NMHU head coach, cancer survivor teams up with Albuquerque nonprofit

LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The head coach at New Mexico Highlands is a survivor of cancer. He is sharing his story as he gets ready to kick off the season.

“Around 2016 found out that I had renal cancer and so I had my right kidney removed,” said Ron Hudson. 

After several procedures and a long road of healing, coach Hudson made a full recovery. For the next five years, he coached around the country – landing at New Mexico Highlands in 2021.

In January, he was promoted to head coach giving him his first chance to lead a program after almost 30 years of coaching

“Promise you half a dozen times, I’m praying, I’m going, ‘God, maybe this is it, maybe this is you getting ready to call me home,’ and it wasn’t, it was him saying, you know, there’s something in your body, we’re gonna make sure you’re taken care of, and I got plans for you – I’m not done with you yet,” Hudson said. “It’s giving me a chance to impact a lot of people and that’s what I want to do with it. I wanna impact the lives of the young men that are in our program.”  

As he gets ready for the season opener, Hudson is teaming up with Pink Warrior House, a nonprofit in Albuquerque that supports women fighting breast cancer.

“We got together and we decided we’re going to do a women’s clinic. This is something near and dear to my heart, it’s been important to me for a long time. I’m grateful that Highlands University has hired me as head coach and I get a chance to do this, and I’m grateful to Pink Warrior House is working with us,” said Hudson.

The women’s clinic is happening Sept. 11 in Albuquerque.