Beyond The Whistle

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with Matt Johnson, Director of Men’s Basketball Strength and Conditioning at Butler University. Matt and I discuss: The role of the strength and conditioning coach during the COVID-19 pandemic Using Instagram to connect with athletes during this time The focus on coaching player’s lifestyle - sleep and nutrition Coach LaVall Jordan’s leadership during crisis Breakdowns create breakthroughs Tough times reveal the mindset of elite athletes - resilience in body and mind His career journey - be ready when you get the call “The big time is not a place. It’s the state of your heart.” The importance of the interviews AFTER you get the job How his position, being dedicated to one sport, allows him to play a role to skill development, game planning, practice planning and recruiting Causing adaptation and absorbing adaptation Why coaches need their strength and conditioning coach on speed dial The leadership of Ralph Reiff at Butler Progression - The key to a successful return

We're going Beyond The Whistle with the first Coaches Roundtable. Our roundtablers are Kevin Sutton, Assistant Coach at Rhode Island and Randolph Childress, Associate Head Coach at Wake Forest. This was the most fun I have had as a podcaster. It's a conversation amongst friends about our high school coach, mentorship, fatherhood, leadership, COVID-19 (of course) and more. Kevin, Randolph and I discuss: How Randolph ended the season in a sling and how he's doing now Lessons from our high school coach, Stu Vetter Kevin coaching Randolph in high school How Randolph was Steph Curry before Steph Curry The lost art of players understanding how to play without the ball Coach Vetter's coaching tree Randolph's experience recruiting and coaching his son, Brandon Childress The importance of keeping relationships simple and consistent How Kevin and Randolph's teams responded to the cancellation of basketball due to COVID-19 How they are spending this time with family, their teams and time w

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with George Lynch. I go back with George all the way to high school, where we both played for legendary coach Stu Vetter and nationally ranked teams at Flint Hill School in Virginia. George was a member of the 1993 University of North Carolina NCAA national championship team. George played 12 years in the NBA, and his coaching career includes serving as an assistant at UC Irvine, Southern Methodist University and the G-League's Grand Rapids Drive. Most recently, George served as head coach at Clark Atlanta University. Along George's basketball journey, he has played for and coached with some of the greatest minds in the game. From his high school coaches - coach Vetter at Flint Hill and Woody Deans at Patrick Henry in Roanoke, Virginia, to Dean Smith at UNC and Larry Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers and at SMU. He's also committed to improving the educational experiences of student-athletes at HBCU schools through his newest venture, HBCU Heroes. Georg

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with Dan Tudor of Tudor Collegiate Strategies. Dan and his firm develop research-based recruiting strategies for programs in all sports, at all levels of collegiate athletics. Dan joins me for a third appearance on the podcast to discuss: Challenges coaches first faced recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fundraising and budget concerns athletic directors have during this time. The mindset of recruits now without campus visits and evaluation events. How recruiting has been like "buying toilet paper". Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on an already growing transfer portal. How to stand out in recruiting by crafting your recruiting story. Taking advantage of this time to get better in your recruiting. You can also hear more from Dan on Episode 009: Take Control of Your Recruiting Process and Episode 013: The Campus Visit. Connect with Dan Tudor Website: Tudor Collegiate Strategies Podcast: The College Recruiting Weekly Podcast Twitter: @dantudor Connect with

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with Kyle Adams, Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff. Kyle also has his own consulting firm, It's Bigger Than The Ball, where Kyle works with coaches, educators and organizations to provide transformative learning experiences for the next generation of leaders. During our conversation, Kyle and I discuss: My high school days playing in Pine Bluff's King Cotton Holiday Classic high school basketball tournament, which has come back after being dormant for many years. Kyle and his team's experience learning about the cancellation of remaining conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament due to COVID-19. How their program is working as a staff, communicating with their players and recruiting during the pandemic. How his transition from coaching men to coaching women helped him grow as a man. The difference between a "transactional" coach and a "transformational" coach. Building a team

I'm back! It's been over a year since I last recorded an episode. I was already planning to record today (January 26th, 2020) when the world was struck by the news of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. My plan was to explain how life had gotten in the way the past year and reasons why I had not published an episode. But in thinking about Kobe, I couldn't do that. There was no better example than Kobe of work ethic, winning habits, passion and preparation. So I'm not going to share excuses. So this episode is not about the past. Not about reasons why I haven't done something. On this day, this episode is about my commitment to you, my listener, and what to expect going forward.  

