The Rising Coaches Podcast

On today’s episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast we’re joined with Coach Fran Dunphy, the former La Salle Head Coach and one of the all-time winningest coaches in Philadelphia history.Coach Fran Dunphy has spent over 30 years on the sidelines, leading two of Philadelphia’s most storied programs: the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. During his 17 seasons at Penn, he guided the Quakers to 10 Ivy League championships and numerous NCAA Tournament appearances, establishing a standard of excellence within the conference. In 2006, he became the head coach at Temple, where he continued his success with eight NCAA Tournament berths and multiple Atlantic 10 titles over a 13-year span. With a remarkable 580 career wins, Coach Dunphy is widely respected not only for his coaching acumen but also for his leadership, humility, and unwavering commitment to student-athletes. In this episode, we dive into how starting his career coaching at Army had helped his career, how to help your assistants and players grow to be head coaches and how to get the most out of your players and assistants as a Head Coach.

Today on the Rising Coaches podcast, we get the opportunity to speak with the current assistant coach at Georgia State University, Coach Sean Flannery. Sean is a Cleveland, Ohio native and graduate from John Carroll University where he led all Divisions (1,2 and 3) in Assist to turnover ratio. Sean Served internships with the NBA Summer league and team USA basketball over the years, which ended up helping him grow into his GA role at Xavier. He currently is an assistant and pivotal part at Georgia State and is also a Rising Coaches Member.

On today’s episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast we’re joined by Lindsay Langford, a registered dietitian and the head nutritionist at Butler University. With years of experience working with athletes across multiple sports, Lindsay has developed a deep understanding of the vital role nutrition plays in performance and recovery. Her expertise spans from developing personalized nutrition plans to educating athletes on the importance of fueling their bodies correctly. In today’s episode, we'll dive into three key topics: what an ideal pre-game or pre-practice meal looks like, her take on the supplement industry—what's safe and what’s not—and how an athlete's nutritional needs differ during in-season versus off-season training. Lindsay’s insights will provide you with practical tools to optimize your nutrition for peak performance.

On today’s episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we are excited to talk with Dave Richardson, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Arkansas Basketball programs. Coach Richardson has been instrumental in helping the Razorbacks develop into one of the most physically dominant teams in the country. His expertise in player development, injury prevention, and performance optimization ensures that his athletes are prepared to compete at the highest level. We’re going to dive into his training philosophy, how he approaches in-season vs. off-season development, and what it takes to build a winning culture in the weight room. Whether you're a coach, athlete, or just someone interested in the science behind peak performance this is your episode.

On today’s episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by a Philly hoops legend and the current Director of Player Development at Temple University — Khalif Wyatt. A standout at Temple University, Coach Wyatt went on to enjoy a nine-year professional career overseas in countries like China, Israel, France, Romania, and the Philippines earning multiple All-League honors along the way. Since jumping into coaching, he has served as an assistant at West Chester University, leading Team Big 5 in The Basketball Tournament, and returning home to Temple as the Director of Player Development. Coach Wyatt brings a rare mix of on-court experience, global perspective, and a deep understanding of how to connect with today’s players. In this episode, we dive into what it means to truly develop players — including: what are some common mistakes young coaches and trainers make, how playing internationally changed his perspective on the game, and how he structures individual workouts during the season vs. the offseason.

Mark Bialkoski is the Director of Basketball Operations at George Mason University. With over 15 years of experience in college basketball, Coach Bialkoski has played a crucial role in managing the behind-the-scenes operations that keep teams running at the highest level. From his previous roles at Georgia Southern, Charlotte, Maryland and East Tennessee State to his current role at George Mason, he’s been an essential part of successful programs, handling everything from logistics and scheduling to team culture and program development. Today, we’ll dive into his journey into basketball operations, the key skills needed to excel in the role, and his advice for young coaches and professionals looking to break into the industry of coaching.

