Beyond The Whistle with Odell McCants

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with Matt Johnson, Director of Men’s Basketball Strength and Conditioning at Butler University. Matt and I discuss: The role of the strength and conditioning coach during the COVID-19 pandemicUsing Instagram to connect with athletes during this timeThe focus on coaching player’s lifestyle - sleep and nutritionCoach LaVall Jordan’s leadership during crisisBreakdowns create breakthroughsTough times reveal the mindset of elite athletes - resilience in body and mindHis career journey - be ready when you get the call“The big time is not a place. It’s the state of your heart.”The importance of the interviews AFTER you get the jobHow his position, being dedicated to one sport, allows him to play a role to skill development, game planning, practice planning and recruitingCausing adaptation and absorbing adaptationWhy coaches need their strength and conditioning coach on speed dialThe leadership of Ralph Reiff at ButlerProgression - The key to a successful return to normal Connect With Matt Johnson Website:Butler University Men’s BasketballWebsite:StrengthCoachConcepts.comTwitter:@StrengthCoachMJInstagram:@StrengthCoachMJ Connect with Odell McCants Website-McCantsSports.comTwitter -@odellmccantsLinkedIn -Odell McCantsEmail:odell@mccantssports.com

We're going Beyond The Whistle with the first Coaches Roundtable. Our roundtablers are Kevin Sutton, Assistant Coach at Rhode Island and Randolph Childress, Associate Head Coach at Wake Forest. This was the most fun I have had as a podcaster. It's a conversation amongst friends about our high school coach, mentorship, fatherhood, leadership, COVID-19 (of course) and more. Kevin, Randolph and I discuss: before If you would like to be on a future Coaches Roundtable episode, drop me an email at odell@mccantssports.com. I welcome coaches from men's and women's basketball and from programs at all levels to share experiences and dicsuss topics impacting the coaching profession. Connect with Randolph Childress @r22childressWake Forest Basketball Connect with Kevin Sutton @coachsuttonKevin Sutton BasketballSutton's Living TrophiesRhode Island Basketball Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCantsodell@mccantssports.com

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

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with Dan Tudor of Tudor Collegiate Strategies. Dan and his firm develop research-based recruiting strategies for programs in all sports, at all levels of collegiate athletics. Dan joins me for a third appearance on the podcast to discuss: You can also hear more from Dan on Episode 009: Take Control of Your Recruiting Process and Episode 013: The Campus Visit. Connect with Dan Tudor Tudor Collegiate StrategiesThe College Recruiting Weekly Podcast@dantudor Connect with Odell McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCantsodell@mccantssports.com

On this episode, we go Beyond The Whistle with Kyle Adams, Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff. Kyle also has his own consulting firm, It's Bigger Than The Ball, where Kyle works with coaches, educators and organizations to provide transformative learning experiences for the next generation of leaders. During our conversation, Kyle and I discuss: Connect with Kyle Adams It's Bigger Than The BallIt's Bigger Than The Ball Podcast@coachka20Kyle Adams Connect with Odell McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCantsodell@mccantssports.com

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

Have you thought about having your own podcast? This episode of Beyond The Whistle is all about the power a podcast of your own can have as the foundation of your personal brand. With a podcast, you have your own coach’s show. Think about that. Regardless of where you are in your coaching career or the level of your program, you can create a platform to share your personal story, who you are and what you are about, with an audience of fans, recruits, parents, other coaches and even administrators. You no longer have to be a head coach of a Power Five program, with a media contract, to have your own coach’s show. And if you are, you can go deeper with your audience to share who you are beyond the Xs and Os. My tagline for this show! For this episode, I’m proud and honored to have as my guest, Jerod Morris. When I had the idea of starting this podcast, I listened to all of the “podcasts about podcasting” out there. There are plenty and I still listen to some. One show that was impactful for me in the beginning, and still is to this day, is The Showrunner. The Showrunner is hosted by Jerod and his co-host Jonny Nastor. What’s different about The Showrunner is the guys don’t focus on the technical aspects of podcasting like so many shows. In fact, many of those shows actually scared me from starting a podcast. Jerod and Jonny provide actionable advice that drive meaningful results with a podcast centered content strategy. Another reason I’m excited to have Jerod on the show is, that’s not the only podcast Jerod has. Jerod is also co-host The Assembly Call, a fan-based podcast on Indiana University basketball. So he has a unique understanding of podcasting as a platform for a brand and also how to leverage a basketball fan base to create a audience of loyal followers. What I also learn this during our conversation, is Jerod is a coach’s kid. He grew up with his father coaching Division 1 football and has a first hand understanding of the life and profession of college coaching. I have been podcasting for close to two years now. I know the challenges with getting started. What equipment do you need, what’s the technology behind it all. Do you know it took me almost TWO YEARS to go from idea to starting this show. TWO YEARS! I don’t want to see you take that long. If you are thinking about starting your own podcast, and I hope after listening to this episode you are, I want you to have the list of all of the gear and tools I use to produce this very show. My Podcasting Toolbox is a free guide to everything you need to get started, with much less of a financial investment than you probably think. You can get your free copy at this link: My Podcasting Toolbox. If you want to go deeper with the idea of your own podcast, to launch your show, I’d love to work with you. Email me at odell@mccantssports.com and we can discuss your idea, I’ll share my podcasting journey and help you with getting started. Free Guide My Podcasting Toolbox: The Tools and Gear to Get You Podcasting Mentions in this episode Beyond The Whistle 018: Why You Need a Personal Brand as a Coach, with Ron McKeeferyVideo: Solving Basketball with Jordan Sperber - Episode 2, Kory Alford, UCLAPodcast: Solving Basketball with Jordan Sperber Connect With Jerod Morris The ShowrunnerThe Assembly CallShowrunner.fm@AssemblyCall Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCants

