Beyond the Ball

Lance Westberg was named the head coach for the Houghton College men's basketball program in July 2019. Westberg is the 10th coach in program history.  Prior to coming to Houghton, Westberg served five years as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he helped guide the Falcons to a record of 83-53. During his time at UW-River Falls, the team advanced to three WIAC championship games. The 2016-17 team finished 25-4, won the conference title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. That team was also honored as the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Westberg was actively involved with the Falcon recruiting efforts, perimeter player development, scouting, and organizing and monitoring student-athlete academic progress. He helped develop nine all-conference players and one Third Team NABC All-American. He also directs the Falcon summer basketball camps.  As a recruiter, he earned commitments from 20 top-100 and six top-50 recruits from Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addition to his basketball responsibilities, Westberg also served as the head coach of the UW-River Falls women's golf team for five seasons. During his time at the helm, he increased the team roster size from six to 13, boosted the team GPA from 2.9 to 3.67, and was named WIAC Coach of the Year in 2018. Prior to joining UW-River Falls, Westberg spent a season as an assistant coach at River Falls High School and also spent three seasons as the head coach and director of the Minnesota-based Triple Threat Club team, elevating the U15-U17 team to a ranking in the Northstar Hoops Report. Westberg played for four years at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul where he was a part of three regular season UMAC championships, three conference tournament championships, three NCAA National Tournament appearances from 2010-13, and an NCCAA National Championship in 2010.  Individually, he earned honorable mention to the All-UMAC team during the 2012-13 season along with being named the conference championship MVP, and the UMAC Individual Sportsmanship Award. Twitter https://twitter.com/CoachWestberg (@CoachWestberg) https://twitter.com/Houghton_MBB (@Houghton_MBB)

Adam Gordon is the Co-Founder & CEO of Rising Coaches, a membership based community for coaches that connects, develops and facilitates career advancement for its members. Gordon previously spent 16 years working in college basketball serving in various roles at the High Major D1, DII, and JUCO levels. In 2019 Adam stepped away from coaching to put all his focus on building Rising Coaches. Gordon was an assistant and associate head coach at Southeast Missouri from 2015-2019. Before joining Southeast Missouri, he worked for three years as director of operations on Rick Ray's staff at Mississippi State. Gordon was in charge of travel, camps, scheduling, on-campus recruiting and academic compliance during his stint with the Bulldogs. A native of Los Angeles, California, Gordon also spent time at Northern Colorado and was a graduate assistant at Clemson for three years. A 2006 graduate of Tampa who studied Youth Development and Leadership at Clemson, Gordon was an assistant coach at Central Florida Community College in Ocala, Florida, from 2006-08 before going to Clemson. There, Gordon was responsible for recruiting, player development, opponent scouting, video editing and exchange, and academic counseling. Prior to Central Florida CC, Gordon was head manager and student assistant at the University of Tampa from 2002-06. Email – adam@risingcoaches.com Twitter – https://twitter.com/coachadamgordon (@coachadamgordon) https://twitter.com/risingcoaches (@RisingCoaches) Website – https://www.risingcoaches.com (risingcoaches.com)

J.P. Nerbun is the founder of Thrive On Challenge, a mentor, writer, coach, and sports consultant. A multisport athlete growing up, basketball was always his first love. He followed his passion to the University of South Carolina, where the Gamecocks won an NIT Championship in Madison Square Garden in 2006. After playing in college, J.P. moved to Ireland, where he earned his teaching degree in physical education and sports science at the University of Limerick, one of the top universities in Europe for sports education. Nerbun has coached for over 12 years in Ireland, Lithuania, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. During his time in Ireland, he has coached over 30 teams in five years. J.P. has been thrown into head coaching positions at nearly every level imaginable (including professional, collegiate, and high school), gaining an incredible level of experience—including experience with failure! Having worked with men and women at various levels, with diverse backgrounds, and across all sports, J.P. understands how to apply the principles, systems, and strategies to build a transformational culture. Since founding Thrive On Challenge, Nerbun has served coaches, athletes, and parents across the world, at every level and in every sport. Website – https://thriveonchallenge.com/ (thriveonchallenge.com) Email – jpnerbun@thriveonchallenge.com Twitter – https://twitter.com/JpNerbun (@JpNerbun)

Nathan Johnson is the Senior Director of Program: Unified Sports- Special Olympics New York. Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) as teammates for training and competition.  Website https://www.specialolympics-ny.org/community/schools-program/ (https://www.specialolympics-ny.org/community/schools-program/) Twitter https://twitter.com/NYSONathan (@NYSONathan) https://twitter.com/UnifiedSportsNY (@UnifiedSportsNY) https://twitter.com/SpecOlympicsNY (@SpecOlympicsNY)

Jason Fry has served with Pure Sweat Basketball since 2013 and is currently the Director of Pure Sweat Basketball Skills Coaches. He is the creator of The Healthy Leader Program serving those that can help transform you into the leader you believe you can become. Jason previously coached as an assistant at Drury University, Missouri Baptist University, and Whitfield School. Jason was born and raised in Austin, Texas where he played high school basketball at Austin High School. After three years of working full-time for the parks and recreation department, he took the opportunity to play basketball at Missouri Baptist University where Jason was a part of the 2005 national tournament team. Jason joined Pure Sweat as the first employee to work alongside Drew Hanlen, helping build the company to where it is today. Jason published a book called The Coach's Season which would be a tremendous addition to any coach's library.  Make sure you take some notes as you enjoy this episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast with Coach Jason Fry from Pure Sweat Basketball. Website – www.coachjfry.com Email - jfry@puresweatbasketball.com Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/coachjfry (@CoachJFry)

Micah Mills is in his sixth season with the Wilmington College men's basketball program in 2020-21. He spent three seasons as the program's top assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2018-19 campaign. The Fightin' Quakers have improved each year of the first four years Mills has been on staff including a double-digit wins campaing in 2017-18 and 2018-19 along with trips to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament. Additionally, eight individuals have earned All-OAC honors under Mills' guidance including two-time All-OAC honorees Christian Jones and DaeShawn Jackson. In 2018-19, he helped guide Wilmington to within a game of the program's first ever OAC regular season championship. The Quakers were ranked in the region for the majority of the season and finished 17-8 overall. He came to Wilmington after spending three seasons as a graduate assistant at fellow OAC member Otterbein University. Mills served as the freshman boys coach and varsity assistant at Parkersburg High School during the 2011-12 season, and also works as a lead instructor for Point Guard College (PGC) Basketball Training in Stafford, Texas and at other sites around the country. He attended Ohio Valley University in West Virginia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in education while becoming a four-year letterman for the Fighting Scots basketball team. A three-time captain, he finished his career as the program's all-time leader in assists and free-throw percentage. Mills also has teaching experience in history and sociology at Parkesburg High School, as well as history at Van Devender Middle School. In addition, he has volunteered with Special Olympics, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Dover Football and Basketball Camps. Twitter https://twitter.com/Coachm_m (@Coachm_m)

