Coaching Origins

Today we talk with Presbyterian Head Coach Quinton Ferrell. In my former television life, I actually covered Ferrell when he was a high school player in North Augusta, South Carolina. He played his college basketball at Presbyterian, got his coaching start at Presbyterian, and after a couple other stops on his coaching journey, Ferrell returned to his alma mater to take his first Division I head coaching job in 2019. You can follow Coach Ferrell on Twitter at @CoachQF24.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with East Tennessee State Head Coach Desmond Oliver. The native of Buffalo, New York started his coaching career with Niagara in 1994. After nine stops as an assistant, and 27 years, Oliver finally got his first Division I head coaching job at ETSU in 2021. You can follow Coach Oliver on Twitter at @DesmondOliver2.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with, I believe for the first time, a coach with a PhD -- Lehigh Head Coach Dr. Brett Reed. Reed is now in his 16th-season at Lehigh, but when he first got the job at 34 years old, he was one of the youngest head coaches in the country. Fresh out of college, his coaching journey started leading a high school team. While that journey had a brief pause to allow him to finish his PhD, it ultimately led Reed to being named Lehigh's head coach in 2007.You can follow Coach Reed on Twitter at @BrettReed.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we catch up with Bucknell head coach Nathan Davis. His coaching journey started in 1997 after his playing career was done. He had assistant coaching stops that included Navy and Bucknell before ultimately returning to Bucknell in 2015 as he earned his first Division I head coaching job. Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we catch up with Steve Henson, the head coach of the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners. The native of Junction City, Kansas played his college ball at Kansas State, before being drafted by the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. After his professional career ended, he hooked up with his former college coach, Lon Kruger, who helped him start his coaching journey. That ultimately led him to getting his first head coaching job at UTSA in 2016. You can follow Coach Henson on Twitter at @CoachHensonUTSA.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with Steve Lutz, the Head Coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. After his playing career ended at Texas Lutheran in 1995, Lutz started his coaching journey. Unlike a lot of his peers, instead of moving from job to job in the early part of his career, Lutz was comfortable putting roots down in each of his stops. After a quarter-century of work, Lutz got his first Division I head coaching job at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 2021. You can follow Coach Lutz on Twitter at @LutzSteve.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with Florida A&M Head Coach Robert McCullum. The native of Birmingham, Alabama started his career as a junior high coach back in 1976. It took nearly 25 years working his way up through the ranks before he finally got his first Division I head coaching job at Western Michigan in 2000. Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with SIU Edwardsville Head Coach Brian Barone. Barone played at Texas A&M for his dad Tony, before transferring to Marquette and ultimately becoming part of the Tom Crean coaching tree. Barone's coaching career started at Central Florida Community College. Nearly two decades later, he finally get that first Division I head coaching job at  SIUE. You can follow Coach Barone on Twitter @baronecoach.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with Central Connecticut State Head Coach Patrick Sellers. Before he got his first head coaching job at CCSU, Sellers' coaching journey had 12 different stops, including a trip to China. But after 27 years of working his way up, Sellers finally got the call to lead his own program -- which happened to be his alma mater. Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with Wofford Head Coach Jay McAuley. Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we make our first trip to the Ivy League and talk with Dartmouth Head Coach David McLaughlin. The Massachusetts native has kept his coaching roots in the northeast. His first head coaching job was at then Division II Stonehill, where he twice went to the Division II Final Four. After a stop as an assistant at Northeastern, in 2016, McLaughlin earned his first Division I head coaching job with the Big Green of Dartmouth. Follow Coach McLaughlin on Twitter at @DartCoachMacEach Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with South Alabama Head Coach Richie Riley. The Kentucky native's journey took him to Georgetown (KY), Hawaii Pacific, Pikeville, Coastal Carolina, Eastern Kentucky, UAB, Clemson, and then, at just 33 years old, he got his first Division I head coaching job at Nicholls.Follow Coach Riley on Twitter at @USAJagsCoachRREach Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we catch up with Sacramento State head coach David Patrick. Patrick's basketball journey may include more miles on it than any coach we've talked to so far. He was born in Bermuda and raised in Australia. After his professional career was derailed by injury, he used those connections Down Under to help enhance his recruiting portfolio --  that included his godson, and future #1 NBA draft pick, Ben Simmons. All that work ultimately led Patrick to getting his first Division I head coaching job at UC Riverside. Follow Coach Patrick on Twitter at @CoachDPatrick.