Jeff Santarsiero is a true veteran of the game and longtime head coach at Geneva College. With nearly three decades leading the Golden Tornadoes, Coach Santarsiero has built a program centered on consistency, player development, and a strong culture of excellence. His coaching journey began at Nyack College, where he served as head coach before joining Geneva as an assistant in 1988. Since taking over Geneva as head coach in 1996, he has led the Golden Tornadoes to multiple successful seasons, including an NCCAA National Championship in 2001. Beyond wins and losses, Coach Santarsiero has dedicated his career to shaping young men on and off the court. This episode we dive into his insights on sustaining a successful program, coaching longevity, and the evolving landscape of college basketball.

Bill Cartwright is a true basketball legend. Coach Cartwright is a five-time NBA champion, a former All-Star, and a key figure in the Bulls’ first three-peat championship reign and helping one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Coach Cartwright played for the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Seattle Supersonics in his career. After his playing days, he transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant of the Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and Phoenix Suns and head coaching roles with the Chicago Bulls, Osaka Evessa and the Mexican national team. In this episode we talk about what he learned playing under legend Phil Jackson, some advice working with post players and some knowledge he has taken away during his NBA coaching/playing career.

Ryan Murray is the assistant coach for the Ohio State Women’s Basketball team, Coach Ryan Murray. With a deep understanding of the game and a strong background in player development, recruiting, and game strategy, Coach Murray has held various coaching roles at Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin. A young coach, Murray has great experiences spanning multiple levels of basketball, and his ability to connect with players and build a winning culture sets him apart. In this episode we talk about how Coach Murray worked his way up the chain from being a practice player to an assistant coach at Ohio State, the importance of networking as a young coach and how to continue to grow as a coach during the offseason.

Chris Oliver is a basketball coach, educator, and the mastermind behind Basketball Immersion. With a wealth of experience in coaching at all levels, including an assistant position at McMaster University and Head Coaching titles at Queen's University and the University of Windsor prior to Basketball Immersion. Chris has worked with players and teams around the world, helping them elevate their basketball IQ and skills. Known for his innovative approach to coaching, Chris has a deep understanding of the game’s intricacies, from player development to creating high-level team systems. In this episode we dive into what Coach Oliver feels is the most important aspect of developing players on and off the court, advice to young coaches trying to implement game-based learning in their workouts and some of the biggest mistakes a coach can make when teaching their players.

Mike Brey is one of the most respected minds in college basketball and current Assistant Coach with the Atlanta Hawks, Coach Mike Brey. With over two decades leading Notre Dame, Coach Brey built a program known for its toughness, efficiency, and player-driven culture. Before that, he cut his teeth as an assistant at Duke under Coach K and as the head coach at Delaware, shaping a coaching journey filled with valuable lessons, big wins, and unforgettable moments. In this episode, we dive deep into his rise from the high school ranks to the NBA, his philosophy on developing assistants into future head coaches, and how to maintain the successes of a team as a head coach over a long period of time.

Toure Murry is a former NBA Player and current Player Development Coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, Coach Toure Murry. Coach Murry joins us having an extensive playing career starting at Wichita State and leading to the New York Knicks, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and numerous countries such as Turkey, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Kuwait, Ukraine and Mexico. Following his playing career, Coach Murry started his coaching career in the G league with the 76ers and grew into his current role as the Player Development Coach. In this episode, we talk about his playing career and what coaching styles resonated with him most, aligning player development goals with the long term team goals and some key traits to look for when evaluating a players long term potential.

Steve Clifford is a former NBA Head Coach and current Advisor in the front office of the Charlotte Hornets, Coach Steve Clifford. Coach Clifford jumped right into coaching following his graduation and starting in a position with Woodland High School. From there he would rise in the ranks extending to places at Saint Anselm, Fairfield, Boston University, Siena, East Carolina, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers all in various assistant positions. He also held head coaching stints with Adelphi, Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic and then finished his career with the Charlotte Hornets as the Hornets franchises winningest coach. In this episode we talk about his defensive minded approach to helping the Hornets being a top 5 defensive team in the NBA, some tendencies they would look to do to help with their teams defense and some things he learned as a first year head coach in the NBA.