Alan Stein, Jr. spent 15 years working with the highest performing basketball players in the world including some of the best ever in the NBA.  He shifted focus about three years ago to enter the world of corporate speaking when he realized that the leadership, culture, and teamwork he was teaching through basketball could be applied in the business world as well. Alan delivers high-energy keynotes and interactive workshops to improve performance, cohesion, and accountability. He inspires and empowers everyone he works with to take immediate action and improve mindset, habits, and productivity. To order Alan's book “Raise Your Game” please visit https://raiseyourgamebook.com/ (https://raiseyourgamebook.com/) You can learn more about Alan by visiting his website at http://www.alansteinjr.com (www.alansteinjr.com) or Twitter – https://twitter.com/AlanSteinJr (@AlanSteinJr) LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-stein-jr/ (www.linkedin.com/in/alan-stein-jr/)

Jamy Bechler is a professional speaker, leadership coach, author, and podcast host based out of Akron, Ohio. He is also a John Maxwell certified leadership coach. Before going into full-time leadership work, Jamy served for 20 years as a college basketball coach and high school athletic director. When he left his last college to become an athletic director, he was the winningest coach in program history. His 2014 team earned the national "Champions of Character" award. As an athletic director, he transformed the athletic department, instituting budgeting processes, student-athlete leadership training, and innovative marketing strategies that were featured in Athletic Management magazine. He supervised the 5th largest high school gymnasium in the country and oversaw the boys basketball team winning their 8th state championship (most in Indiana history). Through his experiences as an athletic director, college coach, and leadership consultant, he has created TheLeadershipPlaybook.com, which is a membership site helping athletic departments develop better teammates, more positive leaders, and stronger cultures. Jamy also is the host of the "Success is a Choice" podcast, which interviews people from various walks of life, and is the author of three books, including "The Bus Trip". He currently works with high-level organizations, teams, athletes, and coaches to help them maximize their potential in the area of leadership, culture, and teamwork. You can learn more about him by visiting https://jamybechler.com/ (JamyBechler.com) or on Twitter https://twitter.com/coachbechler (@CoachBechler) http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamybechler (Linkedin.com/in/jamybechler) https://twitter.com/CoachBechler (Twitter.com/CoachBechler) https://www.facebook.com/JamyBechlerLeadership (Facebook.com/JamyBechlerLeadership) https://www.instagram.com/coachbechler/ (Instagram.com/CoachBechler) https://jamybechler.com/ (JamyBechler.com) (official website) https://jamybechler.com/podcast (SuccessIsAChoicePodcast.com) (podcast link) https://theleadershipplaybook.com/ (TheLeadershipPlaybook.com) (online leadership program) TheBusTripBook.com (The Bus Trip book website)

Anthony Pugh is the founder of Clockwork Athletics. The game of basketball has been Anthony's passion since the day he was born. He grew up a coach's son and was in the gym constantly. He attended McDonald High School in Ohio and played varsity basketball for 4 years. During his 4 year career at McDonald, Anthony scored 1,000+ career points, accounted for 300+ career assists and is currently still top 5 in program wins. After being recruited by several D2 and D3 programs, Anthony was given the opportunity to be a walk on at Robert Morris University. He knew that his eventual basketball goal was to coach, so the opportunity to be a part of a Division 1 program would be very beneficial in the long run. During his freshman season, he appeared in 4 games and became very close to junior starting point guard, Kavon Stewart. They would work out regularly before and after games/practices. This lit a spark in Anthony and is when he realized that skill development was his real passion. After his freshman season concluded, he made the toughest decision of his life and decided to stop playing and dedicate his full attention to skill development. Clockwork Athletics was born on April 20, 2016 in his dorm room. Anthony graduated from Robert Morris University in May 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Sport psychology. Clockwork Athletics continues to grow as one of the best skill development training companies in Ohio. Anthony works with players of all ages and skill levels from kids just learning how to play, all the way up to professionals. Anthony's passion and love for the game is what separates him from everyone else. During all of his training sessions, he focuses heavily on the smallest of details to ensure that the players who work with him get the most out of every training session and leave the gym better than they came. Email - anthony.pugh222@gmail.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/Anthony_Pugh2 (@Anthony_Pugh2 ) https://twitter.com/ClockWorkSkills (@ClockWorkSkills) YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGT2U9-vGDDVM7hRaO0Ntzw (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGT2U9-vGDDVM7hRaO0Ntzw)  

Nate Beutel, NCCC's Sports Information Director, Athletic Scheduling Coordinator and Head Softball Coach, is in his ninth season in charge of the women's basketball program at the school. Beutel's teams have advanced to nine consecutive Region III Div. II Final Fours with the last three years culminating in the only three regional titles in school history. The prior three seasons, NCCC finished as runners-up. The four-time Region III Div. II Coach of the Year (2020-21, 2018-19, 2015-16 & 2013-14) was instrumental in the development of four NJCAA Div. II All-Americans (Paige Emborsky, 2019-20; Kenetria Redfern, 2018-19; Taliyah Hopkins, 2016-17; Jaclyn Welch, 2013-14), five Region III Div. II Players of the Year (Alaina Forbes, 2020-21; Paige Emborsky, 2019-20; Kenetria Redfern, 2018-19; Jaclyn Welch, 2013-14; Kristine Ripson, 2012-13) and 33 All-Region players. He's also helped move more than two dozen players on to four-year programs in that time with more than half of them earning athletic scholarships, including five at the NCAA Div. I level (Cierra Harrison, Detroit; Nickelle O'Neil, Saint Peter's; Aubrey Halloran, Niagara; Paige Emborsky, Abilene Christian; Kenetria Redfern, Maryland-Eastern Shore).  Beutel came to NCCC after spending two seasons as the head boys varsity basketball coach at Grand Island High School. Beutel also spent time coaching at Medaille College and Wilson High School. He is also the head softball coach at NCCC and an assistant varsity football coach at nearby Starpoint High School. He previously spent two seasons as the head women's lacrosse coach for the Thunderwolves and has taught as an adjunct professor of both sport management and physical education at NCCC. The Sanborn native and former three-sport standout at Starpoint High School earned a bachelor's degree in sport management and a master's degree in elementary education from Medaille College. He currently resides with his wife Annmarie in North Tonawanda. Twitter https://twitter.com/CoachBeutel (@CoachBeutel)

Radius Athletics exists to serve, grow and develop basketball coaches at all levels. How do we do this? Simple. Pillars of Radius AthleticsMove coaches towards simple, seamless basketball characterized by conceptual offense, transition flow and a defensive approach befitting the modern game Promote a practice philosophy in line with Growth Mindset and Motor Learning An “Essentialist” approach to creating a program identity Modernization of the professional development model for basketball coaches Thanks Coach Randy for sharing your thoughts Beyond the Ball and including the ball! Website http://radiusathletics.com/ (http://radiusathletics.com/) Twitter https://twitter.com/RadiusAthletics (@RadiusAthletics) YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNcAsWZafVG_aEudZAw9ybg (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNcAsWZafVG_aEudZAw9ybg)

Hanna Hall, senior PG from University of Buffalo Women's Hoops joins the pod to talk UB hoops, her travels with the Canadian National Team, and some of the insights and perspectives that a Division 1 athlete approaches their game with. So insightful, Hanna thank you so much for coming on the pod! Twitter https://twitter.com/hannahall10 (@hannahall10) https://twitter.com/UBwomenshoops (@UBwomenshoops)