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we catch up with first-year Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon. After growing up in Columbus, Ohio , Pedon's coaching roots are planted firmly in the midwest. He's been on staff at Miami of Ohio, Kent State, Toledo, Illinois, Butler and Ohio State. After a 22-year journey, this past March, Pedon finally earned his first head coaching job at Illinois State. Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we talk with the head coach of the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks Ryan Ridder. The Lexington, Kentucky native grew up around coaching as his dad has been a successful coach at the Division II level. After quickly working his way up through the ranks, Ridder earned his first Division I head coaching job at Bethune-Cookman at just 32 years old.  Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we'll talk with Kent State Head Coach Rob Senderoff. Senderoff just started his 12th-season with the Golden Flashes. We'll talk about his rise as one of the brightest young assistants in the country, how a recruiting scandal had him worried his career might be over, and how the relationships he built early in his career not only kept him in the coaching business, but propelled him to leading his own program at Kent State. Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we'll talk with the first-year head coach of the Cleveland State Vikings Daniyal Robinson. We'll talk with Robinson about what he learned from working alongside Porter Moser for multiple stops in his journey; what it's like to be an assistant on a staff that gets fired; and that moment when he ultimately gets named as head coach at Cleveland State. Follow Coach Robinson on Twitter at @Coach_D_RobEach Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we'll talk with the head coach of the Idaho Vandals Zac Claus. His coaching career started as the JV coach at Nebraska Wesleyan back in 1998. Claus has had Division I assistant stops at Portland State, Sacramento State, Nevada, and Idaho, before eventually being promoted to lead the Vandal Program in 2019.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we have one of my favorite conversations so far as we catch up with Towson Head Coach Pat Skerry. The native of Medford, Massachusetts is going into his 30th-year of coaching, and his 12th as the head coach of the Tigers. In his first year at Towson, Skerry and the Tigers went 1-31. Last year, they won 25 games and their first-ever CAA. Follow Coach Skerry on Twitter @CoachPatSkerry.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today we catch up with Appalachian State Head Coach Dustin Kerns. Kerns is getting ready for his fourth-season with the Mountaineers, and is hoping to lead App State back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons. Today we'll talk about his 15-year journey to his first head coaching job at Presbyterian.  That journey included stops at four different schools -- and an impactful visit to the home of legendary coach John Wooden.Follow Coach Kerns on Twitter at @CoachDKerns.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today's episode is with Gardner-Webb Head Coach Tim Craft. Craft is preparing for his tenth-season leading the Runnin' Bulldogs. You could say Craft's coaching journey actually started as a student manager for the University of Florida's baseball program. Along the way, he taught in an elementary school, coached at a high school, and took a two-year gamble on himself, working for free, which ultimately led to him becoming a Division I head coach for the first time at Gardner-Webb. Follow Coach Craft on Twitter at @CoachTimCraft.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today's episode is with the head coach of the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastadons Jon Coffman. Coffman and his team are coming off their first-ever Horizon League championship in 2022. After leaving a job in the financial sector, Coffman started his 25-year coaching journey. At one point he thought that journey was over, but a fork-in-the-road moment led him to Fort Wayne, where he is now getting ready for his ninth-season as the head coach of the Mastadons. Follow Coach Coffman on Twitter at @coachcoffman.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Today's episode is with first-year East Carolina head coach Mike Schwartz. After working at seven different schools over the last two decades, including most recently a six-year stop on Rocky Top under Rick Barnes at the University of Tennessee, Schwartz has finally landed his first head coaching job at ECU. Follow Coach Schwartz on Twitter at @MikeSchwartzECU.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

