{"id":61733,"date":"2026-06-04T14:54:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=61733"},"modified":"2026-06-04T14:54:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:54:21","slug":"finding-his-footing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/finding-his-footing\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding his footing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Athlete-turned-assistant coach Nate McGhee \u201924, MBA \u201926, whose collegiate volleyball dreams were once dashed, says EMU gave him a second chance to succeed<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Nate McGhee \u201924, MBA \u201926<\/strong>, arrived at EMU in the fall of 2020, it wasn\u2019t his first time giving college the old college try. The marketing and business administration major, a key contributor to the Royals men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t yet developed strong study habits and, as he struggled with self-doubt, he didn\u2019t know how or where to ask for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was keeping it all to myself, which was probably the worst thing to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he returned home to Newport News after being dismissed from the school, he felt lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was stuck,\u201d McGhee said. \u201cI was like, \u2018OK, everything you worked for isn\u2019t coming to fruition, so what are you going to do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong>, EMU’s head men’s volleyball coach at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hearing how his volleyball career had stalled, Lickey invited him to visit campus. \u201cWe could use someone like you,\u201d he recalled her saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee toured campus over spring break and quickly fell in love with its picturesque mountain setting and close-knit feel. \u201cThis is my second chance,\u201d he remembered thinking. \u201cI have to take it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That fall, he transferred to EMU as a sophomore. Over his four seasons with the Royals<\/a> (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought volleyball was over for me, but that\u2019s how I got back into it,\u201d he said. \u201cIf she hadn\u2019t tapped me on the shoulder that one day, I probably wouldn\u2019t be here [at EMU] right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nate McGhee ranks 11th all-time in career kills over his four seasons with the EMU men\u2019s 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learning to lead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Off the volleyball court, McGhee found a firm footing in EMU\u2019s classrooms and campus community. He earned a spot on the Dean\u2019s 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<\/strong>, associate professor of business, with helping keep him on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI probably wouldn\u2019t have graduated without him,\u201d McGhee said. \u201cHe became a mentor to me and was with me every step of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said his parents\u2019 love and support also helped him persevere when times were tough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a while, I felt like I was letting them down and failing at life,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they told me it\u2019s what you do after failing that makes it a failure. If you stay down and give up, then you\u2019ve failed. But if you get up and learn from your mistakes, then the mistake is history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s volleyball coach Omar Hoyos Aliff<\/strong> while pursuing his MBA, which he completed this past spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee plans to use his degrees to build a career in sports marketing. He\u2019s applied for positions with professional athletic organizations such as League One Volleyball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s really what I have a passion for,\u201d he said. \u201cEventually, maybe five years down the line, I would love to open my own business sponsoring athletes and getting them more exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u201cI like seeing player growth,\u201d he said. \u201cI look at volleyball as an art. You can always build on it and learn something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee said that multitasking, time management, and resilience are all skills he learned while at EMU. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely developed a lot of confidence in my craft,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t have a lot of confidence before I came here in anything I did, and at EMU I\u2019ve learned how to lead with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Royals men\u2019s 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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was unreal,\u201d McGhee said. \u201cWhenever 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\u2019ve grown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Watch Nate talk about the close-knit community and support he found at EMU.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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