In this episode Gabe Michael from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute Basketball Program and Chris Kensey from Amherst High School joins the podcast to talk hoops, how the season went while dealing with COVID protocols, all while highlighting some of the best players in the area. We have a lot of respect for what these coaches and others like them are doing in the 716 to promote the game. Thank you guys for joining us!! Twitter https://twitter.com/gabemichael2 (@GabeMichael2) https://twitter.com/StJoesHoops (@StJoesHoops) https://twitter.com/ACHSTigersBball (@ACHSTigersBball)

Chad Andrews otherwise known in the 716 as "Centercourt" is a man of faith that continues to bring value to the WNY hoops seen with an unbiased love of the games and all the teams from the City of Buffalo, to the suburbs, to the rural leagues in the surrounding counties. Chad has turned his passion for HS Hoops and his willingness to celebrate student athletes into a hobby that has allowed him to build relationships both inside and outside the gyms of WNY. He started as a spectator, turned into a blogger/social media influencer, and is now even doing some play by play. Chad is a treasure to the WNY Prep scene. We were very excited to get him on! Give him a follow at: https://twitter.com/centercourt42 (@centercourt42) Or check out his website: https://www.theviewfromcentercourt.com/ (https://www.theviewfromcentercourt.com/)

Our guest on the pod this week is legendary coach Jeff Anastasia from Olean, HS in Olean, NY. This is part 2, be sure to go back and check out part 1, episode 36. Coach Anastasia had a wonderful 32 year career coaching at his alma mater amassing 602 wins, 21 League Championships, 14 Section Championships, and 2 State Championships. Coach joined the pod to talk WNY hoops, Olean hoops past and present, his coaching tree, and most importantly his athletes. Coach left us with some great insights to the game of basketball and life. Coach Thank You for joining us on the pod!

Our guest on the pod this week is legendary coach Jeff Anastasia from Olean, HS in Olean, NY. This is part 1, be sure to check out part 2 next week. Coach Anastasia had a wonderful 32 year career coaching at his alma mater amassing 602 wins, 21 League Championships, 14 Section Championships, and 2 State Championships. Coach joined the pod to talk WNY hoops, Olean hoops past and present, his coaching tree, and most importantly his athletes.   Coach left us with some great insights to the game of basketball and life. Coach Thank You for joining us on the pod!

This week Coach Adam Bennett from Salamanca and Coach Eric O'Bryan from Niagara Wheatfield join the podcast to discuss the challenges local coaches have had while waiting to get our 2021 season started. They both touch on the approaches they took in the off season, how they are getting their teams ready, and what to expect moving forward. It was great to touch base with some Prep level coaches who are navigating tough times. It was great though to hear of some players that they think will make a mark, not a complete list by any stretch, but certainly some highlights. Coaches we appreciate you! Adam Bennett https://twitter.com/SalamancaBB (@SalamancaBB) Eric O'Bryan https://twitter.com/NWFalconsHoops (@NWFalconsHoops)

Marke Freeman is a full time course director for PGC, a public speaker, former D1 athlete, tv analyst, and author. During her senior year with the Northern Illinois Huskies, Freeman led the team in scoring at 18.8 points, five rebounds, four assists, and 2.5 steals per game. After graduating from NIU, Freeman went on to play professionally with Tecza of Leszno, Poland, where she had an opportunity to compete against some of the best professional women's basketball players in the world. At just 5'5”, she averaged 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, earning her Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the PLKK All-Star team. Following her successful professional career, Marke joined the University of Missouri – Kansas City division I women's basketball program, honing her coaching skills under the tutelage of her college coach. Marke was able to pass on her knowledge to the entire UMKC roster in charge of operations and player development. Marke now serves as a core director for PGC and continues to pass on her knowledge of the game and the release of her book Champions Creed marks another notch in her drive to transform lives. We are very humbled that Marke would take the time to join us- one of the most insightful conversations we have had! Thanks Coach! Coaching Motto: “Success is not measured by where you are. It is measured by how far you have come and those you help along the way.” Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marke.s.freeman (Marke Freeman) Twitter: https://twitter.com/markefree (@markefree) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markefree/ (@markefree) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marke-freeman (Marke Freeman)

Dr. Tony Miller currently serves on the Health, Exercise & Sport Science faculty at Bob Jones University. In his current roles with BJU, he teaches sports management and exercise science courses (Sports Marketing & Communication, First Responder, Coaching Softball, Introduction to Sports Management, and Sports Management Practicum I & III) and is the lifeguard manager and pool supervisor for the school's aquatics facility. In addition, he serves as an assistant coach and director of basketball operations for the BJU Bruins men's basketball team. He holds several certifications, including South Carolina Environmental Certification Board Swimming Pool/Spa Operator, American Red Cross Emergency Responder Certification, American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification, and American Red Cross Instructor Certification. He has also contributed to The Sport Journal. Dr. Miller earned his doctoral degree in Sports Management with an emphasis in Sports Coaching from the United States Sports Academy in 2014, a master's degree in Secondary Education from BJU in 2007 and a bachelor's degree in Health, Fitness, and Recreation from BJU in 2005. Coach Miller was gracious enough with his time and provides some great insights to finding balance Beyond the Ball! Twitter https://twitter.com/tonywmiller (@tonywmiller) https://twitter.com/BJUBruinsMBB (@BJUBruinsMBB)

Lance Loya is the founder and CEO of The Good Teammate Factory. As a leading authority on the good teammate mindset, he specializes in getting individuals to shift into the We Gear and change their focus from me to we. Other experts concentrate on improving teamwork, but Lance concentrates on improving the teammate. Lance's method works! A college basketball coach turned author, blogger, and professional speaker, he is known for his enthusiastic personality and his passion for transforming teambusters into teammates. He is a rare two-time recipient of the prestigious Schoenfeld Award for Sportsmanship, Character, and Ethics, as presented by the Collegiate Basketball Officials Association. For more than 20 years, he operated youth sports camps. Hundreds of kids attended his wildly popular “Be A Good Teammate” basketball camp every summer, where they were taught daily that good teammates care, share, and listen. As a former intercollegiate student-athlete, Lance was an academic All-American. He holds an undergraduate degree in theatre and a master's degree in sports management. Prior to becoming a coach, he honed his speaking skills as a radio morning show disc jockey. Lance believes everybody is part of a team in some capacity, and every affliction facing our society comes down to people not being good teammates. He has inspired readers and audiences around the globe with this impactful message through his books, keynotes, and seminars. Website https://www.coachloya.com/ (https://www.coachloya.com/) Twitter https://twitter.com/coachlanceloya (@coachlanceloya)