Anthony Johnson is the current assistant coach at Youngstown State University, Coach Anthony Johnson. Coach Johnson joins us having started his coaching career at Texas Tech where they made a run into the National Championship under Head Coach Chris Beard. This would lead Coach Johnson into positions with the College of Charleston, USC Upstate, Georgia Southern, Ole Miss and now Youngstown State University. Coach Johnson talks to us about the amazing run they had at Texas Tech and what made that team so successful, some tips of recruiting as well as an in depth look at the process from meeting a recruit to eventually making them an offer.

Joe Abunassar is the Founder and Ceo of Impact Basketball, Coach Joe Abunassar. Coach Abunassar has trained nearly 307+ NBA Players in his 27 years in the business including Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Haliburton, Chauncy Billups, Jaylen Brown and Kevin Garnett just to name a few. Coach Abunassar has always been a strong player development coach but before he started this, he was a student manager under coach Bob Knight at Indiana and secured a coaching position at Wyoming for four years which led him into the development side. In this episode we talk about how athletes can get the proper recovery needed to excel, some key concepts of his training plans and some advice for coaches looking to be a player development coach.

Travis Branham is the Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports, Travis Branham. Travis joins us with a heavy scouting and recruiting background, starting his career with Drew Hanlen and Pure Sweat basketball, being a student manager at the University of Kentucky and starting his scouting career after college with nearly 20 years of experience and almost 5 years as a recruiting analyst. Travis gives us a deep dive into the biggest mistakes coaches make in the recruiting process, how important relationship building is in the recruiting process and some red flags to be aware of when recruiting an athlete.

Ben Newman is an Entrepreneur, Investor, 2x Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Philanthropist, and the Nation’s Top Continual Peak Performance Coach, Ben Newman. Coach Newman has coached and worked with some of the highest performing teams in the NFL, NBA, PGA, MLB, UFC and NCAA. He has worked with players from the last 6 Super Bowl Champions, worked on the staff of the 18x National Champions in the Alabama Crimson Tide Football team for 5 years as the Mental Conditioning Coach and also served as the Performance coach for Michigan State as well as Kansas State football and Basketball programs. On this episode we talk about how to implement a culture at a new program, his definition of “Mentally Tough” and some of the biggest mistakes young coaches make when trying to inspire their athletes.

Rex Walters is a former NBA player and former NBA and College Assistant, Coach Rex Walters. Coach Walters joins having an extensive playing career with Kansas, Brooklyn Nets, 76ers, Heat and a stint in Spain. Following his playing career he took assistant coaching positions at Valparaiso, Detroit Pistons, Nevada, Wake Forest, New Orleans Pelicans and most recently the Charlotte Hornets in assistant roles. He also held head coaching titles at Florida Atlantic, the University of San Francisco and Grand Rapids Drive. In this episode we dive more into some unique things Coach Walters learned from his playing days in Spain, best ways to approach game preparation and scouting reports at the NBA level as well as some underrated coaching concepts young coaches should be studying more.

Scoonie Penn is a former NBA assistant, Coach Scoonie Penn. Coach Penn joins us with an extensive playing career having played at Ohio State University and professionally in numerous countries including, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Greece and Serbia. Following his playing career he stepped back into a role at Ohio State as a player development coach and previously an NBA assistant coach with the Grizzlies. In this episode, Coach Penn talks about what he has learned to help him be a coach from his international playing days, some important things young coaches should develop early in their careers as well as some key tips to help develop players skills and basketball IQs.

Darris Nichols is the chance to talk with the newly appointed Head Coach at La Salle University, Coach Darris Nichols. Coach Nichols joins us as a player coach and formerly the head coach of Radford University where he was when we initially recorded this. He had a great playing career at West Virginia University which led him into a professional stint in Hungary. Following his playing career, he took various positions at West Virginia University, Northern Kentucky, Wofford College, Louisiana Tech, University of Florida, four seasons as the Head Coach at Radford University and now being the new Head Coach at La Salle University. In this episode we dive more into how he has developed his head coaching philosophy while working for some coaching greats in the industry, how he and his staff reinforce their offensive and defensive philosophies each day, as well as some advice for coaches trying to develop their own coaching identities.

