Athlete-turned-assistant coach Nate McGhee ’24, MBA ’26, whose collegiate volleyball dreams were once dashed, says EMU gave him a second chance to succeed
When Nate McGhee ’24, MBA ’26, arrived at EMU in the fall of 2020, it wasn’t his first time giving college the old college try. The marketing and business administration major, a key contributor to the Royals men’s volleyball team during his four seasons on the squad, had enrolled at Randolph-Macon College a couple years prior. But a string of personal hardships, combined with a lack of preparation and a limited support system, led him to flunk out after his first year.
He said the private liberal arts school, which competes with EMU in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), might have been a good fit had he applied himself more. But he hadn’t yet developed strong study habits and, as he struggled with self-doubt, he didn’t know how or where to ask for help.
“I was keeping it all to myself, which was probably the worst thing to do,” he said.
When he returned home to Newport News after being dismissed from the school, he felt lost.
“I was stuck,” McGhee said. “I was like, ‘OK, everything you worked for isn’t coming to fruition, so what are you going to do?’”
He took his first full-time job, bussing tables and working the raw bar at a seafood and oyster restaurant near his home, while attending night classes at Thomas Nelson Community College (now known as Virginia Peninsula Community College). Though he continued playing recreational volleyball to stay sharp, the former high school standout had all but given up on competing at the collegiate level.
During a trip to Richmond to cheer on his friends and former coaches at a volleyball tournament in early 2020, opportunity came knocking. Less than 10 minutes after arriving, McGhee felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Danielle Lickey, EMU’s head men’s volleyball coach at the time.
After hearing how his volleyball career had stalled, Lickey invited him to visit campus. “We could use someone like you,” he recalled her saying.
McGhee toured campus over spring break and quickly fell in love with its picturesque mountain setting and close-knit feel. “This is my second chance,” he remembered thinking. “I have to take it.”
That fall, he transferred to EMU as a sophomore. Over his four seasons with the Royals (2021-24), he ranks 11th all-time in career kills and earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023. In the summer of 2023, he represented the United States on a team in Italy.
“I thought volleyball was over for me, but that’s how I got back into it,” he said. “If she hadn’t tapped me on the shoulder that one day, I probably wouldn’t be here [at EMU] right now.”
Nate McGhee ranks 11th all-time in career kills over his four seasons with the EMU men’s volleyball team (2021-24). He earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023 and represented the United States on a team in Italy that summer.
Learning to lead
Off the volleyball court, McGhee found a firm footing in EMU’s classrooms and campus community. He earned a spot on the Dean’s List, an honor given to students with a semester GPA of at least 3.75. He grew more comfortable opening up to others on campus and seeking help when needed. He credited his advisor, Dr. Jim Leaman, associate professor of business, with helping keep him on track.
“I probably wouldn’t have graduated without him,” McGhee said. “He became a mentor to me and was with me every step of the way.”
He said his parents’ love and support also helped him persevere when times were tough.
“For a while, I felt like I was letting them down and failing at life,” he said. “But they told me it’s what you do after failing that makes it a failure. If you stay down and give up, then you’ve failed. But if you get up and learn from your mistakes, then the mistake is history.”
After graduating with a degree in business administration and marketing in spring 2024, McGhee stayed at EMU as a graduate assistant coach for head men’s volleyball coach Omar Hoyos Aliff while pursuing his MBA, which he completed this past spring.
McGhee plans to use his degrees to build a career in sports marketing. He’s applied for positions with professional athletic organizations such as League One Volleyball.
“That’s really what I have a passion for,” he said. “Eventually, maybe five years down the line, I would love to open my own business sponsoring athletes and getting them more exposure.”
While coaching was never a career path he considered as a player, his experience as a graduate assistant has shown him that he has a knack for it and genuinely enjoys it. “I like seeing player growth,” he said. “I look at volleyball as an art. You can always build on it and learn something new.”
McGhee said that multitasking, time management, and resilience are all skills he learned while at EMU. “I’ve definitely developed a lot of confidence in my craft,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence before I came here in anything I did, and at EMU I’ve learned how to lead with confidence.”
When the Royals men’s volleyball team traveled to Ashland in April for the 2026 ODAC Championship match against Randolph-Macon, it was a full-circle moment for McGhee. The Yellow Jackets ultimately prevailed in the hard-fought, four-set contest, but the match reminded him of the many times he had faced his former team, including a conference quarterfinal at Randolph-Macon during his senior year when the Royals swept the Yellow Jackets.
“That was unreal,” McGhee said. “Whenever I played games there, I always did poorly because I felt there was something hanging over me. But that game, and this last game we played, really showed me how much I’ve grown.”
Watch Nate talk about the close-knit community and support he found at EMU.
This story appears in the summer 2026 issue of Crossroads magazine.
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