Monique LeBlanc enters her first season as the head coach of the Bears after joining Brown in April 2020, following a successful nine-year run as the head women's basketball coach at Merrimack College. LeBlanc – the fifth head coach in program history at Brown – led Merrimack for nine seasons from 2011-20, becoming the Warriors' all-time leader in wins (129) and guiding the team to a 20-win season in its first year as a Division I program in 2019-20. In Merrimack's inaugural Division I season, LeBlanc led the team to a 20-9 overall record and 13-5 Northeast Conference record, placing third in the conference's regular season standings. She mentored Denia Davis-Stewart who earned both NEC Player of the Year and NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. During her time coaching Merrimack at the Division II level, LeBlanc reached the postseason on six occasions including five trips to the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. The Warriors' 2018-19 season featured the fourth 20-win season in school history and first in 14 years. Davis-Stewart garnered NE10 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2018-19. LeBlanc also guided Alyssa Carey to earn NE10 Rookie of the Year accolades in 2017-18. LeBlanc also served Merrimack as an Associate Athletic Director from 2012-20. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, LeBlanc helped direct the department by participating in strategic planning activities, helping set department policy, and representing Merrimack at conference meetings and other department programs. LeBlanc spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Arizona University from 2008-11. She overhauled the recruiting program, created complete scouting reports, and was responsible for the skill development of the team's guards specifically. Prior to Northern Arizona, LeBlanc coached for three seasons as an assistant coach at Bucknell University from 2005-08. The Bison captured the Patriot League Championship in 2007 and 2008 and earned an NCAA tournament berth in 2008. As a player at Bucknell University, LeBlanc served as a two-year captain, leading the Bison to their first-ever Patriot League Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2002, while compiling back-to-back 20-win seasons. She received the Bison award, given to a player that displayed the best overall work ethic and commitment to the program and earned the team's Defensive MVP award. Twitter https://twitter.com/CoachMoLeBlanc (@CoachMoLeBlanc) https://twitter.com/BrownHoops (@BrownHoops)

Adam Cohen, recognized as one of the nation's top young basketball coaches, has made a strong imprint in his first four seasons at Stanford. After serving as an assistant coach for the Cardinal his first two seasons, Cohen was elevated to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2018-19 season. Cohen owns a decade of experience as a college basketball mentor, including eight as a collegiate coach. He enters his fifth season at Stanford in 2020-21, previously serving as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt (2014-16), Harvard (2013-14) and Rice (2012-13). Leading all recruiting efforts for the Cardinal program, Cohen was instrumental in landing one of the best recruiting classes in school history for 2020. Stanford's 2020 class was regarded by nearly all the recruiting services as a top-10 class, led by top-five signee Ziaire Williams, the highest-rated student-athlete in program history.  Cohen has played an important role for a Stanford team that won 19 contests overall, finished third in the Pac-12 and won 11 conference games – its highest finish and most conference wins in 10 seasons – in 2018. The Cardinal earned a postseason berth for the first time in three years. Regarded as one of the game's rising young coaches, the NABC named Cohen to its prestigious 30-under-30 Team, recognizing the nation's top assistant coaches, at the 2016 Final Four in Houston. He was invited to take part in the prestigious Athletic Director U's Collegiate Coaching Consortium at the 2018 Final Four in San Antonio. Cohen has a proven track record in developing point guards. Under Cohen's tutelage, Max Guercy became the all-time assist leader at Rice, Siyani Chambers developed into a First Team All-Ivy League selection at Harvard, Wade Baldwin IV was an NBA first-round draft pick from Vanderbilt and Daejon Davis set the program's freshman assist record and was an Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection at Stanford. Along with Baldwin (Blazers), Cohen's roster of current NBA players he has helped develop also includes Luke Kornet (Knicks) and Damian Jones (Warriors).  Cohen arrived on The Farm prior to the 2016-17 season, after serving as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt for two seasons. He helped guide the Commodores to 40 combined victories and postseason berths in his two years in Nashville. Vanderbilt won 19 games and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2015-16. Prior to Vanderbilt, Cohen was an assistant coach at Harvard. During the 2013-14 campaign with the Crimson, he helped guide the program to its fourth straight Ivy League title, an NCAA Tournament appearance, and program records for overall victories (27) and conference wins (13). He helped develop several All-Ivy selections, including Player of the Year Wesley Saunders. Cohen broke into coaching during the 2012-13 season, serving as an assistant coach at Rice. He oversaw the Owl's recruiting efforts, where he recruited all-conference and all-academic selection Marcus Jackson.  Cohen's Pac-12 ties are deep, as a student manager at Arizona and the Director of Operations at USC. A 2008 graduate of Arizona with a degree in political science, Cohen served as a student manager and assistant video coordinator under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson. After a year as a graduate assistant at New Orleans, Cohen joined the staff at USC as the Trojans' video coordinator. He was elevated to Director of Operations after just one year. Cohen spent three seasons at USC (2010-12) prior to joining the coaching staff at Rice.  Cohen, who serves on the Board of Directors for Rising Coaches Elite, was appointed to the Coaching for Literacy Coaches Council in 2017. He has overseen several elite camps, including the 2007 Nike Basketball clinic in Chengdu, China. A native of Buffalo, New York, Cohen attended Williamsville North High School, where he served as a captain for the Spartans basketball team.  Cohen and his wife, Danielle, were married in San Diego in May 2018. Adam...

Tyler Dunne is a 716er doing amazing things in the world of sports journalism. After a successful high school career as an athlete and brief venture into college athletics, Tyler knew from an early age that sports, journalism, and telling stories was his passion. Tyler has spent the majority of his time working his way up into NFL circles as a reporter for the Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and the Buffalo Bills. He most recently started a new venture called Go Long, where you can read great stories about some of our most famous athletes. www.golongtd.com  It was great having Tyler on and we wish him nothing but the best! Twitter https://twitter.com/TyDunne (@TyDunne)

Sal Capaccio is the Buffalo Bills Beat & Sideline Reporter. He is also a Host and podcaster for https://twitter.com/WGR550 (@WGR550) Growing up in the heart of Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres country, Sal Capaccio '95 knew first-hand the significant role professional sports plays in the everyday lives of Western New Yorkers.  Capaccio's path to a career in sports broadcasting started as many do; he studied broadcast journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He was active at campus radio station Z-89 WJPZ-FM, eventually serving as the station's sports director.  Capaccio moved to Englewood, Fl., working in sales for a small radio station, WENG, while also handling high school football and Little League baseball play-by-play duties.  A standout athlete in high school, Capaccio started coaching Little League baseball and Pop Warner football and landed a position as head junior varsity football coach and head varsity girls track coach at Lemon Bay High School. While Capaccio had a passion for education — he also taught high school social studies and special education — his heart remained in sports broadcasting, and he longed to return home to Western New York.  Capaccio hustled his way into the Bills' sideline reporter role in 2014 and the beat reporter job in 2015. On game days, Capaccio and John Murphy '78 are responsible for bringing the action into the homes of fans everywhere on the Buffalo Bills Radio Network.    Having Sal on was such a huge experience for us! As avid Bills and Sabres fans, Sal is part of our lifeline to the team and was gracious enough to share a little insight into his journey and how sports helped shape his career path and ultimately his life. If you don't know his story you will really enjoy it, if you do, it is worth a listen as he shares some fun anecdotes from his coaching days. We are truly blessed to have Sal join us, thanks Sal! Go Bills!!! Twitter https://twitter.com/SalSports (@SalSports)  https://twitter.com/WGR550 (@WGR550) https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills (@BuffaloBills) Bio paraphrased by By John Boccacino '03  https://cusecommunity.syr.edu/s/1632/17/interior.aspx?sid=1632&gid=2&pgid=4007&cid=7469&ecid=7469&crid=0&calpgid=2223&calcid=4492 (https://cusecommunity.syr.edu/s/1632/17/interior.aspx?sid=1632&gid=2&pgid=4007&cid=7469&ecid=7469&crid=0&calpgid=2223&calcid=4492)