This week's guest is the head coach of The Citadel, Ed Conroy. Conroy is currently on his second tour of duty leading the Bulldog program. We'll look back at his playing days at The Citadel, how he became one of the youngest assistant coaches in the country at North Carolina State, and how Buzz Peterson became such an important part of his coaching journey.Follow Coach Conroy on Twitter at @CoachEdConroy.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

This week's guest is Richmond's Chris Mooney. Mooney is getting ready to start his 18th season as the head coach of the Spiders. He got his first Division I head coaching job at Air Force back in 2004. His journey to  the Air Force Academy included being a high school coach, a grammar school English teacher, and a wedding planner. Every path to becoming a Division I head coach is a unique one, and Mooney's path is indeed that.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Qs8RWoMyY

Ron Hunter is probably most famous for leading Georgia State to a 2015 NCAA Tournament upset of 3rd-seeded Baylor. It isn't the win that is so memorable -- it is Hunter's celebration. Coach Hunter had torn his achilles in celebrating the Sun Belt Tournament championship a week before, so he had to coach the NCAA Tournament game sitting on a stool since his ability to move around was pretty limited. When his son RJ hit the game-winning three-pointer, Coach Hunter was so excited he fell off his stool and just about face-planted on the court. Here's the video of the shot and the fall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmcOo-bGJp0It was a memorable ending to the biggest win in Georgia State's history. Coach Hunter may have the most unique path to a Division I job of anyone we've spoken to so far on the podcast. He was hired at IUPUI in 1994 when the school was still a Division II program, but IUPUI had plans to make the leap to Division I in the year 2000. While we talk about his journey to becoming a head coach, we'll also look at how he handled a program in transition from Division II to Division I.Follow Coach Hunter on Twitter @coachrhunter.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Darris Nichols was born and raised in Radford, Virginia. After a successful career at West Virginia playing under John Beilein and Bob Huggins, Nichols ultimately decided to get into coaching. You'll hear about the challenges of working in the SEC, and not getting discouraged when he got turned down for seven different head coaching jobs. In 2021, the eighth-time was the charm, as Nichols was able to return to his hometown and take over the Radford program.Follow Nichols on Twitter @DarrisNichols.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Jase Coburn has one of the most unique stories we'll ever bring you on this podcast. Growing up, he was a national karate champion. At 18, he ran his own AAU program. At 23, he earned his first high school varsity coaching job. Just three years later, he led his team to a state championship. After working his way through the Junior College ranks, Coburn made his way to Portland State, where he became the head coach in 2021.Follow Coburn on Twitter @JaseCoburn.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

After a successful seven-year run at Murray State, Matt McMahon is entering his first season at LSU. After starting his career as a part-time assistant at Appalachian State, McMahon worked his way through the coaching ranks before finally getting his first head coaching job at Murray State in 2015.Follow McMahon on Twitter @CoachMcMahon.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

A.W. Hamilton is entering his fifth-season as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky. The Kentucky native spent the majority of his early coaching career at a prep school in Virginia, before spending one year as an assistant coach at NC State. After that one season, Hamilton returned home to Kentucky to take over at EKU.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCAjz2_HB3k&t=1sFollow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Dwayne Killings is entering his second season as the head coach of the University at Albany. The Amherst, Massachusetts native actually started his coaching career in the NBA, before working his way back to the college game. Killings has worked with some of the game's brightest minds, as he navigated a nearly 20-year journey to earn his first-ever Division 1 head coaching job at UAlbany.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt11C4Vio8IFollow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Donnie Tyndall is entering his third season as the head coach at Chipola College in Chipola, Florida. After playing college basketball and graduating from Morehead State, Tyndall started his coaching career at Iowa Central Community College in 1994. That journey ultimately helped him land Division I head coaching jobs at his alma mater, Southern Mississippi, and Tennessee.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js6D4pa8QjUFollow on Twitter and Instagram at @AKAJeffBidwell.

Amir Abdur-Rahim is entering his fourth-season as the head coach at Kennesaw State. One of 13 children, Abdur-Rahim's coaching journey started as a graduate assistant at Murray State. After four more stops, he ultimately ended up getting his first head coaching job at Kennesaw. Abdur-Rahim talks about growing up in a basketball family, the one coaching move he wishes he hadn't made, and why a future #1 NBA draft pick could have kept him from becoming a head coach.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.Watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dg7is4-Q9sFollow the show on Twitter: @AKAJeffBidwell

Barry Hinson spent 18 years as a Division I head coach, with stops at Oral Roberts, Missouri State, and Southern Illinois. The son of a Baptist preacher, Hinson's coaching journey started as a middle school coach while he was still attending Oklahoma State University.  Hinson talks about the early lessons he learned from legendary coach Henry Iba, his time as a high school history teacher, and his memorable first recruiting trip.Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.

Each Friday, Jeff Bidwell talks with a current or former Division I college basketball coach about their professional path. There are no overnight success stories in college coaching. We'll talk about the sometimes decades-long journey from the moment they wanted to get into coaching up to that first news conference introducing them as a Division I head coach.