DJ Irving is the current Assistant Coach at the University of Miami, Coach DJ Irving. Coach Irving is a young coach in the industry but has grown at a rapid pace following his playing career at Boston University and a Professional Stint in Spain. Following his playing career he has had opportunities to work at Penn State, Boston University, Roman Catholic Prep and the University of Miami. In this episode, coach Irving dives into a deeper look at how his first position came about, Miami’s system and what makes their successes so unique and how a coach can develop their own coaching voice as a young assistant.

James Fraschilla is the Assistant Coach at Capital City Go-Go, Coach James Fraschilla. Coach Fraschilla’s coaching career started with the Maine Red Claws as a Head Video Coordinator and Player Development coach and would later take him to places including Indiana University, USA Basketball National Team, Salt Lake City Stars, Orlando Magic, Grand Rapids Gold, Washington Wizards as well as getting the opportunity to coach the 3x3 mens Olympic games. In this episode, we dive into what Coach Fraschilla has learned as a G league assistant, some key things he looks for during film breakdown and an in depth look at the USA 3v3 Olympics play styles.

Tyler Thorton is the Assistant Coach and Player Development Coach at Howard University, Coach Tyler Thornton. Coach Thornton is a young coach in the industry, following his stellar playing career at Duke University, he would play a few years in the CBA as well as time in Nova Scotia and Finland professionally. His coaching career would start at Marquette where he would be a graduate assistant and would lead him into where he is now at Howard University. In this episode we learn about some of the unique things he has taken away while playing for Coach K at Duke, some common duties as a Player Development coach at Howard as well as some best practices to help develop the modern day bigs.

Brian Baudinet Is the assistant coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Coach Brian Baudinet. Following Coach Baudinet’s playing career at Rochester, he shortly became a coach starting in a role at Trinity College and moving to American International College, the Tulsa 66ers, Duquesne University, and now UMBC. Before UMBC he held a head coaching title at Canterbury School where he held an overall record of 87-19 and won back to back NEPSAC Coach of the year awards. On this episode, Coach Baudinet talks with us about some of the ways he has grown from the High School ranks to be a D1 assistant coach, how he and his staff would plan in game strategies and match ups as well as some daily practice plans they would follow during his stint in the G League.

Dr. Richard Sander is the Athletic Director at Eastern Tennessee State University and the man behind the TopConnect Symposium, Dr Richard Sander. Dr Sander is a very active individual in the community while formally being the Athletic Director at VCU and having brought numerous NCAA Championships to the Richmond area. In this episode we talk about what Dr. Sander looks for in a coach when looking to hire for that next head coaching position, what all the Top Connect Symposium includes for assistant coaches as well as how someone such as yourself can get invited to meet and learn from more athletic directors and coaches in the industry at this event.

KT Harrell is the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Michigan, Coach KT Harrell. Coach Harrell starts his coaching career following a stellar playing career at Auburn and a stint internationally. Following his playing career, he started his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at Auburn which would lead him to be the Director of Basketball Operations at Florida Atlantic and then the University of Michigan. Coach Harrell is a young coach in the industry continuously on the rise but has learned from some of the best basketball minds in the industry so far. He shares what he has learned from coaches such as Bruce Pearl, Dusty May and Tony Bennett, what all his current role as a DOBO includes as well as some challenges he has faced along his journey so far.

Kyle Getter is the Associate Head Coach at the University of Notre Dame, Coach Kyle Getter. Coach Getter started his coaching career following his playing career at Centre College and got his first coaching position at Hanover College. Following Hanover he has grown to places such as Marshall, Wright State, Dayton, Walsh University, VCU, Radford, Liberty, Virginia and now Notre Dame. While in his time at Virginia he even helped the Cavaliers win the National Championship in 2019. On this episode we talk about how a coach can practice their coaching philosophy, some major takeaways he has learned from legendary coaches he has worked for along the ride as well as an in depth look on how their staff have prepared for special situations throughout the season.

