Mooney’s moment

Coach Mooney probably wouldn’t like this story, but the first time I ever saw a Richmond Spiders game, I was at Niagara [before transferring to Richmond]. We’d just gotten knocked out of our conference tournament. We were watching the A-10 tournament, Charlotte vs. Richmond, and the whole thing went down with the technical fouls and foul shots. [Editor’s note: Richmond received three technical fouls in the final 4.7 seconds of the game.] My first impression of Mooney was, “Wow, this guy really wants to win.” 

Being able to play under Coach Mooney and be a sponge around him has been one of the greatest things I’ve gotten to do in my career. He has so much passion because he takes his job and this school so seriously. 

He takes tremendous pride in how we do things, how we conduct ourselves, and how we play the game — not only on the court, but in life off the court, too. One thing he always said — “Never get too high, never get too low” — has always stuck with me. Through the good times, stay humble. Through the bad times, stay confident.

 The No. 1 thing he always talked about was just be a good teammate. Be a good teammate by telling your teammates what they need to hear. Be a good teammate by holding them accountable. Be a good teammate by making sure that they’re making the right choices the night before games. If they’re down, can you pick them up? As I’ve gotten to play around the world, that’s been a real life lesson that I’ve taken with me. 

I’ve told him the impact that he’s had on my career and my life. I have always said that Coach Mooney has been one of the three most influential people I’ve ever met. He changed my life. People can feel when you’re being fake and when you’re being real. And I don’t think anybody’s more real than Coach Mooney.

T.J. Cline, ’17, transferred to Richmond as a sophomore. Since graduation, he has played professionally in the United States, Spain, Italy, and most recently, Israel. In November, he was inducted into UR’s Athletics Hall of Fame.