Nov. 1, 2012
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By Hamish Reed
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The senior year of college is a big year for both students and student-athletes. The entire year is spent planning for the future and finding out how they are going to work in the field of their choice. Few get the opportunity that senior guard Bobby Horodyski has, as he is coached and mentored by a man he's been watching since he was a teenager.
Horodyski grew up in Gainesville and watched then-Florida assistant coach Donnie Jones help the Gators to national championships in 2006 and 2007. Jones became the head coach at Marshall in 2007 and in 2009 Horodyski walked on with the Thundering Herd. The rest has been history as Horodyski has learned and grown under Jones.
When Jones became the coach at UCF, Horodyski quickly transferred to join him. Horodyski would like to coach someday and he feels that with the help of Jones and the rest of the UCF coaching staff, he gets to be a sponge and absorb the information from the best.
"I couldn't ask to be learning from much of a better coaching staff. I mean everyone coaching is great and I can learn so much from each of them. Most have been to a Final Four and I can learn from all of those experiences. I just have to keep my eyes open and observe everything," Horodyski said.
Horodyski is already learning one of the key traits in being a coach: leadership. As one of only two seniors on the team, he has been looked to by his young teammates for guidance and he has been embracing it.
"I'm trying to lead both on and off the court; the great thing is that we have a great group behind us. Everyone is doing their part so that we don't really have to lead or tell people what to do. We have a great group of guys and everyone contributes," Horodyski said.