Mike Berkun is the Men's Basketball Head Coach at Maritime College in Throgg's Neck, New York. In May of 2017, Berkun became the 15th individual to hold the head coaching position at Maritime dating back to the program's inception in the 1940s. In addition to his basketball role at Maritime, Berkun also holds the position of Athletic Director for Facilities. Berkun arrived at Maritime from Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y., where he recently served as Associate Head Coach of the Wildcat team that has amassed a 59-29 record in his stint on the sideline. While serving as associate head coach; he was tasked with recruiting, player development, strength & conditioning, fundraising, academics and numerous other responsibilities. In addition to his experience in the Wildcat athletic department, Berkun was also the director of the Team Camp and Basketball Camp director. He has also been the director of the Gamechangers Program since 2012 and works with inner-city youth of Buffalo, N.Y. and gives them a chance to play basketball. Prior to Daemen, Berkun was the associate head coach at Division III Medaille College in Buffalo, N.Y., and helped the program to 78 wins during his four-year stint with the Mavericks. His duties at Medaille focused on recruiting, scouting, player development, strength & conditioning, fundraising, and consulting student-athletes academically. Before coaching on the sidelines at Medaille, Berkun was a student-athlete for the Mavericks as a member of their men's basketball program. As a student-athlete he amassed 481 points including a career-best 276 as a senior, he also tallied 199 career assists to go along with 135 rebounds. As both a junior and senior, Berkun served as a team captain and guided the team to back-to-back Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament Championships. Berkun graduated from Medaille with a Bachelor's Degree with honors in Liberal Studies in 2010. He later went on to earn his Master's Degree in Sports Administration at Canisius College in 2015. Twitter https://twitter.com/mikeberkun (@mikeberkun) https://twitter.com/MaritimeHoops (@MaritimeHoops)

Jacey Brooks is in her third season as Cortland's women's basketball head coach. During the 2019-20 season, Brooks led the Red Dragons to a 22-7 record, the finals of the SUNYAC tournament and an NCAA Division III tournament at-large berth. Cortland won its NCAA first-round game and tied for 17th place nationally. Brooks was named the D3hoops.com East Region Coach of the Year, and she and her assistant coaches were selected as the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Brooks also guided Cortland to a SUNYAC tournament appearance in her first season in 2018-19. A former standout player at Buffalo State College, Brooks worked with Division I coaching staffs 11 years prior to her arrival at Cortland, most recently as an assistant coach for five years at Bowling Green State University in Ohio from 2013-18. Brooks was part of a Bowling Green program that finished 30-5 overall, captured the Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular-season title with a 17-1 mark, and won three games in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in the 2013-14 season. She co-managed the Falcons' offensive scheme, including in-game decisions, from 2013-16 and served as the program's defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 2016-18. The program had the fifth-highest team grade point average among Division I women's squads in 2014-15 and the seventh-best team GPA in 2016-17. In August 2015, Brooks was one of just 50 coaches across the nation selected to participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) Center for Coaching Excellence's inaugural session for assistant coaches in Atlanta, Ga. She is a June 2017 graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) Class #41 in Denver, Colo., and she also attended the NCAA/National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) Women's Leadership Symposium in Kansas City, Mo., in May 2016. Prior to her work at Bowling Green, Brooks spent three seasons on the coaching staff at Canisius College. She primarily worked with the team's backcourt players while assisting with the day-to-day operations of the program. Brooks also worked at St. Bonaventure University, where she moved into an assistant coach role for the 2009-10 season after spending two years as the director of basketball operations. The Bonnies finished 23-10 and made their second straight WNIT appearance in 2009-10. A native of Machias, N.Y., Brooks graduated from Buffalo State in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness. During her four seasons on the hardwood for the Bengals (2002-05 and 2006-07) she recorded 1,219 points and 554 rebounds, earned two All-SUNYAC honors, and helped lead the team to three straight conference tournaments. She currently ranks sixth in school history in scoring and 15th in rebounding. Brooks is also the Bengals' career free throw percentage leader (84.5 percent), and she holds the school single-season records for 3-point shooting percentage (43.4 percent in 2003-04) and free throw percentage (87.0 percent in 2004-05). Brooks has also coached in the Empire State Games, serving as an assistant coach for the Western region in the women's open division. She earned a Master of Science in Sport Administration from Canisius in May 2012.  Twitter - https://twitter.com/hoopheadspod/Coach_JBrooks (@Coach_JBrooks)

Mick & Melissa Kuberka are the leaders of the Buffalo Titans Basketball program. Melissa is currently the head coach at St. John Fisher College. In her three seasons in charge, the Cardinals have won 61 games, posted two 21-win seasons, and celebrated one Empire 8 conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Melissa was named Empire 8 Coach of the Year after the 2020 season. She began her collegiate coaching career at Hilbert College in 2015 after previously serving as assistant varsity basketball coach at Mount Mercy Academy. In her first season, the Hawks tied the program record for wins at the Division 3 level with 11. The Hawks duplicated that feat in Kuberka's second year, while returning to the AMCC playoffs for the first time in over a decade.  As a player at Mount Mercy, Kuberka was part of the 2007 Msgr. Martin League Championship team and the 2009 State Championship team. She was a member of the 1st Team All-WNY Team and was named to the All-Msgr. Martin Team three times. Her career continued at SUNY Geneseo where she helped lead the Knights to a 2011 SUNYAC Championship, while being named to the All-Tournament Team. As a senior, she earned the Geneseo Athletic Department's Leadership and Contribution Award after earning DIII All-American honors, spots on the D3hoops.com All-Tournament team and the Eastern College Athletic Conference Upstate NY team, and was named as the SUNYAC women's basketball Player of the Year. She finished her career with a school-record 115 blocked shots, ranked 12th on the Knights' scoring list (1,042 points) and is among Geneseo's all-time leaders in rebounding, assists, three-pointers, and steals. Mick was the top assistant coach at Hilbert College from 2003-2010. Kuberka graduated from Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School in Buffalo in 1998 where he was a First Team All-Catholic and Honorable Mention All-Western New York selection for the Tigers.Before entering the college coaching ranks, Kuberka enjoyed a standout four-year career at Lafayette College, a member of the NCAA Division I Patriot League. As a freshman, he was a key contributor as the Leopards claimed the first regular season conference title in school history and advanced to the 1999 NCAA Tournament to take on the University of Miami. Kuberka helped Lafayette to even greater heights as a sophomore as the team put together a school-record 24 wins and once again secured the Patriot League regular season and tournament championships. The Leopards, who had their season chronicled in author John Feinstein's top-selling book The Last Amateurs, advanced to the 2000 NCAA Tournament and faced Temple University at HSBC Arena in downtown Buffalo. During his four seasons, the Leopards put together an overall record of 73-45. Kuberka has worked a number of summer basketball camps over the course of his playing and coaching days, including those offered by the U.S. Military Academy, Canisius College, Siena College, King's College, Hilbert, and the Buffalo Niagara Court Center. Twitter https://twitter.com/buffalotitans (@buffalotitans) https://twitter.com/SJFCWBB (@SJFCWBB)

