NHTI Athletic Director Paul Hogan Honored with James W. Desmarais Award

MANCHESTER, N.H. – NHTI Lynx Athletic Director Paul Hogan was honored by the New Hampshire Union Leader’s Board of Judges to be the second recipient of the James W. Desmarais Award given to a New Hampshire resident deserving special recognition who has dedicated their lives to help others achieve their goals in the sports community at any level.

A great example of some of the outstanding work by Coach Hogan has been his work with summer youth basketball camps for over 35 years and has been a coach and administrator at the middle school, high school and college levels. His career has led him to the middle school and high school in Laconia as a teacher and coach of basketball and baseball. 

“From the time I met him, back in the 80’s at Woodland Heights School in Laconia, Paul has been a positive force for young people. His relentless pursuit of developing programs and opportunities has been contagious throughout New Hampshire,” said former Superintendent of schools in Laconia Bob Champlin. “His legacy includes the incredible number of people he has mentored and how he has helped them achieve their dreams and aspirations. He is a model for shared leadership and collaboration using sports as his platform.” Added Bob. 

“It is very fitting for Paul Hogan to be the first recipient of the New Hampshire Union Leader James W. Desmarais Special Recognition, other than Jim Desmarais,” said Peter Cofran, from Newfound school district and a judge on the board for the Union Leader. 

The Desmarais-Hogan connection goes back to Paul's senior year in high school where Jim Desmarais became the principal at Plymouth High School during Paul's senior year. Desmarais has continued to be a key mentor and friend over the years helping Hogan with career and professional decisions. It is only fitting that Hogan receives an award with James Desmarais name attached.

Hogan has been an active leader working with many different groups over the years including the NH Athletic Directors, Alhambra Basketball Classic, the NHIAA, sport officiating and coaching associations. His efforts to host high school jamborees in sports such as volleyball and soccer have exposed NHTI as a premier spot for athletics. The annual State CYO tourney and NHBCO events are two other events annually held on the Concord Campus. In 2007, NHTI began hosting the four original member schools in the Concord Area Holiday Basketball Tourney which expanded to eight schools in 2010. 

Paul has spent the past 40 years devoting himself to the betterment of NH youth and athletics. Thousands of boys and girls have been to his Hogan Camps; many professionals have taken part in one of his coaching clinics or heard a presentation at the NHAHPERD conference in Waterville Valley. Hogan is known for community outreach and his well-known NH connections have assisted with the overall growth of NHTI Athletics to one of the top two year schools in New England and beyond. He is constantly promoting NHTI academically and athletically around the region attracting some of the best student-athletes to NH for all the Lynx athletic teams. 

Paul has contacts all around the country that he has worked to develop so that his NHTI students can have wonderful internship experiences. He serves as the advisor for the Sports Management program club and department helping NHTI have one of the top programs in the region. Many of the NHTI students have moved after graduation to pursue advanced degrees and professions in the world of sports. Field trips like the US Tennis Open and Citi Field last fall are prime examples of the real life learning situations created by Hogan who also serves as an adjunct professor for Plymouth State and other New England colleges.   

In 2005, Hogan's basketball team captured the USCAA National title. This year's team just finished the regular season with a 24-4 overall record and their third straight regular season title. The playoffs begin on Saturday with an opponent to be determined. Hogan is moving closer to 600 career college wins (Plymouth St. & NHTI) and continues to be recognized as a top coach across the country. In 2018, he was recognized as the USCAA and YSCC coach of the year.

*Article Courtesy of NHTI Athletic Department