He was a standout player at the University of Notre Dame where he was a member of the undefeated 1953 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team under head coach Frank Leahy.
[1][2] McHugh served as the head football coach at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio from 1978 to 1982, compiling a record of 18–27.
[3] He served as the head baseball coach at Kenyon from 1968 to 1983.
[4] McHugh was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1954 NFL draft.
[5] As a high school coach at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio, McHugh coached future Michigan State and National Football League (NFL) star Bubba Smith.