Sam Allen, a former all-state point guard at Brookwood High School in Georgia, played his college career at Reinhardt University where he was the starting point guard for a school record 125 consecutive games. An All-Conference player at Reinhardt, Sam compiled over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists during his college career. He also led his school to their first ever National Tournament appearance. Sam received All-Academic Honors at Reinhardt and has a Master's Degree in Sport Administration from Georgia State. Since graduating from college, Sam has worked eight years as an Assistant Coach at the Collegiate level—at Faulkner University and Reinhardt University—including working under two National Championship head coaches. Sam also runs Blue Collar Basketball, which focuses on team and individual training, basketball strength and conditioning, and provides a recruiting service for college coaches and high school players. Sam also is a director for PGC Basketball and a lead member of Key5 Coaching. Both are phenomenal resources for both players and coaches. Coach Sam, thank you so much for coming on and talking life and hoops! We appreciate you! Twitter https://twitter.com/coachsamallen (@coachsamallen) https://twitter.com/Key5Coaching (@Key5Coaching)   https://twitter.com/PGCbasketball (@PGCbasketball) https://twitter.com/BCBBall_ (@BCBBall_)

Coach Kyle Elmendorf is a great follow and we were lucky enough to have him on the pod to talk about life, hoops, and warm living in the "Sunshine State" Coach Kyle identifies himself as a father, husband, teacher, coach, writer, speaker. Kyle help coaches, athletes, business professionals, and leaders achieve their goals by providing insight and leadership training through my speaking, writing, coaching and consulting services. In this episode he discusses his move from the Midwest to beaches of Florida and how he became involved with Lead'Em Up. Coach has a beautiful wife and two amazing sons. Thanks again for coming on and sharing your wisdom! Twitter - https://twitter.com/k_elmendorf (@k_elmendorf) https://twitter.com/Lead_Em_Up (@Lead_Em_Up )

Matt Sayman is currently serving as the head boys basketball coach at Grapevine Faith High School. Matt recently released his book titled, The Leftovers: Basketball, Betrayal, Baylor & Beyond, describing his journey to college athletics. It's a remarkable story of personal loss, tragedy and perseverance through his senior season at Baylor University. Matt's teams at Grapevine Faith High School have become well known for their offensive accomplishments, including leading the the nation in 3-point field goals made each of the last two years. Matt was a three-year letterman at The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas, where he played under head coach Tommy Thomas. He was also a two-year Team MVP, elected Honorable Mention All-USA by USA Today, and a McDonald's All-American nominee as a senior. He was the ninth-ranked recruit in the state by Texas Hoops and also received District 5-5A MVP following a stellar senior season. Other high school accolades include being selected Second-Team All-State and First-Team All-Region 1 by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. After his high school career, Matt signed a scholarship with Baylor University where he played all four years. He was a valuable member of his college team and contributed in many ways both on and off the court. While playing at Baylor, he set the record for the most games played in Baylor history – 118 games. After college, Matt played professionally in Iceland, winning the Icelandic championship for Njardvik in 2005. Twitter - https://twitter.com/Matt_Sayman (@Matt_Sayman) https://twitter.com/GFCSMBB (@GFCSMBB)

Marybeth Nugent was promoted to head women's basketball coach of the Buffalo State women's program prior to the 2018-19 season after spending three seasons as the lead assistant under Kevin Clifford who departed for the same position at Division II Roberts Wesleyan. Nugent guided the Bengals back to the playoffs in 2019-20 and mentored the program's first All-American since 2012 in Liv LeBaron who earned honorable mention honors and became the program's second leading scorer all-time despite playing just three seasons. Nugent is a 2011 graduate of Daemen College, where she was also an integral part of the women's basketball program. She started all 124 games of her career and holds the record for single game assists and single game three-point percentage. She was also a member of the 2010-11 NAIA National TNT "Sweet 16" team and was inducted into the Daemen Athletic Hall of Fame. Prior to Buffalo State, Nugent was the junior varsity women's basketball coach at Williamsville South and has also coached AAU.  The Springville, N.Y. native earned a bachelor's degree from Daemen in health career studies. Coach Nugent! Thank you so much for joining the pod. Coach's passion and intentionality of bringing the Bengals back to dominance was a joy to her. A product of the 716, she is doing it right!

Brent Tipton resides on the beautiful island of Guam in the South Pacific and is the Head Men's Basketball Coach at The University of Guam and the Head Coach of Guam's U16 Men's National Basketball Team. Coach Tipton is currently navigating a brand new basketball program at The University of Guam. The 2016-2017 season was the first year in existence for the UoG Tritons. The team was then composed of no scholarship players and finished the season 3-28. The program has made a complete turn around in the 2017-2018 season as Tipton was able to sign the first ever-recruiting class for UoG with players coming from Guam and the mainland United States. In 2017 the UoG Tritons went undefeated in the Guam Basketball League, winning the championship with a 20-0 record. Coach Tipton graduated from Northland International University in 2008 with a B.S. in Physical Education. While at NIU he played basketball 3 years for the Pioneers, helping them win the Midwest Regional Championship and a birth in the NCCAA National Tournament his junior season.  Coach, thank you so much for coming on the podcast!!! In addition to taking our show world wide, you gave our listeners so much insight to coaching. We appreciate you coach! Twitter - https://twitter.com/coachbtipton (@coachbtipton)

Coach Seth Kindig joins the pod as a transformational leader at Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, Georgia. He is the Director of Girls Basketball, Lead Teacher, and the Dean of Students. He shared with us some ways to connect with athletes, his passion for sharing the game, and his unique path off the court in meeting his wife, and how home ultimately came calling. Coach, we truly appreciate your time and your efforts to share the game and your journey. We were blessed to have you on. Give Coach Kindig a follow on Social Media. We hope you enjoy the episode. Twitter - https://twitter.com/SethKindig (@SethKindig)

Blair Estarfaa is in his second season as a member of the women's basketball coaching staff at the University of Buffalo. He was promoted to assistant coach in June after serving as the team's Director of Basketball Operations during the 2019-20 season. Estarfaa came to Buffalo after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Daemen College. Prior to coming to Daeman, Blair was an assistant coach at Alfred University in 2016-17. He is a graduate of SUNY Cortland and three-year member of the men's basketball team. He captained the 2015-16 team to a 21-8 record and a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title. He earned first team All-SUNYAC honors and second-team all-district honors as a senior after averaging a team-high 15.4 points. Estarfaa was a standout at Maryvale High School in Cheektowaga, N.Y. As a senior he averaged 25 points a game and collected fifth-team Class A all-state honors. He was also named second-team All-Western New York and ECIC III Player of the Year following his senior year. "It is an honor to be joining such a talented group of student-athletes and coaches and it's a blessing to represent the city of Buffalo," said Estarfaa. "I look forward to the journey ahead. Go Bulls!" Coach Estarfaa is an up and coming star in the coaching profession. Thank you coach for your time and insights!!!!