Have you thought about having your own podcast? This episode of Beyond The Whistle is all about the power a podcast of your own can have as the foundation of your personal brand. With a podcast, you have your own coach’s show. Think about that. Regardless of where you are in your coaching career or the level of your program, you can create a platform to share your personal story, who you are and what you are about, with an audience of fans, recruits, parents, other coaches and even administrators. You no longer have to be a head coach of a Power Five program, with a media contract, to have your own coach’s show. And if you are, you can go deeper with your audience to share who you are beyond the Xs and Os. My tagline for this show! For this episode, I’m proud and honored to have as my guest, Jerod Morris. When I had the idea of starting this podcast, I listened to all of the “podcasts about podcasting” out there. There are plenty and I still listen to some. One show that was impactful for me in the beginning,

Personal brand. What does that mean to you? What's the value of having a personal brand? Have you struggled to create your personal brand?  Ron McKeefery is an internationally recognized leader in strength and conditioning coaching. Currently the Vice President of Performance and Education for PLAE, a leader in sports and performance flooring, Ron served as strength coach at the collegiate and professional level. Ron has worked with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL and Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals on the professional level. Collegiately, Ron has served as strength coach at Eastern Michigan University, University of Tennessee and University of South Florida. Ron has been successful in creating a personal brand for himself that has served as the foundation for a book, podcast, speaking engagements and coaching and consulting to Olympic and national teams across the globe. In this episode Ron McKeefery shares: The moment in his career when he realized, as a coac

I'm honored to have as a return guest to Beyond The Whistle, my friend Kevin Sutton, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at the University of Rhode Island. Kevin was my very first interview guest, appearing in episode two, "Persistence on the Coaching Career Path". In that episode, Kevin shared his career journey and how he has woven a path from coaching at two nationally ranked high school programs, to a college coaching career in the Atlantic 10, Big East and ACC. In some ways, this episode became an unplanned follow up to episode two. Last season at Pitt, Kevin experienced a season no one wishes to have. An 8-24 overall record and winless season in the ACC led to the dismissal of coach Kevin Stallings and the entire Pitt staff, including Kevin. In this episode, Kevin openly shares: His excitement for the opportunity to join the staff of Rhode Island first year head coach David Cox The professional and personal lessons he took away from an 8-24 season What a "WIN" means to him in

It was a personal honor to have as my guest on this episode, Tom McMillen, President and CEO of Lead1 Association. As a kid growing up in Washington, DC, I had two dreams: 1) to play in the NBA and 2) to be President of the United States. I like to think I came a little close, having played basketball in college, worked for a U.S. Congressman and spent time as an NBA agent. At least that's what I tell myself. Having those dreams, and living in DC, Tom was someone I followed closely. Tom was an All-American at the University of Maryland, where he also became the school's first Rhodes Scholar. I got to watch his 11 year NBA career, especially his three seasons with the then Washington Bullets. I also followed closely Tom's three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented the 4th District of Maryland. Tom's career journey was what I aspired for myself as a young man. Today, Tom McMillen is President and CEO of Lead1 Association. Lead1 is a membership organization of coll

One of my goals with the podcast is to bring coaches tools, resources and stories from other coaches that you can use in your own professional development. This episode of Beyond The Whistle accomplishes just that. In this impactful episode with Khadija Head, Associate Head Coach of women’s basketball at Kennesaw State, we discuss: The importance of mentors in your coaching career The power of your personal brand Her three years away from coaching Entrepreneurship and the experience of starting her own Internet marketing business Discovering interests outside of coaching Getting back into coaching with her head coach and mentor, Kennesaw State Head Coach Agnus Berenato Defining what a “win” is in your personal career and making it your own definition of success The morning miracle Starting each day with a personal “win” Making time for yourself and personal development How she became a journaler Why she created the Quarterly Career Journal Books and podcasts she reads and listens to and recommends for you K

I have a confession to make. I am the last person to subscribe to Netflix (at least it feels that way). I was getting ready for a family spring break trip. When traveling with our son, the question at night is always, "what are we going to do?". Not wanting to spend the exorbitant cost of pay-per-view movies at the hotel, I decided it was time to sign up for Netflix. So, I took advantage of the first month free offer and downloaded Netflix to my Amazon Fire TV Stick. Now, packing and preparing for our trip included adding some movies and shows to my watch list. One of the Netflix shows I had heard so much about and the first I had to watch was Last Chance U. As you probably know (it also feels like I'm the last person to watch it), Last Chance U is a Netflix docudrama about the football program at East Mississippi Community College. The program has been built around being a landing spot for many players who have been dismissed from Power Five programs, usually for academics or disciplinary reas

In part one of Take Control of Your Recruiting Process with Dan Tudor, we discussed what prospects are looking for in communications from you and how you can take control of the recruiting process in a way that helps guide your prospects to a decision. In this episode, Part Two with Dan, we discuss the campus visit phase of recruiting. What does your campus visit look like? How do you know if a visit is the next step your prospect is ready for? Listen and learn how to make your campus visit stand out and leaves your prospects ready to commit. Points we discuss The two things prospects are looking for to decide if to visit your campus The common mistake of recruiting to "features and stats" of your campus and program Don't try to "out stuff" other programs - it's not what your prospects are looking for How to personalize recruiting days to make each prospect feel unique and wanted Closing the deal on the campus visit Mentions in this episode Beyond The Whistle 009: Take Control

