G O , B U L L DO G S !
From college to a career Nick McDevitt Leads the Bulldogs as Men’s Basketball Head Coach It’s been a big year for Nick McDevitt ’01. The new Bulldogs head men’s basketball coach earned that position last April. He did that while leading the team after former coach Eddie Biedenbach resigned after 19 years. And oh yes, he also got married. He will quickly tell you that getting married is the most important thing that’s happened in his life so far this year— and that’s indicative of his core values. For Coach McDevitt, faith and family come first, but make no mistake, this coach will win many games—he’s got his eye set on another Big South Conference championship. However, he’s equally focused on helping his young men grow and learn.
“A lot of people have dream jobs, and this is his dream, the job he wanted. It’s nice to see it work out.” —Mike Gore, Associate Athletics Director
“To me, our biggest win comes on graduation day, seeing our seniors get their degrees,” he said. “As important, we want to foster all our team members, helping them mature into fine men through the game of basketball.”
He knows that process well, having started as a student-athlete at UNC Asheville before graduating into his coaching role.
Practice and Progress Director of Athletics Janet Cone has known McDevitt for many years. When she was coaching basketball at Mars
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UNC ASHEVILLE MAGAZINE
By Melissa Stanz
Hill College, she watched his progress as a high school athlete, and as a UNC Asheville basketball team member. “He is a man of great integrity, with a great, supportive family,” she explained. “As a servant leader he does what he needs to help others. When he speaks publicly, he begins by talking about the university, then the athletics department, the men’s basketball program, and then, reluctantly, himself. It’s never about him, it’s about us, the university.” Longtime UNC Asheville Associate Athletics Director Mike Gore also has known McDevitt many years. He remembers being one of McDevitt’s camp counselors at the UNC Asheville basketball camp. “It’s been fun watching Nick grow into this job,” he said. “He was always well mannered and classy, and he still is. A lot of people have dream jobs, and this is his dream, the job he wanted. It’s nice to see it work out.”
Coaching Legacy Coach McDevitt grew up in Marshall, N.C., only 30 minutes from Asheville. He played basketball, baseball and football until high school when basketball became his focus. He had a lot of family help— from his dad, Wayne McDevitt (former chief of staff for Gov. James B. Hunt), to his uncle Ricky McDevitt, who coached the girl’s varsity team at Madison County High School at that time.