April 22, 2013
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF fans who watched Bobby Horodyski instruct and motivate on the bench during games the last two years saw a player who looked like a coach. The guard joined head coach Donnie Jones in huddles with UCF's starters, hollered to inform teammates of screens on the defensive end and politely lobbied to officials for calls.
Since his elementary school days, Horodyski knew that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Bob, and eventually become a basketball coach. After receiving his bachelor's degree in finance later this spring, Horodyski hopes to begin a career in coaching that has been nearly a decade in the making.
"I think I knew that I wanted to coach pretty early, probably back in eighth or ninth grade," he said. "Around that time, I knew that I wasn't going to be playing in the NBA, but I love the game of basketball so much that I could see myself around the sport for the rest of my life. That's when I knew I wanted to coach."
The long-time head coach at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Bob had the biggest influence on his son's career choice. Horodsyki played for his father for four years during high school, but was hanging around the gym at an earlier age.
"As a little kid I was pushing the ball rack around the gym and rebounding before and after practice. My dad and growing up around the game had the largest impact on my decision," he said.
At UCF, Horodyski's coaching education continued. The guard spent much of his time watching film and learning coaching philosophies from Jones and his assistants.
"Bobby will be a great coach in the future," Jones said. "He has a great knowledge and passion for the game and that will take him a long way. His father is one of the most respected coaches in Florida and Bob has been a great example for Bobby to follow."
Unlike players like Keith Clanton and Isaiah Sykes, Horodyski's contributions to the Knights went mostly unnoticed to UCF supporters. But for Jones and members of the team, Horodyski was a huge part of the program's success and impressive victories the last two years. His role as the point guard on the scout team helped prepare the Knights for each contest and his expertise on the bench during games was invaluable.
"My goal each and every game is to contribute from the bench. I spend a lot of time in the first half when our defense is by our bench trying to tell them what the other team is doing. I'm on the scout team, so I know what their plays are," Horodyski said near the end of his senior campaign. "I can help my teammates get through a screen or know a back door is coming. Maybe if I can make a two-point influence in the game without even playing, that can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing."
With a mindset like that, Horodyski is already thinking like a head coach, and seems ready to continue the family business.
This story appears in the March issue of Knights Insider magazine. The publication, which is published six times per year, provides an inside look at UCF student-athletes, coaches and alums. To order the magazine,