Mike Blaine, who owns a 92-72 career record in six years as a head coach, joins Eric and Justin on this episode of Beyond the Ball. As head coach of Plattsburgh State, they finished just one game back of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament qualification in his first season. He guided the Cardinals to an 8-17 overall (5-13 SUNYAC) mark. Prior to arriving at Plattsburgh State, Blaine served as the head coach at Medaille College for five seasons. Medaille won two Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) championships under Blaine's direction, including most recently in 2016-17 when he earned AMCC Coach of the Year honors. He posted an 84-55 record (63-27 AMCC) during his time at Medaille and qualified for the AMCC Tournament every year. Blaine's Mavericks made two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances during his time in Buffalo. In addition to his coaching duties at Medaille, he served as the AMCC's representative on the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Advisory Committee for men's basketball from 2016-18 and oversaw the department's NCAA compliance and student services. Prior to Medaille, Blaine worked as an assistant coach at Division I Cornell University of the Ivy League from 2010-14 on head coach Bill Courtney's staff. He served as the program's primary admissions, alumni relations and game scheduling liaison and managed recruiting efforts in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the United States. Blaine also coached for two seasons as an assistant at Division I University of Maryland Eastern Shore, one season as an assistant at Division III Hampden-Sydney College, one season as an assistant at Division I Radford University, two seasons as the director of basketball operations at Division I Army West Point and one season as the director of basketball operations at Division I James Madison University. Coach Blaine discusses his journey, some of the challenges of recruiting during covid, and how he believes you have to coach who you are. Coach Blaine, we truly appreciate you coming on the pod!!!! Twitter https://twitter.com/CoachMikeBlaine   (@CoachMikeBlaine  ) https://twitter.com/Cardinals_MBB (@Cardinals_MBB)

Desmond Randall, a 2010 graduate of the University of Maine, is the Villa Maria College Viking men's basketball coach. Coach Randall's experience goes back to 2011 when he started as a head coach for the Upstate Basketball AAU 12U and 13U teams. In 2012, he joined the West Seneca High Staff as an assistant coach for varsity football and assistant coach for the JV basketball team. In 2013 Randall became an assistant varsity coach at Canisius High School where he helped lead them to a Federation title in 2014.  In 2015, Randall was hired as the head coach for Bishop Timon Varsity basketball and after going 13-12 his first year, the team won the Monsignor Martin Title (12-1) and finished 18-7 in his second year. In 2017, he stepped down at Timon and took over at his Alma Mater, West Seneca High School. He coached them to a 24-0 record, 12-0 ECIC 1 Champs, Section 6 Class A1 Champs and Section 6 overall champs before becoming far west regional runner up and finishing 24-1 overall. In 2018, the West Seneca team repeated as section class A 1 Champs.  Coach Randall also coaches for the Corey Graham Elite AAU 16U-17U Elite Travel Team.  In addition to coaching, Randall has been a part of a variety of camps. He started with the University of Maine Youth Basketball camps in 2009 and 2010. He continued his work at the Medaille College Youth and University at Buffalo Youth basketball camps in 2013. From 2015-2018 Randall was a part of the Daemen College Youth basketball camps.   Coach Randall brought so much insight and wisdom to the podcast, as he discussed his journey to coaching basketball, adversity that shaped his perspective, and a passion that has fueled his pursuit to coach at the highest levels of the game. We appreciate you Coach! Enjoy the episode! Twitter https://twitter.com/CoachRandall5   (@CoachRandall5  ) https://twitter.com/VillaMariaMBB (@VillaMariaMBB)  

Coach Donaldson is in his fifth season as the head coach at Heidelberg and his seventeenth overall. Scott has served in multiple positions in his time, starting as a graduate assistant and then working his way to the top spot. Self admittedly, Coach dove right into coaching and was short on experience, but continued to strive to get better, and with the help of some great mentors that helped mold him, now continues to make the most of his opportunity. Like many coaches we have talked to he finds the right flow between home life and work life and gives some advice on how to continue to find that flow at home with his wife and two kids.  Coach we truly appreciate that you took the time to talk with you! Twitter https://twitter.com/Coach_Donaldson (@Coach_Donaldson)

Del Reid is the owner of 26 Shirts and Co-Founder of BillsMafia. Del joins the podcast to discuss his love of sport and how he has used that to influence the Buffalo Community and even further with the start of "26 Shirts". He dives into some Bills talk and gives a little behind the scene insight to the start of #Billsmafia 26 Shirts sells different limited edition sports-themed t-shirts every two weeks. After a shirt's respective two week run is over, the design is retired and never sold again. 26 Shirts is currently operating in Buffalo, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. For every shirt sold, a donation is made to a specified family in need or charitable organization. The primary focus is needs associated with health/medical concerns, or unexpected family emergencies. Del continues to use his platform to help those in need. Del we appreciate you coming on the pod, it was a truly enjoyable experience. GoBills! Twitter - https://twitter.com/DelReid (@DelReid)  https://twitter.com/26shirts (@26shirts) Website - https://26shirts.com/ (https://26shirts.com/) #billsmafia

Sean Strickland is the associate head coach of the Muskingum women's basketball program.  Strickland was previously at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. In his seven years as the leader of the men's program, Strickland coached 12 All-AMCC performers, including an AMCC Conference Player of the Year and an AMCC Newcomer of the Year. Off the court, his Bobcats earned 22 AMCC Academic All-Conference Team awards and attained the highest team GPA in men's basketball program history. Strickland also coached seven of the 12 1,000-point scorers in school history. Strickland's 2015-16 team is the most decorated team in the history of the Pitt-Greensburg Men's basketball program. Strickland's college coaching career started at Baldwin Wallace University where he served as the top assistant women's basketball coach and head women's golf coach. Strickland was a member of the men's basketball team at Penn State Beaver from 1989-91. He scored over 1,000 points in his two seasons at PSB.  Strickland owns Strick Hoops, LLC which runs camps, clinics, and does skills training for players in the area.  It was great having Sean on to give insight on finding balance, getting recruited, and talking wings!!! Coach we appreciate you!!! Twitter - https://twitter.com/coach__strick (@Coach__Strick)

Jamie Quarles is in his fourth season on the UB men's basketball coaching staff. Quarles was a long-time assistant coach at Augusta University where he was most recently named one of the Top 10 Young Professionals To Watch by Augusta Magazine. Last season, Quarles helped lead the Bulls to a 20-12 record, overseeing the Buffalo offense, which ranked amongst the tops in the MId-American Conference. As the primary guards coach, Quarles also coached Ronaldo Segu, who was named the MAC Sixth Man of the Year and Davonta Jordan, who was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Junior guard Jayvon Graves was named a first-team All-MAC selection. Coach Q dropped some knowledge on his journey from his playing days to his current role at the University of Buffalo. He discusses ways he finds rhythm between his coaching life and his personal life and interestingly enough some of his connections to local WNY athletes. Coach Q, we appreciate you!!!!   Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBCoachJ (@UBCoachJ)

Coach Jon DeMarco joins the podcast to discuss finding balance on and off the court and using his experience in the game to be a transformational leader. Jon is a former college football player, HS Basketball Coach (Boston Globe Coach of Year) & football coach. He prides himself on working hard to help the next generation of coaches/athletes! He hosts a twitter chat to help new and veteran coaches share the game. His insights on the game have led him to having an influential career in education as well, serving in leadership positions within his district. Coach talks about where the love of sport comes from, a little philosophy, and his love of Boston sports. It was a pleasure having coach on, we appreciate you! Twitter - https://twitter.com/Coach_DeMarco  (@Coach_DeMarco )  #GBetBBChat™

