SARASOTA, Fla. – Have you ever heard the saying that if you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen? Well, that idea played a major role in New England Revolution assistant coach Sean Hughes’ decision to join head coach Marko Mitrović and fellow assistant Michael Morris in New England.
“With anything in life, when you surround yourself with people, you kind of create your own world. I don’t want to call it destiny, but if you surround yourself with good people, it rubs off. So, for me, the chance to be with those guys every day and then work in such a good environment, it was a no brainer,” said Hughes.
Hughes arrives in New England after two seasons as associate head coach at the University of Michigan, where he helped guide the Wolverines to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. His résumé includes a decade of Division I coaching experience between Michigan and Marquette University, following earlier success at the Division II level. But it was his time with the United States U-20s that truly set this move in motion. Working alongside Mitrović and Morris, he found something special, and simply hoped that they’d one day receive an opportunity like this.
One week into on-field training with the team, it seems Hughes’ intuition was right. There is clearly something great that happens when this coaching staff comes together. Preaching intensity and togetherness, the preseason days in Florida have been an incredible balance of effort and joy.
For Hughes, the most exciting part so far has been getting to know the players beyond the pitch.
“It’s been nice to learn about the players as people, not just soccer players. Before we arrive, we’re not naïve. We’ve watched enough of the games to know what the profile of the player is, but you don’t always get to know the human,” Hughes explained. “To get to know more about them as people, for me, has been the best part.”
Born in Blackburn, England, Hughes grew up surrounded by soccer.
“I think within one hour from my house there’s probably like six to eight Premier League teams at any point, so you’re just always around it. It’s our national sport. Everybody plays through school, it just becomes part of your identity really,” he explained.
His father, who never played himself, fueled that love of the game. Hughes jokes that his dad might love soccer even more than he does. Anytime his dad’s name pops up on his phone, he knows the conversation will probably start with soccer.
As a kid, Hughes always knew he wanted to stay close to the game for as long as he could. Among his friends, he was always the one taking soccer to the next level – not just playing, but really thinking about the sport on an analytical level.
“It’s all I’ve ever known. So, it was just natural for me that once I finished playing, I figured out how to stay involved in something I loved that much,” explained Hughes, who spent time as a player in the youth systems of Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Preston North End, and Bury FC. “I realized I wanted to coach. I think being around sporting environments, there’s just always something that gets you out of bed in the morning. Every day I am excited that I get to go to work and do something I really love doing.”
That energy is contagious, and it’s already spreading through the Revolution locker room. Like Hughes, players and staff have arrived each day of preseason eager to work, building on the foundation they’ve already begun to lay. When the team returns to Foxborough, Hughes will be focused on a different kind of foundation, as he and his family search for the neighborhood they’ll call home.
“I’m just excited to come to work and enjoy the environment and obviously compete. When everything is stripped back, we’re all competitors. We all want to put our best foot forward. Our ambition is not to come and just be nice people; we want to win. We just think you can do both,” he said.
