Contacts Coaching Podcast

After three weeks on the road, the Contacts Coaching Podcast returns with Desiree Nunez, a mental health therapist and basketball coach at Eagle Crest High School in the Cherry Creek area near Denver. Nunez shares how coaching was “in her blood” through her Air Force veteran father, how she became a therapist to meet mental health needs in athletics, and how she returned to coaching after COVID—eventually earning head coaching opportunities and winning extensively with freshman teams. She explains practical sports-psychology tools for coaches: normalizing emotions (especially for boys), teaching players to notice and name feelings, locate them in the body, regulate, and then “next play.” She details a three-clap reset, body-language standards, and asking for a sub to reset. The conversation also covers time-management lessons from middle school constraints, combining drills with game-like constraints, and how “challenging” authority through curious questions improves leadership.

00:00 Meet Desiree Nunez
00:39 Coaching Roots
02:33 Therapy Path
03:52 Back to the Bench
05:38 Military Culture Shift
09:25 Sports Psychology Breakthrough
11:46 Feelings and Regulation
17:21 Notice the Emotion
25:09 Halftime and Practice Talks
26:38 Three Clap Reset
31:27 Coaching Boys as Woman
33:05 Coaching Boys as a Woman
34:05 Freshman Program Trust Issues
36:15 Head Coach Reality Check
37:35 45-Minute Practice Crunch
39:49 Zoom Out and Prioritize
43:12 Game-Like Drills and Constraints
48:44 Hack Drills for Weaknesses
54:18 Bring It Back to High School
57:50 Changing Minds on Challenge
01:05:41 Be Willing to Be Cringe
01:09:22 Assistant Coach Courage Wrap-Up

In this special Contacts Coaching Podcast episode, host interviews Gina Lehe, Vice President of Communications at the NCAA, about her path from Stevenson to the University of Arizona, decades in postseason college football (Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, and launching College Football Playoff communications), and joining the NCAA in 2019 just before NIL upheaval, the pandemic, and nonstop crisis communications. Leahy explains how bowl games and CFP operate as separate entities from the NCAA, clarifies that NCAA rules are created by member-driven committees, and describes how a patchwork of state laws and court вмешательства fuels uncertainty around NIL, transfers, and eligibility. She addresses misconceptions like “five and five,” outlines the developing age-based eligibility model, and discusses federal efforts such as the Protect College Sports Act. The conversation also covers House settlement impacts, revenue sharing, protecting Olympic/non-revenue sports, misconceptions in recruiting, and highlights women’s championships—especially women’s gymnastics—as must-see events.

00:00 Podcast Intro Guest
00:32 Gina’s Path to NCAA
02:35 Crisis Comms Era
05:01 How Bowl System Works
07:36 CFP vs NCAA Explained
10:07 NIL Rulemaking Reality
16:00 Patchwork Laws and Congress
18:24 Eligibility Model Update
21:24 Messaging Leaks and Process
30:20 House Settlement Fallout
36:46 Revenue Share and Alston
40:06 Mid Majors And Tiers
41:20 Olympic Sports Sustainability
43:15 Disparity And Expansion
46:07 Accountability And Myths
48:27 Media Literacy And Data
51:23 NIL Recruiting Myths
55:55 D1 Bust Mentality
01:01:08 NCAA Success Means Clarity
01:02:41 Hidden Gem Championships
01:09:04 Leadership Mindset Shifts
01:14:18 Closing Reflections

On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Justin interviews Kevin Fox, a Salinas native and longtime Midland, Texas resident who serves as character coach for Grant McCasland at Texas Tech. Fox shares his path from UC Davis and early ministry work to building relationships in junior college basketball at Midland College, where he connected with coaches like McCasland, Ross Hodge, and others. They discuss West Texas sports culture, the importance of encouraging multi-sport athletes, and how character coaching works best through organic relationships, clear boundaries, and accountability. Fox addresses how NIL has increased pressure and outside pull on athletes, the value of JUCO coaching experience for today’s roster turnover, and practical ways teams define and measure culture, including tracking “positive touches.” He also reflects on humility, continuous learning, and stepping out from behind the scenes.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:06 From Salinas to Midland
01:53 Hoops to Coaching Network
04:38 Character Coach Role
05:15 West Texas Football Culture
07:06 Multi Sport Debate
10:37 Organic Mentorship Model
14:40 NIL Pressures and Protection
17:39 JUCO Mindset at Tech
21:16 Calling to Ministry
25:16 Teaching Faith and Coaching
28:44 Coaching Meets Ministry
30:21 Learning to Say I Don’t Know
31:53 Humility and Adaptation
34:26 Boundaries and Accountability
39:03 Preacher vs Minister
41:15 Coaching Across Levels
47:12 Defining Character Culture
51:12 Changing Minds and Showing Up
53:57 Closing Story and Farewell