Brad Kanis the Founder and CEO of EuroProBasket, Brad Kanis. Brad joins us with a ton of basketball and international experience following his playing career at Grand Canyon University and even having a stint with Houston Rockets NBA Summer League and later would bring him all around the world including, South America, Syria, Taiwan, Dubai, Japan, Uruguay, China, Africa and Europe. He now helps place athletes with international teams based on their skills and abilities. In this episode we talk about the different play styles that he has encountered while traveling to different countries, common themes agencies and coaches are looking for in a player and he even shares some details about events they run that could benefit coaches in the industry.

Katy Young Staudt is the Vice President of TurnkeyZRG. Katy joins us with heavy experience in recruiting and placement of coaches in various collegiate positions as she has worked as a director of recruiting and holding nearly 20 years of experience working in search firms. She has helped support 150+ searches for division 1 Head Coaches at places such as Yale, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Cal and Texas A&M, just to name a few. In this episode we talk about what led her into the placement side of coaching, what a coach should be expecting if working with a placement agency and what most agencies or athletic directors are looking for when hiring for their next position.

Drew Hanlen is a NBA Skills Coach and Consultant, CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball and a published Author. Coach Hanlen built his business from the ground up and now is one of the most well known NBA trainers in the game. Working with players such as Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal and Zach Lavine, just to name a few. In this episode we talk about the journey Hanlen has had growing his business portfolio over the years from the ground up, what a typical layout of his workouts would consist of as well as some major takeaways he looks for in players when preparing for an upcoming workout through film breakdown. Please welcome to the podcast, Coach Drew Hanlen.

Matt Brase is the Assistant Coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. Coach Brase’s playing career allowed him to play at Arizona as well as helped propel his career on the other side of the ball. Following Arizona he took positions at Grand Canyon, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston Rockets and 76ers, all as an assistant. Coach Brase also held head coaching stints with Rio Grande Valley and a stint in the professional leagues in Italy. In this episode we talk about some great things he has learned from a Legendary Coach in Lute Olson, some differences coaching in the college ranks compared to the NBA and some common themes he has learned amongst successful teams he has worked with.

Ganon Baker is an experienced Skills Development trainer, KeyNote Speaker, Life Development coach, Consultant and Author. Coach Baker has been in the industry helping athletes from all levels including the youth all the way to the NBA. Baker currently works alongside numerous clients in the NBA, NCAA and WNBA as well as numerous other countries as well. Baker has worked with many players, a few including Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Maya Moore just to name a few. In this episode we learn about what goes into Coach Baker’s workout plans, how he prepares for them in advance to make sure his clients get the best out of their workouts and also some different ways you can best use your communication skills to be the best leader possible.

RJ Allen is the Head Coach at Newman University. Coach Allen has grown himself in the industry, following his playing career at Hutchinson Community College, he started in a Graduate Assistant position at Concordia University. He grew in his role and ended up taking an assistant coach at Woodbury High School before being appointed the Associate Head Coach at Newman University and ultimately being appointed Head Coach, where he has been for 8 seasons. In this episode we talk about some bumps in the road as a first year head coach, how his coaching philosophy has evolved and on their growth so far this season.

Ryan Pannone is the Assistant Coach at the University of Alabama, Coach Ryan Pannone. Coach Pannone has worked his way up the coaching ranks holding positions in 5 countries including China, Slovakia, Israeli, Germany and South Korea as well as positions including Wallace State Community College, Erie Bayhawks, New Orleans Pelicans and currently the University of Alabama. Pannone has a strong coaching background and a wealth of knowledge for the game overall as you will come to learn. Pannone speaks on common threads amongst the different countries he has coached in, some of his favorite offensive actions as well as how to build a strong team culture in a program.

Rob Lanier is the first year Head Coach of Rice University, Coach Rob Lanier. Coach Lanier joins us with a current 141-135 Head Coaching record holding head stints at Siena, Georgia State, SMU and now Rice University. Coach Lanier started his coaching journey at Niagara University as an assistant and held various other assistant positions at St. Bonaventure, Rutgers, Texas, Virginia, Florida and Tennessee.On this episode, we talk about some takeaways Coach Lanier has learned working under legendary coaches Rick Barnes and Billy Donovan, how to grow and maintain a culture as a first year head coach and an overview of the style of play Rice has been looking to incorporate this year.

