Juggling Like a Pro: Coach Mo Teaches the Art of Balance
Published: October 01, 2025
Author: Lydia Cahill
Photo by Dave Bell
Roy Mulholland (Coach Mo), women’s basketball coach, has been with Greenville University for 27 years. This year, he is taking on a new challenge: men’s golf. However, this fall at New Student Orientation, he was not teaching golf swings or shooting hoops — he was teaching time management by juggling.
As part of an innovative addition to NSO, incoming students had the opportunity to “Choose their Own Journey” at designated times of the day. A men’s soccer and women’s volleyball scrimmage, time at Durley Camp, and various student success workshops were all offered as part of the program.
Mulholland’s juggling tricks may seem like an unconventional way to prepare new students for college life, but his juggling had a deeper purpose.
“There's no way to learn to juggle without dropping the ball,” he says. “But if we fail and figure out why and move forward, that's just one step on the way to success…there's something about pushing through failure that ultimately leads us to be able to develop and grow.”
Juggling is not simply a party trick—it is an analogy for life. Each ball represents a key commitment in a student’s life. For Mulholland, his athletes usually have four balls: sports, academics, service, and faith. Eventually, they will “drop the ball,” but learning how to overcome falls is key to a lifetime of success.
In juggling, one must pay attention to each of the balls. Similarly, a student must devote time to all aspects of their life. Mulholland uses juggling as a teaching point to remind his players that they must devote the same attention to the classroom as they do on the court.
“An athlete would never show up late for practice. And if they do, there will be consequences. If they were going to be late, they would communicate…we want simple things like this to also apply to the classroom.”
To Mulholland, these life lessons are deeply personal. His father, Richard Mulholland, “could do so many things, and he taught [him] to be involved in more than just sports…he was a person of great wisdom.” Mulholland also credits his dad as the person who first showed him how to juggle.
However, Mulholland’s wisdom and love for Greenville did not just come from his father. His family has been attending and teaching here for generations. “My grandfather was the first golf coach here at Greenville University,” he said. Both his grandfather, Spencer, and his uncle, Royal, were professors at Greenville University. “My parents met here, and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, along with my brother and sister, attended Greenville.”
Mulholland hopes to have a similar impact on the lives of his players as his father and the university had on him.
“When I look at what has been accomplished in the relationships that have been built and lives that have been changed, it is amazing. It really is about what you see happening in the lives of students.”
Photo by Dave Bell
Beyond his juggling prowess and coaching skills, Mulholland has a greater goal. More than an eagle on the green or a buzzer-beater on the court, he has a bigger desire for his athletes.
“The players that I can point to, that have come to faith in Christ, that's an eternal win.”
At first glance, juggling may seem an odd way to teach life lessons. However, Mulholland’s workshop proved that having fun in the classroom and learning new approaches to life can go hand in hand.
Not only did students enjoy the spectacle of juggling, but they also learned that life itself is a juggling act. Showing the same dedication to all aspects of one’s life is key to ‘keeping the balls in the air.’ Students who learn from their mistakes become stronger in the process. Failure may be the quickest way to success.
With leaders like Mulholland, students are reminded that life’s juggling act is not done alone—faith and community keep the balls in the air.
