Tip-Off Dinner guest speaker Frank McLaughlin of Fordham University with his nephew Michael McLaughlin ’90, a former Charger basketball player and current Dominican College Trustee.
As the 2018-2019 basketball season was about to get underway, Charger athletes were told that their character was their most important possession. They were encouraged to have discipline and stay focused. The words of wisdom came from special guest speaker Frank McLaughlin at the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tip-Off Dinner on October 25, 2018.
Mc Laughlin is a member of the ECAC Hall of Fame and New England Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a standout basketball athlete at Fordham University and was drafted by the New York Knicks. His coaching career included serving as assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame and head coach at Harvard University. McLaughlin then returned to Fordham to take over as athletic director. In 2012, he was promoted to associate vice president of student affairs for athletic alumni relations at Fordham – a position he still holds.
“Winning is extremely important. You are getting ready to start the season. You’ve got to understand that winning is important. I get that because I’m from Fordham and Vince Lombardi was a Fordham man and there was nothing more important than winning – except winning the right way,” said McLaughlin. “I think you’ve got to remember that as the season starts. Lombardi always preached to his team that it was God, country, family, and then team.”
Trustee and former Charger basketball player Michael McLaughlin ’90 explained that the idea behind the Tip-Off Dinner is to energize the players and have speakers that give insight into what made them successful. He described his uncle Frank McLaughlin as an incredible human being. “Were’ trying to give you guys role models, not just on the court, but off the court,” he said.
The Tip-Off Dinner was held at the Casa Mia House in Blauvelt, NY.