. Anthony’s High School lacked resources. The Conclusions were then determined on whether high school served the urban poor of Jersey City. Coach Hurley successfully integrated these four Its operations budget, which included teacher essential pillars of Self-Awareness, Ingenuity, Love salaries and facilities, was modest. Tuition had to and Heroism within his life’s work at St. be continually discounted (i.e., scholarships) due Anthony’s High School. to the financial demographic of its student population. It was not uncommon that tuition What is Heroic Leadership? revenue did not meet expenses. Outside fundraising was required. Heroic leadership research was developed by Chris Lowney.13 Lowney is a former Jesuit Overall, even with these evident constraints, seminarian and Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Coach Hurley’s teams “dominated New Jersey and now is a best-selling and award-winning basketball for decades.”9 What is all the more author whose works include books and articles remarkable is that Coach Hurley was able to build featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast a basketball dynasty out of a small Catholic high Company and The Wall Street Journal. school operated by the Felician Sisters with fewer than 200 students enrolled and without a true The Heroic Leadership concept was developed gymnasium.10 after researching the Society of Jesus, which is a religious order known as the Jesuits, that was In 2014, Coach Hurley also became the President founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola and his of St. Anthony’s High School.11 He continued to followers.14 Within his research, Lowney serve as president (pro bono) and basketball coach determined that Jesuits, throughout their 450+ until 2017 when St. Anthony’s ultimately closed year history, continually exhibited four unique due to lack of enrollment and financial hardship.12 values listed below that “created their leadership substance”: Methodology • Self-Awareness A historical study of the career of Coach Hurley • Ingenuity was conducted. This included a comprehensive • Love review of the traditional media coverage Coach • Heroism15 Hurley received as the successful coach of the St. Anthony’s High School Boys’ Varsity Basketball This four-pillared approach, which starts with Self- Team. It also included the traditional media Awareness, has not only been a characteristic of coverage Coach Hurley received as President of Jesuit leadership but has also, according to Jesuit Higher Education 10(1): 9-19 (2021) 10 Petit: Coach Bob Hurley Sr. Lowney, anchored the success of an organization. Jersey City. At Saint Peter’s Prep, Coach Hurley Throughout his research, Lowney describes each was a member of the basketball team.21 pillar and provides examples of how the Jesuits lived these four values. Upon graduating Saint Peter’s Prep in 1965, Coach Hurley then attended Saint Peter’s College In terms of Self-Awareness, Lowney highlights the also located in Jersey City. As the first member of Examen, a reflection from the Spiritual Exercises his family to ever attend college, Coach Hurley of St. Ignatius Loyola, as the key tool that leads to indicated that going away for school was “not an one’s foundation of Self-Awareness.16 Lowney has option.” During his first year at Saint Peter’s stated that “Effective leaders understand their College, Coach Hurley played on the Freshman own strengths, weaknesses, and values in a Basketball Team but was cut from the college profound way; and have a daily mechanism for team his sophomore year to make room for the monitoring what’s going on.”17 scholarship players.22 In terms of Ingenuity, Lowney discusses how Jesuit As a result, he began his coaching career at the ingenuity requires a freedom of “prejudices, Catholic Youth Organization level at his home attachments, fears and narrowmindedness” that parish of St. Paul’s. Soon after, Mr. John Ryan, the can allow for new ideas, opportunities and Head Varsity Basketball Coach of St. Anthony’s solutions to emerge.18 High School, hired Hurley as the Freshman Coach. Hurley would be the Freshman Coach for With Love driven leadership, Lowney indicates that two years and then the Junior Varsity Coach for this allows the ability to unlock the potential in three years before becoming the Head Varsity others and having the vision to see and appreciate Coach of St.