Inductees

In sports, you never know when your number is going to get called. Even for coaches.

In 1980, Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City hired a 1976 graduate to be a freshman football coach and assistant varsity basketball coach, with the baseball coach later asking him to volunteer in the spring.

Denny Hughes was in the right spot at the right time. That summer, still only 22 years old, he was offered the job of coaching baseball after the previous coach left education altogether.

That kick-started a life coaching the game, and Hughes made a tremendous impact for more than 30 years. That’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct him with the Class of 2024.

Hughes coached his alma mater for eight seasons and was 137-38, with his 1987, 1988 and 1989 teams winning Class 3 state championships. At one point, they held a state record with 55 consecutive wins. He also won seven conference titles, seven district titles and had four total Final Fours – with the 1986 team placing third.

He later coached Westminster College from 2012 to 2019, with a record of 169-118. That included seven postseason appearances, one conference championship and a conference Coach of the Year honor in 2013.

His career includes coaching the 2011 American Legion Post 5 team to a state runner-up and 26-7 record. He also launched a youth baseball program in 1995 – he coached it for six years – before coaching USSSA baseball teams from 1996 to 2006.

But it all started at Helias Catholic, especially ahead of the fall of 1981, with Hughes not much older than the players themselves.

In high school, he had played basketball and baseball. He was All-State in basketball as a senior, when he earned his second all-conference and second all-district honor. He helped both teams to conference titles. In fact, he was among the nine Hughes siblings to be a Helias student between 1966 and 1986, and played in Helias’ first ever varsity baseball game in 1975.

“I never gave it much thought,” Hughes said of how he established himself. “Possibly the fact that I played basketball and baseball at Helias when I was a student gave me some credibility. I coached some of the ‘baseball players to be’ for two seasons during football and basketball, so they saw my coaching style. Also, I think the season that I volunteered as a baseball coach helped me establish some credibility with our players.”

Hughes’ teams played small ball in the image of St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog (MSHOF Legend 2008).

“I’ve always been big on having structured practices that highlighted fundamentals,” Hughes said. “And, probably most importantly, I had some good kids and outstanding leaders who wanted to be the best they could be, and we had parents who were very supportive.”

Hughes’ practices were structured to the point that he broke down pitching, defense and offense into phases and then drilled on those phases.

Call it a labor of love for Hughes, who spent the 1960s and 1970s playing outdoors.

“During the school year (after we walked home from school), we would get together with neighborhood kids before supper and play some sort of sport,” Hughes said.

Hughes worked in administration at Helias from 1994 to 2006, spending the mid-1990s on into the mid-2000s coaching his sons. The youth baseball program he founded in Jefferson City initially had 144 players and grew to 288 in a couple of years.

Then, in 2012, a call came in from a supporter of Westminster College’s baseball team in nearby Fulton.

Perhaps it was no surprise that his teams there found success, too.

“It was a great experience,” Hughes said. “I had the opportunity to coach so many great young men.”

Hughes adapted to the times, watching YouTube videos of baseball instruction. He also recognized the way players needed coaching differently than those from his 1980s teams.

“I think having my own kids and just growing as a person can change your perspective on the way you handle some things,” Hughes said.

Fortunately, he always had the support of his wife, Carole, and their sons Dane, Dant and Deion.

“I absolutely loved coaching baseball,” Hughes said. “I’ve been blessed to have been given the opportunity to coach baseball at almost every level. It was such as a wonderful and rewarding experience for me. … I’ve made so many outstanding people along the way. I will be forever grateful.”