Personal brand. What does that mean to you? What's the value of having a personal brand? Have you struggled to create your personal brand? Ron McKeefery is an internationally recognized leader in strength and conditioning coaching. Currently the Vice President of Performance and Education for PLAE, a leader in sports and performance flooring, Ron served as strength coach at the collegiate and professional level. Ron has worked with the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL and Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals on the professional level. Collegiately, Ron has served as strength coach at Eastern Michigan University, University of Tennessee and University of South Florida. Ron has been successful in creating a personal brand for himself that has served as the foundation for a book, podcast, speaking engagements and coaching and consulting to Olympic and national teams across the globe. In this episode Ron McKeefery shares: To learn more about building your own personal brand, sign up for my upcoming webinar, "Building Your Coaching Brand" by clicking this link: Build Your Coaching Brand Webinar with Odell McCants Mentions in this episode Build Your Coaching Brand WebinarThe Rise to the Top Podcast with David Siteman GarlandThe 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss Connect With Ron McKeefery RonMcKeefery.comChalk Talk with Ron McKeeferyCEO Strength Coach@RMcKeeferyrmckeefery Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCants

I'm honored to have as a return guest to Beyond The Whistle, my friend Kevin Sutton, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at the University of Rhode Island. Kevin was my very first interview guest, appearing in episode two, "Persistence on the Coaching Career Path". In that episode, Kevin shared his career journey and how he has woven a path from coaching at two nationally ranked high school programs, to a college coaching career in the Atlantic 10, Big East and ACC. In some ways, this episode became an unplanned follow up to episode two. Last season at Pitt, Kevin experienced a season no one wishes to have. An 8-24 overall record and winless season in the ACC led to the dismissal of coach Kevin Stallings and the entire Pitt staff, including Kevin. In this episode, Kevin openly shares: I'm thankful for Kevin and his candid conversation. Mentions in this episode BTW 002: Persistence on the Coaching Career Path with Kevin SuttonWhat Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith Connect With Kevin Sutton kevinsuttonbasketball.comKevin Sutton Basketball Blog@CoachSutton Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCants

It was a personal honor to have as my guest on this episode, Tom McMillen, President and CEO of Lead1 Association. As a kid growing up in Washington, DC, I had two dreams: 1) to play in the NBA and 2) to be President of the United States. I like to think I came a little close, having played basketball in college, worked for a U.S. Congressman and spent time as an NBA agent. At least that's what I tell myself. Having those dreams, and living in DC, Tom was someone I followed closely. Tom was an All-American at the University of Maryland, where he also became the school's first Rhodes Scholar. I got to watch his 11 year NBA career, especially his three seasons with the then Washington Bullets. I also followed closely Tom's three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented the 4th District of Maryland. Tom's career journey was what I aspired for myself as a young man. Today, Tom McMillen is President and CEO of Lead1 Association. Lead1 is a membership organization of collegiate athletic directors from primarily Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs. As the business of college sports has grown, so have the challenges facing institutions, programs and athletic directors - diversity, new media, sexual assault and domestic violence, and gambling are just a few. With his background in legislation, being a student-athlete, playing professionally and experience leading public companies, college athletics is fortunate to have Tom as a leader. In this episode, Tom and I discuss: Mentions in this episode 19th Annual Lead1 Institute - July 16-18, 2018 at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas Connect With Tom McMillen and Lead1 Lead1 AssociationLead1 AssociationTom McMillen Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCants

One of my goals with the podcast is to bring coaches tools, resources and stories from other coaches that you can use in your own professional development. This episode of Beyond The Whistle accomplishes just that. In this impactful episode with Khadija Head, Associate Head Coach of women’s basketball at Kennesaw State, we discuss: The importance of mentors in your coaching careerThe power of your personal brandHer three years away from coachingEntrepreneurship and the experience of starting her own Internet marketing businessDiscovering interests outside of coachingGetting back into coaching with her head coach and mentor, Kennesaw State Head Coach Agnus BerenatoDefining what a “win” is in your personal career and making it your own definition of successThe morning miracleStarting each day with a personal “win”Making time for yourself and personal developmentHow she became a journalerWhy she created the Quarterly Career JournalBooks and podcasts she reads and listens to and recommends for you Khadija’s Offer Free14 Day Career Planner-Freedownload for listeners of Beyond The WhistleKhadija’sHead Coach Head Quarterly Career Journalon Amazon (affiliate link) Mentions in this episode Book:Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill(affiliate link)Book:The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace B Wattles(affiliate link)Book:The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho(affiliate link)Podcast: The $100 MBA Show -Apple Podcasts|Google Play MusicPodcast: Entrepreneurs of Fire -Apple Podcasts|Google Play MusicPodcast: Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations -Apple Podcasts|Google Play MusicPodcast: Lore -Apple Podcasts|Google Play MusicBlog:James Clear Connect With Khadija Head Headcoachead.com- Website@headcoachead- Twitter Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com- Website@odellmccants- TwitterOdell McCants- LinkedIn

I have a confession to make. I am the last person to subscribe to Netflix (at least it feels that way). I was getting ready for a family spring break trip. When traveling with our son, the question at night is always, "what are we going to do?". Not wanting to spend the exorbitant cost of pay-per-view movies at the hotel, I decided it was time to sign up for Netflix. So, I took advantage of the first month free offer and downloaded Netflix to my Amazon Fire TV Stick. Now, packing and preparing for our trip included adding some movies and shows to my watch list. One of the Netflix shows I had heard so much about and the first I had to watch was Last Chance U. As you probably know (it also feels like I'm the last person to watch it), Last Chance U is a Netflix docudrama about the football program at East Mississippi Community College. The program has been built around being a landing spot for many players who have been dismissed from Power Five programs, usually for academics or disciplinary reasons. The program has become a junior college (JUCO) football powerhouse, winning four national championships in the last seven seasons. While Last Chance U features the team's lightening rod coach, Buddy Stephens, and his players, many of whom are on their "last chance", another major personality of the show is Brittany Wagner, the then athletic academic counselor at East Mississippi. I knew right away I wanted to have Brittany on the podcast. For me, Brittany represented so many of the unsung individuals who are non-coaches but also play prominent roles in the lives of athletes. I have seen first hand the positive impact a caring counselor, teacher or principal can have on a young athlete's life. I knew her insight and experiences were something coaches and administrators listening to the podcast could find of value. In this candid conversation, Brittany and I discuss: Mentions in this episode Netflix Last Chance UEast Mississippi Community CollegeMississippi State University Athletic Academic Support Services Connect With Brittany Wagner BrittanyWagner.com10 Thousand Pencils LLCSharpen Up PodcastBrittany_MSgirlBrittany_MSgirl Connect with Odell McCants McCantsSports.com@odellmccantsOdell McCants

In part one of Take Control of Your Recruiting Process with Dan Tudor, we discussed what prospects are looking for in communications from you and how you can take control of the recruiting process in a way that helps guide your prospects to a decision. In this episode, Part Two with Dan, we discuss the campus visit phase of recruiting. What does your campus visit look like? How do you know if a visit is the next step your prospect is ready for? Listen and learn how to make your campus visit stand out and leaves your prospects ready to commit. Points we discuss Mentions in this episode Beyond The Whistle 009: Take Control of Your Recruiting Process with Dan Tudor - Part OneBeyond The Whistle 011: Do We Need a National Signing Day with Michael CrossThe College Recruiting Weekly Podcast - Episode 9: Michael Cross on Asking the Right Prospect QuestionsThe College Recruiting Weekly Podcast - Episode 13: Michael Cross on Transparency Being the Key to Recruiting Reforms Connect With Dan Tudor Tudor Collegiate Strategies2018 National Collegiate Recruiting Conference College Recruiting Weekly Podcaston TwitterEmail Dan