Carlin Hartman is the Associate Head Coach at the University of Florida. Following Hartman’s playing career at Tulane, he played a few years in a Semi Professional league and then right into his first coaching position at Rice. Following Rice, Hartman held various positions at McNeese State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Richmond, Centenary, James Madison, Columbia, Oklahoma, UNLV and currently The University of Florida. In this episode Coach Hartman talks about some of the biggest challenges he has faced in his growth as a coach, how the game of basketball has evolved over his years as a coach as well as how analytics plays a major role in basketball to this day.

Dedrique Taylor is the Head Coach at California State Fullerton University. Coach Taylor is in his 12th season as a head coach, all while at Cal State Fullerton. Coach Taylor started his coaching career following his playing career at UC Davis and pivoted into various roles at Loyola Marymount, Portland State, Nevada and Arizona State. Looking back on Coach Taylor’s coaching career, we take him back to his first year as a head coach and learn what he would have done differently as a head coach, we dig deeper into some of the biggest challenges he has faced as a head coach as well as how him and his previous teams as an assistant overcame the ups and downs of a season to learn and grow from things the next season.

Jason hart is the Assistant Coach at the University of Kentucky, Coach Jason Hart. Coach Hart joins us starting in the AAU circuit as well as High School ranks as a Head Coach at Taft High School following his 9 year NBA Career. Following Coach Hart’s year stint with Taft he has made coaching stops at Pepperdine University, USC, NBA G League Ignite and currently The University of Kentucky. Coach Hart talks to us on this episode about his experiences growing in the ranks from coaching in High School to one of the highest College basketball programs, some things Kentucky and Coach Pope have looked to instill into Kentucky their first year as a staff as well as some differences he has learned coaching in NBA in comparison to College.

Today, on the Rising Coaches Podcast, we got the pleasure of speaking with a legendary High School coach, USA National coach and USAB National Director for Coach Development, Coach Don Showalter. Coach Showalter has coached for 45+ years, achieving the status of a 10x gold medal winner with USA Basketball and 10x USA basketball development Coach of the Year awards. He has also received Iowa Coach of the year accolades 10 different times, and was inducted into the Iowa High School hall of fame in 2016. While with USA basketball, Coach Showalter's U16 and U17 teams have an international record of 62-0. Showalter's success is amazing in the industry and he currently helps to give back by helping other coaches learn and grow themselves. We are excited to learn more from a true great in the industry.

Jim Shaw is the Associate Head Coach at Stanford University. Coach Shaw joins us with a strong career of winning, while being a part of 19 NCAA tournament teams in his time making stops at Western Oregon State as a player, and holding various assistant positions at Idaho State, Oregon State, University of Portland, Oklahoma, University of Washington, Saint Mary’s, Washington State and Stanford, while also holding a Head Coaching stint at Western Oregon University and posting a 102-30 overall Record as a Head Coach. In this episode, Coach Shaw talks about some things he looks for when searching for that next assistant coaching position, some common threads amongst all of his successful teams and a breakdown of a typical college practice lay out.

Jamie Wood is the Founder and CEO of HYPHENATED ATHLETICS, Jamie Wood. Jamie Wood joins us as previously holding an assistant athletic director position at Ohio State University as well as formerly being the Assistant Athletic Director of NIL at Texas A&M. Now he currently runs his own company called HYPHENATED ATHLETICS which helps student athletes with their NIL. In this episode we talk heavily on the new elephant in athletics, NIL or Name, Image and Likeness. Jamie talks about what a typical person in a NIL coaching position would handle on a day to day basis, what all NIL consists of for college athletics as well as how coaches best work with their athletes to ensure NIL does not become a distraction in their day to day lives.

Brett Reed is the Head Coach of Lehigh University, Coach Brett Reed. Coach Reed joins us as a coach who has grown in the profession himself. Starting as an assistant coach with Oakland Community College following his playing career at Eckerd, leading him into positions at UNC Greensboro, High Point and Lehigh all as an Assistant. After 4 years of learning and growing at Lehigh he is appointed the Associate Head Coach and then the Head Coach after one more year and holding a 53% winning record and the all time winningest coach in Lehigh history. In this episode we talk on what he looks for when hiring a coach, how to maintain a head coaching role as well as what to look for in Lehigh's offensive and defensive patterns.