Coach Eric Rupp is the Head Coach of the Lancaster Legends Football Team in WNY. Coach Rupp has led the Legends to four straight sectional championships and has taken his team to the state finals. Coaches discussed with Eric and Justin his time growing up and playing football, his mentors from his Dad to his former coaches, how building a program at Lancaster has been a transformational opportunity, and his strategy for finding balance with a young family. Coach Rupp uses the E + R = O model to help his kids build character and learn perseverance. So many great insights, we hope you enjoy! We would live for you to rate, share, and follow!!!!  Twitter https://twitter.com/lhscoachrupp (@lhscoachrupp) https://twitter.com/LancAthletics (@LancAthletics)

Kyle and Aseem join this week's Beyond the Ball podcast to discuss life off of the court, how to be a transformational coach, really examining how coaches can impact the lives of their athletes, AND their new journey into ESSENTIAL COACHING. Both Aseem and Kyle are part of the Lead'Em Up family and just share tremendous insights that will help coaches of all ages.  Website - https://t.co/nyVwOiF2eK?amp=1 (Essential-Coaching.net) Twitter https://twitter.com/rastogi_aseem (@Rastogi_Aseem ) https://twitter.com/coachk424 (@coachk424)

Mike MacDonald, Head Men's basketball Coach at Daemen College in Amherst, New York, joins Eric and Justin on this week's podcast to discuss his journey coaching Division 1, Division 3, and Division 2. Coach Mac shares insights on connecting with athletes, a developing coaching tree, coaching his own sons, and the balance and stability his wife brings. Thank you Coach Mac for being such a great influence on our careers and being such a gracious guest!!! We hope you enjoy the episode. Website - https://daemenwildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball (https://daemenwildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball) Email - mmacdona@daemen.edu Twitter - https://twitter.com/DaemenMBB (@DaemenMBB)

Coach Earl Schunk joins Eric and Justin Beyond the Ball to discuss his journey in the game of hoops and how he has managed the transitions from HS basketball to a Division III coach, then from a Division III level to the Division II level. Coach Schunk shares some great anecdotes from off the court and also reveals his first love in sports. Hope you enjoy the episode!!! Follow Coach Schunk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/earlschunk (@Earlschunk  ) https://twitter.com/DYOUVILLEMBB (@DYOUVILLEMBB)

On this episode of Beyond the Ball, Ken Stoldt the head of Section 6 football joins the pod to discuss sports, family, and the use of the game to mold lives. Ken pays tribute to the late Dick Gallagher and discusses his experiences as a coach from the modified level through varsity, as an administrator, working as Section Chairman, and most importantly the role football has played in his own family with both of his sons now being coaches themselves. Ken gives great advice and insight to what it takes to create balance. Twitter - https://twitter.com/kenstoldtmt (@KenStoldtMT)

In this episode, Eric and Justin have Tom Prince and Dennis Sarow on to discuss the impact of WNY legend Dick Gallagher. WNY lost one of its finest promoters of high school athletes. Dick was a man of faith, a man of family, and a man of sport. Dick utilized his life in service to others through helping those that have battled addiction and was the largest promoter of athletes on the football field. Tom and Dennis use this platform to celebrate a man that truly left his mark beyond the ball.   17:00- Tom and Dennis give their connections to Dick and what he meant to them. 23:00- Dick's positivity toward high school athletes and others just energized all those around him. 27:00- The importance of family. 30:00- Dick as the heartbeat of WNY football and his relentless pursuit for excellence. 37:00- How to best remember Dick, what he would want moving forward for Section 6 football. Twitter - https://twitter.com/WNYTomPrince (@WNYTomPrince ) https://twitter.com/bigdaddykw (@bigdaddykw)

Cleve Wright will enter his 13th season overall as Gannon's head women's basketball coach in 2020-21, the second season of his second stint in Erie. A coaching veteran of nearly three decades at both the NCAA Division I and II levels, Wright served as the Gannon women's basketball head coach from 2002-13, before serving as the head coach at NCAA Division I Miami (Ohio) from 2013-17 and as an associate head coach at NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Website - https://gannonsports.com/sports/womens-basketball (https://gannonsports.com/sports/womens-basketball) Email - wright026@gannon.edu Twitter - https://twitter.com/Cleve_Wright (@Cleve_Wright)

Jordan Hogan, a fast-rising wide receivers coach who has already worked with record-setting pass-catchers and NFL stars, joined the Cornell staff in the spring of 2017. In his four seasons at Buffalo State, Hogan was responsible for many aspects of a successful program, from recruiting throughout the state of New York to running position meetings and preparing and implementing weekly game plans. A graduate of Newfane HS on the outskirts of Buffalo, Hogan went on to play for the College at Brockport, where he wrapped up his collegiate playing career in 2012. A three-year starter at wide receiver for the Golden Eagles, he finished fifth on the school's all-time list in receiving yards (1,546) and eighth in total catches (108). He was a preseason All-American as a senior, earned All-NJAC honors as a junior and also served as a team captain. Hogan graduated with a degree in Communication and Media Studies in 2013. Twitter - https://twitter.com/CoachHoags (@CoachHoags) Email - jxh3@cornell.edu

In this episode Coach Billy Beilein from the Niagara County CC Thunderwolves joins Coach Klumpp and Coach Gerstung to talk hoops, life away from the court, the role his beautiful wife plays, and how being a transformational coach is starting to bring in some top level talent, from both Western NY and across the country. Coach Beilein has led this squad for over a decade and has always been intrigued by the next move, but has perspective in understanding all the blessings that he has experienced while staying rooted and building something where you are at. We hope you enjoy the conversation!! Twitter - https://twitter.com/niagaracccMBB (@niagaracccMBB) https://twitter.com/CoachB_Beilein (@CoachB_Beilein) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/niagarambb/ (https://www.instagram.com/niagarambb/) https://www.instagram.com/coachb_beilein/ (https://www.instagram.com/coachb_beilein/)

In the introductory episode of the Beyond the Ball podcast, Coach Klumpp and Coach Gerstung give you some insights into what to expect out of their podcast, some of their background, their thoughts on coaching, family, and finding balance. They are both Christians that hope to use this platform as a place to have conversations about how sport beyond the ball has provided deeper meaning for them and how their families have been an instrumental part of their journey. Coach Klumpp and Coach Gerstung were actually opponents and friends during their high school careers and that friendship and competitiveness continues even now as they both work and coach back at their home schools. They discuss how this podcast is a passion project for themselves to simply talk sport, talk coaching, share experiences, and celebrate transformational coaches. 2:45- Coach Klumpp introduces himself. 4:00- Coach Gerstung introduces himself. 6:30- Coach Klumpp's Philosophy on coaching. 8:00- Coach Gerstung's Philosophy on coaching. 13:30- Coach Klumpp on family and finding balance. 16:00- Coach Gerstung on family and finding balance. Subscribe to the Beyond the Ball Podcast by following this link. https://beyond-the-ball.captivate.fm/listen (https://beyond-the-ball.captivate.fm/listen)