New SLCC Men's Basketball assistant coach Rosbie Mutcherson.
Familiarity and comfort are two adjectives that are important in the coaching community.
Those words signify a working relationship that is already tangible and effective, meaning little time is spent on building camaraderie and more time is spent on leading student-athletes. It should come as no surprise then the Salt Lake Community College men's basketball program found an experienced coach with ties to new coach Kyle Taylor as he announced Friday that the Bruins have hired Rosbie Mutcherson to be an assistant coach.
Mutcherson, who played for Taylor when he was a coach with NCAA Division-III Covenant College, has a wide range of coaching experience, including working as an assistant last year with Northwest Florida State. He also has previously worked at Crown College and Adams State University in Colorado. In addition, Mutcherson has varied playing experience that includes playing overseas.
Taylor said the hiring of his former player will be a significant boost to the Bruins moving forward.
"I am thrilled to announce that Coach Rosbie Mutcherson will be joining our staff at Salt Lake as an assistant coach," he said. "Rosbie is a tremendous recruiter who is well-connected, outstanding at building relationships, and is a grinder. Coach Mutcherson has already helped us to upgrade our talent and gotten us in the mix with some of the best players in the country who need to go to junior colleges. We are very fortunate to have Rosbie join the Bruin basketball family.
"As a college coach, anytime you can hire a former player you respect it's a huge win. Rosbie played for me when I was the head coach at Covenant College, and we've maintained a close relationship since he graduated. I am very proud of what he has accomplished so far in his college coaching career and I am excited that we were able to land him at SLCC."
With a wide range of experience in his coaching tenure, Mutcherson will have a wide-ranging role with the Bruins. Specifically, he will coach the offense, help with post player development, recruiting, team travel, apparel, player housing and handle promotional elements such as opponent scouting reports and game planning. All three assistants - Brian Swindlehurst, Mutcherson, and Ricardo Rush - will create and assist with opponent scouting reports and game planning.
Mutcherson said he is excited about the opportunity in Salt Lake.
"Salt Lake Community College is a national power," he said. "Two national championships in the last 10 years told me everything I needed to know about the program and infrastructure here at Salt Lake. SLCC has so many things to offer student-athletes on-and-off the court that it did not take me very long to realize this place is special. I have known and respected Kyle Taylor for years, so it was really a win, win situation for me.
"I was lucky to learn and be part of two unbelievable years at Northwest Florida under Steve DeMeo; his track record at the junior college level speaks for itself. The opportunity to develop professionally, compete for national championships, and live in a bustling city is what drew me to SLCC. Like at Northwest, our staff is full of guys in it for the right reasons. Brian Swindlehurst and Ricardo Rush are workhorses and I can not wait to see what the year has in store for us."
Salt Lake finished the 2018-19 season with a 20-9 record and a mark of 7-5 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. The Bruins have won two national championships (2009 and 2016) and have won at least 20-games for 17 consecutive seasons.