Nick Sales is the Head Coach at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. Following Coach Sales’s Playing Career at Defiance College, he soon became the Graduate Assistant there which then led him into assistant positions at Albion College and Marietta College. Following Marietta, Sales got his first head coaching position at Rose Hulman as he is now going into his third season. Coach Sales talks to us about some of the benefits of starting as a Division 3 Coach, some first year Head Coaching bumps in the road he has encountered as well as some Game Strategy and Preparation tips for other coaches.

Jake Lorbach is the Assistant Men’s basketball Coach and Director of Scouting for Eastern Kentucky University. Coach Lorbach is a young coach on the rise but has a plethora of knowledge in the game, having a playing career under coach Thad Matta at Ohio State University and working his way up the profession starting at St Edward’s High School, University of Colorado Springs, Kirkwood Community College and now where he stands, Eastern Kentucky University all in the assistant roles. Coach Lorbach also held the General Manager and Coach title for the Great Lakes Elite team in the TBT Tournament. In this episode Coach Lorbach talks about some of the main duties he has as a Director of Scouting as well as some of the things they look for in players, while also speaking on some of the best ways to know if a recruit is worth pursuing.

Bill Hubly is the Assistant Athletic Director of Scouting with the University of Pittsburgh Men’s team, Coach Billy Hubly. Coach Hubly joins us with a strong coaching background including various roles at Georgia Institute of Technology, East Carolina University, University of South Florida and currently the University of Pittsburgh. Coach Hubly, has made a great rise in the industry getting to learn from some phenomenal coaches, including Coach Brian Gregory and Jeff Capel to name a few. In this episode we talk about some things he looks for when scouting an opposing team, how NIL and the transfer portal have made an impact on basketball as well as some of the major takeaways he has learned from all of his stops with stellar programs.

Sean Damaska is the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Dayton. Coach Damaska had started right into his coaching career following his playing career wrapping up at Northern Illinois University. His first coaching role would be with the Dallas Mavericks as a Player Development Intern and soon leading him to Dayton where he worked his way up from a Graduate Assistant into now as an assistant coach. On this episode Coach Damaska talks about identifying and developing young talent at Dayton, some typical duties of a recruiting coordinator and what he has built on his own coaching philosophy so far.

We take a unique turn and get to learn from not only a coach with 10 years of coaching experience but also someone with nearly 20 years of experience in team building and growing leaders, Coach Sean Glaze. Coach Glaze has coached two different high school programs including Cobb County Schools and Cherokee County, where he brought both programs from single digits wins to individual school record breaking programs. On top of this Coach Glaze has spoken in front of large corporations as well helping to motivate and build their teams programs as well as their cultures. This episode we talk about how a coach can help build their program's culture over time, how to build leaders out of your players and some of the best practices to motivate your team.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we are continuing the second half of our previous conversation with a legend in the industry as a former NBA Head and Assistant Coach and most recent assistant coach for the University of Arkansas. Please welcome the second half of our conversation with coach Keith Smart.

Keith Smart is a former NBA Head and assistant coach and most recently former Assistant Coach with the University of Arkansas. Coach Smart is a legendary coach and player as he hit arguably one of the biggest shots in NCAA history, has a 20 year professional career and 27 year coaching career. Coach Smart has been the Head Coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings as well as holding assist positions with those same programs, also including the Fort Wayne Fury, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks and Arkansas. This episode we talk about some of the takeaways he has learned playing under Legendary Coach Bobby Knight, some major things NBA coaches look for when recruiting and some of the biggest challenges he has faced as a coach at various levels and do not forget to check out Part 2 on Monday!

Kelby Jones is the assistant Women’s coach at Oklahoma State University. Coach Jones has worked his way through the industry starting as a student manager at North Texas and growing into various roles at schools including the University of Texas, Mississippi State and now Oklahoma State University. Coach Jones talks about some takeaways he has learned while growing in the industry, utilizing analytics as a team and some of the most important elements to growing a strong basketball team.