WINTER HAVEN – Before David O'Callaghan's father Jim passed away in August 2023, he told his son that they both knew it was time for him to take the next step in his basketball coaching career.
Those words stuck with O'Callaghan. That next step will be at Polk State College.
"I am excited to add 'OC' to the staff," Polk State Head Basketball Coach Brandon Giles said. "Our most successful seasons have come when we've had three to four coaches on staff. Dave brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game that will be beneficial to the growth of our program."
O'Callaghan began his tenure as an assistant coach for Polk State Basketball this summer. He arrived with about a decade of coaching experience, including the last six at McKeel Academy in Lakeland – the last four as head coach.
"I gave myself 10 years of high school coaching experience to really learn the game and understand how to run practice and the ins and outs," O'Callaghan said. "My long-term goal is to make it to (NCAA) Division I. I'm grateful to Coach Giles for giving me this opportunity."
A native of Plant City and a 2009 graduate of Plant City High School, O'Callaghan earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of South Florida. He began coaching middle school girls and has since worked his way up through the ranks.
"My dad played football, and my brother played baseball," O'Callaghan explained. "Basketball was a sport where I could create my own name. Unlike other sports, you have to play both ends of the court; you have to play offense, and you have to play defense."
Although preseason coaching changes kept O'Callaghan from starting the season on staff, he briefly spent time at Southeastern University, an NAIA program in Lakeland. There, he met some of the men he considers mentors, including former head coaches R-Jay Barsh and Randy Lee and development specialist Shawn Faust. He also mentioned current Florida Southern College Head Coach Mike Donnelly.
"I remember walking into Coach Barsh's office with a pen and paper," O'Callaghan recalled. "I didn't write anything down. Instead, he taught me about having the personality and passion for this and making connections. He's the one who helped me make this jump.
"Mike Donnelly is my Xs and Os guy," he continued. "He expanded my knowledge of the game. Randy Lee has guided me as a mentor. I've always consulted him. Shawn Faust taught me how to train higher-level basketball players."
O'Callaghan first came to Polk County after taking an accounting job at Lockheed Martin after graduating college in 2013. To create a more flexible schedule for himself that allows him to invest more time in coaching, O'Callaghan founded Maintenance Shield – a subscription-based home services and remodeling company.
"When I started working for Coach Barsh, I was an accountant at Lockheed Martin," O'Callaghan noted. "If I wanted to be serious about coaching, I knew I couldn't stick with accounting. In January, I went full-time into my company."
O'Callaghan and his wife of seven years, Hannah, have a 3-year-old son named Nolan and twin girls on the way. In addition to coaching, O'Callaghan has also been involved in the ministry as a pastor, youth pastor, and church sports director. Each week, he invites Polk State athletes to join him at Access Church in Lakeland.
"One of my favorite experiences at Polk State so far has been having athletes join us for church on Sunday," he added. "We have a big meal at my house afterwards. It's been nice to get to know our basketball and volleyball players outside of sports. That Sunday group is my ministry now."
With his addition, O'Callaghan becomes the fourth member of the Polk State staff. He joins Giles, fellow assistant Josh Jackson, and Team Manager Johnny Shaw.
"I want to make an impact and help Coach Giles continue to build a program that recruits high-level players," he concluded. "I want to help Coach Giles win a championship here and help players go D-I and expand their careers."