I first met Romone Penny at the barbershop we both go to here in Washington, DC. At the time, Romone was a senior on the American University basketball team. His team had just come off an appearance in the 2008 NCAA tournament and Romone was doing great work giving back to his community in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating from American, Romone joined the global accounting firm Ernst & Young. Fast forward ten years (yes, hard to believe). Romone now heads Pursuit Sports Group, a strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Pursuit Sports Group focuses on financial education and planning, reputation management and business development for professional athletes, teams, sports leagues and organizations. In this episode of Beyond The Whistle, Romone and I discuss: Mentions in this episode Management Leadership for TomorrowFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationNBA All-Star Weekend 2018 Connect with Romone Penny and Pursuit Sports Group Pursuit Sports GroupPursuit Financial Excellence Weekend@AlwaysnPursuitalwaysnpursuit

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

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

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

Rising Coaches Elite 2017 I recently had the opportunity to speak at the 8th Annual Rising Coaches Elite 2017 Conference. Rising Coaches Elite is an annual conference that provides professional development for basketball coaches, primarily just starting in their careers. Most of the attendees are graduate assistants, directors of basketball operations and team managers. Attendees came from a wide range of programs. I was also pleased to meet and get to know a few high school coaches who attended as well. The conference was held at Marian University. Marian is an NAIA school with a beautiful campus about 3-4 miles outside of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. This speaking opportunity was a direct result of social media. I have been following Rising Coaches Elite on Twitter for a while and often share their content. And they have done the same with me. From that, I connected with Adam and the result was receiving the honor of being invited to speak at this year’s conference. It was an honor to be part of a great group of speakers. And it was a great group of speakers. They included Tennessee Tech Head Coach Steve Payne, Danny Mills, college scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, Duke Women's Associate Head Coach Hernando Planells (what a motivating speaker he is), and several others. You can find the full speaker list with links below. As you see, attendees were provided with information, tips and advice on career development from a cross section of levels of basketball and levels of coaching. I know that I took away a great deal of knowledge myself from every speaker. My presentation was the Five Stages of the Business of Coaching. I presented how the stages of a coaching career match those of a business lifecycle. They are: 1. Incubation 2. Start-up 3. Emerging 4. Enterprise 5. Legacy I’m going to speak in more detail on each stage, with examples of coaches, the challenges of each stage and the strategies and resources you need to succeed at each stage and bridge yourself to the next, on future episodes. It’s something I’m really looking forward to sharing with you. So be on the lookout! For now, I want to thank Adam, Brandon and the Rising Coaches Elite team for the opportunity to participate and learn myself. For those who attended the conference, I commend you on making the investment in yourself. Most of these guys are young, aren’t making a lot of money but took the time and found the resources to attend, and learn and connect with other professionals. If you are are starting in your coaching career, or want to start, or just want to learn and make some great connections, I highly recommend attending next year’s conference. If you are a head coach, assistant coach or even perhaps an administrator, I urge you to recommend and even find a way to help your young coaches and support staff attend this event. It’s a way to invest in your staff, your program and the future of the great game of college basketball. I know for me, It was exciting to spend a few days with the future coaches and leaders of college basketball and if they will have me, I want to continue to support and participate in Rising Coaches Elite. As always, I want to thank you for listening. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Subscribing is the best way to stay updated on new episodes. Links: Rising Coaches Elite Speakers: Vance Catlin, Pro Personnel Scout, Indiana Pacers Adam Glerlach, Assistant Coach, Cornell Sean Dwyer, Assistant Coach, Northern Kentucky University Steve Payne, Head Coach, Tennessee Tech Rich Czeslawski, Pure Sweat Basketball Brandon Rosenthal, Assistant Coach, Phoenix Suns and Norther Arizona Suns Hernando Planells, Associate Head Coach, Duke University Adam Gordon, Assistant Coach, Southeast Missouri State Danny Mills, College Scout, Philadelphia 76ers Ken Huber, NCAA

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

During the most recent “coaching carousel” of college basketball, I had the opportunity to work with a few coaches on their resumes. There is one mistake I see on coaching resumes and if you're has this, you can fix it right now. The number one mistake I see on resumes - of all professions, not just coaching - is writing the resume as a job description. Your resume IS NOT a job description. The person reading your resume knows what the duties and responsibilities are of a head coach, an assistant coach, a video coordinator, whatever your role is. The person reading your resume is looking for one thing. How can this candidate add value to my program AND make us better. To answer that, your resume needs to show quantifiable results of the work you have done. It's easy for coaches to make this mistake. You're probably a candidate for another job because the head coach or athletic director doing the hiring knows you or knows of you and your work. However, there is a very good chance he or she will need to have others review your resume. This could be an athletic director, university president or a search committee. These are people who most likely do not know you. The job of your resume is to speak for you, when you are not in the room. Four Ways To Fix Your Coaching Resume Get The Full Guide of 13 Ways to Fix Your Coaching Resume mccantssports.com/resume Connect With Odell McCants Twitter: @odellmccantsmccantssports.comodell@mccantssports.com