I first met Romone Penny at the barbershop we both go to here in Washington, DC. At the time, Romone was a senior on the American University basketball team. His team had just come off an appearance in the 2008 NCAA tournament and Romone was doing great work giving back to his community in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating from American, Romone joined the global accounting firm Ernst & Young. Fast forward ten years (yes, hard to believe). Romone now heads Pursuit Sports Group, a strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Pursuit Sports Group focuses on financial education and planning, reputation management and business development for professional athletes, teams, sports leagues and organizations. In this episode of Beyond The Whistle, Romone and I discuss: Romone's journey from college basketball player to accounting professional and entrepreneur Best ways for coaches to manage their personal finances working in what can be a nomadic and transient profession Pursuit

The 2017 National Letter of Intent November early signing period recently concluded. This year, college football will have its first early signing period, from December 20th to the 22nd. Have you ever asked why do we have National Letter of Intent signing dates in college sports? What's so magical about these dates? What if we didn't have signing periods at all? What would that look like? In this episode, I discuss these questions with my guest Michael Cross. Michael is a true thought leader on college athletic recruiting reform and best practices. Connect with Michael Cross Ultimate Sports Insider Athlete Viewpoint Twitter: @USInsider  

On September 26th, the college sports world was rocked by an F.B.I. investigation of college basketball, which lead to the arrests of 10 people, including four assistant coaches and two Adidas executives. The fallout has also included the firing of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino by the University of Louisville. And this is just the beginning. On this episode, which is going to be the first of several you will hear from me on this, I am going to share with you my thoughts on coaches and provide a solution to how coaches can make the right decisions. I come at this from the perspective of having been a recruited athlete, having been a player agent, and as someone now working with college basketball coaches on professional and career development and helping them advance in their careers. I also share the McCants Sports W.I.S.E. Recruiting Strategy. I would like to also know your thoughts. You can connect with me on Twitter at @odellmccants. Or visit my website mccantssports.com.

How do you control your recruiting process? Do you even have a process? My guest on this episode is Dan Tudor of Tudor Collegiate Strategies. Dan has done an amazing job of taking professional selling processes, skills and tactics and has applied them to athlete recruiting. Dan shares what recruits and parents are looking for during the process, how to effectively communicate with recruits and how to control the process. We also discuss his annual event, the National Collegiate Recruiting Conference. Connect With Dan Tudor Tudor Collegiate Strategies - Website College Recruiting Weekly Podcast- iTunes Dan on Twitter

Rising Coaches Elite 2017 I recently had the opportunity to speak at the 8th Annual Rising Coaches Elite 2017 Conference. Rising Coaches Elite is an annual conference that provides professional development for basketball coaches, primarily just starting in their careers. Most of the attendees are graduate assistants, directors of basketball operations and team managers. Attendees came from a wide range of programs. I was also pleased to meet and get to know a few high school coaches who attended as well. The conference was held at Marian University. Marian is an NAIA school with a beautiful campus about 3-4 miles outside of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. This speaking opportunity was a direct result of social media. I have been following Rising Coaches Elite on Twitter for a while and often share their content. And they have done the same with me. From that, I connected with Adam and the result was receiving the honor of being invited to speak at this year’s conference. It was an honor to be part of a great

It's July, which means we are in the college basketball summer evaluation period. Coaches will travel throughout the country evaluating high school players at AAU tournaments, camps and summer leagues. As a college coach, just as you are looking for high school players that stand out as prospects for your program, the summer is also perhaps the best time of the year for you to stand out for your own professional development and advancement. In addition to evaluating players, head coaches use this time of the year to evaluate, directly or indirectly, potential coach prospects for their staffs. Also, the assistant coach you meet today, may be a head coach next April or May. This episode provides actionable advice on how you can stand out on the summer recruiting trail. Four Connect with Odell McCants Twitter: @odellmccants Website: mccantssports.com Email: odell@mccantssports.com  

During the most recent “coaching carousel” of college basketball, I had the opportunity to work with a few coaches on their resumes. There is one mistake I see on coaching resumes and if you're has this, you can fix it right now. The number one mistake I see on resumes - of all professions, not just coaching - is writing the resume as a job description. Your resume IS NOT  a job description. The person reading your resume knows what the duties and responsibilities are of a head coach, an assistant coach, a video coordinator, whatever your role is. The person reading  your resume is looking for one thing. How can this candidate add value to my program AND make us better. To answer that, your resume needs to show quantifiable results of the work you have done. It's easy for coaches to make this mistake. You're probably a candidate for another job because the head coach or athletic director doing the hiring knows you or knows of you and your work. However, there is a very good chance he or she wil