On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Justin interviews Jake Van Hofwegen, athletic director and assistant principal at Beaumont High School in Southern California, about his path into athletic administration and why Beaumont became a dream job after roles at Coachella Valley and Colton. Jake explains how the AD/AP structure streamlines discipline, hiring, and decision-making, and how supportive, sports-savvy administrators help. He discusses managing 28 varsity teams and about 1,500 athletes at a 3,500-student school, the need for an assistant AD, and challenges like scheduling games, tryout cuts, and heavy parent involvement. They critique youth sport specialization and travel ball pressures, emphasize coach development and relationship-based feedback, and share initiatives like media days and coach clinics. Jake highlights using AI tools like ChatGPT to improve communication and efficiency.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
00:28 Name Pronunciation Bit
00:48 Path to Athletic Director
02:43 Dual Role AP and AD
04:21 Why Beaumont Was the Goal
07:01 Not Every Job Is Good
10:29 Following a Local Legend
12:30 Working With Principals
15:14 Managing 3500 Students
18:05 Cuts and Creative Options
21:06 Multi Sport vs Specialization
25:36 Late Bloomer Athlete
26:38 Travel Ball Takes Over
27:15 Program Pillars Growth Tech
29:25 Media Days And Clinics
31:46 Coach Time And Buy In
34:19 Truth Tellers And Trust
39:23 Finding Dissenting Voices
42:02 Parents And Hard Lessons
46:01 Changing Mind On Coaching
52:28 AI Tools For ADs
54:38 Closing Thanks

On the Contacts coaching podcast, consultant and Coach Her Right founder Jerica Williams shares how basketball found her at age 10, her college path from a UCLA scholarship to San Diego State, and becoming a mom her senior year. She traces her move from assistant coaching (including Cal State Northridge) to head coaching at Detroit Country Day, where she rapidly rebuilt a struggling program and reached the Michigan State Final Four, emphasizing the head coach’s total responsibility, staffing to cover blind spots, and her superpowers of empathy and communication while outsourcing offense/X’s and O’s. Williams discusses working with Stephen Curry’s trainer Brandon Payne and later joining Mike Davis at Mississippi Valley State as one of the only active female coaches in men’s basketball, highlighting the value of feminine energy in men’s spaces. She explains starting Make Room For Her/Coach Her Right to amplify girls’ voices, improve coaching, and address safety issues in youth sports, and she describes recently changing her belief that love is possession, reframing it as freedom.00:00 Meet Jerica Williams00:20 Basketball Found Me01:53 From Player to Coach03:48 Head Coach Breakthroughs04:14 Breaking Barriers in Mens Hoops06:15 Nike Role and Talent Pathways08:24 Assistant to Head Coach Shift09:21 Owning the Whole Program12:18 Hiring to Cover Blind Spots14:01 Empathy as Superpower15:54 Outsourcing the Offense17:58 Ego Versus Will to Win24:34 Working with Steph Curry26:08 Underrated Tour Origin Story28:30 Make Room For Her Begins30:39 Her Story Giving Girls a Stage32:16 Why Girls Quit Sports33:09 Safety Behind Not Fun33:23 Building Coach Her Right35:04 Defining Legitimate Safety36:32 Whistleblowing Coach Misconduct42:11 Ask Her Believe Her44:20 Questions Not Commands46:48 Empathy And Seeing Players48:54 Committed To Learning51:00 Make Room For Her Mission54:04 Love Is Freedom Not Possession01:00:02 Closing Reflections