Cody Moffett’s Love Affair with Basketball
For Poughkeepsie High School boys varsity basketball coach Cody Moffett, basketball is more than just a game. It’s an essential part of his life that has helped shape him into the man he is today.
His love for the game goes back to when he was three years old watching basketball in front of the television. Many years later, Moffett began to take interest in coaching the game he loved, although his path to roaming the benches on the hardwood was rather unnatural.
It all started when he watched his future wife’s college team play in their conference championship game. She was a senior at Manhattanville College; Moffett had graduated the year before.
He went to see both the men’s and women’s teams play in their respective conference championship games. “In my head, I’m thinking they should do this. They should try that, maybe you make this adjustment,” said Moffett. He was coaching from the stands; once he realized this, he reached out to his college coach Patrick Scanlon asking if he could come in and help out in some way, and from there, his coaching journey started to get rolling.
He worked at his alma mater for two years, one as a volunteer and one as a graduate assistant. He learned a lot during that time, but was also exploring the idea of becoming a referee. But, just before he got started, a junior varsity coaching job at Briarcliff High School became available.
Moffett decided to take it.
Despite his eagerness to get into coaching, his first year on the job was a reality check. “My first year as a JV coach, I overcoached,” said Moffett. “I did way too much. The second year, I said, What did I like as a player? What are some of the things that I liked when I played the game? And I tried to coach our guys to that mindset.”
Two years later, Moffett was promoted to the varsity head coach.
In five seasons, Moffett was quite successful. He finished with a record of 88–29, and had won two Section 1, Class A titles. His fifth season was capped off with a trip to the State Final Four, but it would be his last with Briarcliff. It was time for a change of scenery.
Moffett became the head coach at Poughkeepsie High School the following season, citing the inner city environment as one of the main reasons for leaving Briarcliff.
His first five seasons at Poughkeepsie have mirrored his past success, with a record of 71–22, winning 76% of his games. For Moffett, the most rewarding aspect of his job has been seeing his past players have success playing at the college level.
“Here, I’m helping send kids to college, helping them change their life. For me, that’s a big deal,” said Moffett. “Kids don’t care about how much basketball you know until they know that you care about them.”
Despite being a high school coach for a decade, Moffett hopes to one day coach at the college level. Although he says that he thinks he may only coach for a “few more years,” the right opportunity could give his career new life.
“Coaching is just something that I love to do,” said Moffett. “And it’s kind of who I am.”
