🎙️ Championship Vision Podcast – Episode 382
“Building a Turnaround Championship Culture” with Coach Kevin Furtado

In Episode 382 of the Championship Vision Podcast, host Coach Kevin Furtado shares his personal blueprint for building a championship culture from the ground up.

With over 35 years of coaching experience and a career built on turning around struggling programs, Coach Furtado dives deep into the mindset, systems, and daily standards that transform underachieving teams into unified, competitive, and resilient programs.

He breaks down the core principles of a turnaround culture — from establishing trust and accountability, to creating buy-in, setting non-negotiables, and developing player-driven leadership. Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies to rebuild culture, re-energize players, and sustain long-term success.

Whether you’re leading a rebuild or refining a winning program, this episode delivers real-world insights from a veteran coach who’s done it — year after year.

🎧 Listen now and start building your own Championship Vision.

"Welcome to the Championship Vision Podcast, where coaching meets culture and legacy is built one drill at a time. Today’s episode is a game-changer—literally. We’re diving into the future of basketball development with James Oxford, the creator of Ahead of the Game Analytics.

James brings a wealth of experience coaching JV basketball at Friendswood High School and directing youth skills camps for the Houston Rockets. With certifications from Sport Management Worldwide in Basketball Management and Basketball Analytics taught by Dean Oliver, James has been shaping players and teams for over 11 years—from junior high and high school to semi-professional levels.

This isn’t just about stats—it’s about turning your everyday drills into powerful data that drives performance, accountability, and growth. Heatmaps, player profiles, customized spreadsheets—these tools are revolutionizing how coaches teach the game.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make your practices more intentional, your feedback more precise, and your players more empowered—this episode is for you.

🧠 Andrew Fellner — Founder, LKRM

Andrew Fellner is the Founder of LKRM, a high-school sports technology company developing digital tools that give coaches a competitive edge. A 2025 graduate of Furman University, where he studied Physics and Politics/International Affairs, Andrew combines analytical rigor with a deep passion for team culture and innovation. At LKRM, he leads the development of the company’s flagship platform — uniting advanced administrative tools with real-time game analytics to help coaches work smarter, make better decisions, and win more.

Micah Born is the Co-Founder of LKRM, a next-generation coaching platform built to simplify and elevate the high-school sports experience. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Micah was a varsity basketball player at Vestavia Hills High School, where his love for the game and team culture began. A 2025 Furman University graduate with a degree in Health Sciences, Micah now works in ophthalmology while applying to medical school — all while helping shape LKRM’s mission to empower coaches through smarter technology and stronger locker-room culture.

🏀 Micah Born — Co-Founder, LKRM

Thom McDonald is the Head of Coaching Development at Championship Productions and a nationally respected leader in basketball education. With a background as a successful high school and college coach, Thom now plays a pivotal role in shaping how the game is taught through innovative clinics, instructional videos, and coach development programs. He also serves as Commissioner of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and holds leadership positions with the NJCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, representing junior college coaches at the highest levels.

Episode Title: The Evolution of Rocket – A Conversation with Jeff Fox and Jeremiah De Soto

In this episode of the Championship Vision Podcast, host Kevin Furtado sits down with Jeff Fox and Jeremiah De Soto of Rocket Alumni Solutions to explore the dynamic journey of Rocket—from its early foundations to its cutting-edge innovations in athlete placement and program support. Jeff and Jeremiah share insights into how Rocket has evolved to meet the changing needs of high school programs, coaches, and student-athletes, and how their mission continues to empower communities across the country. Whether you're a coach, athletic director, or passionate supporter of youth sports, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the vision, growth, and impact of Rocket Alumni Solutions.

📞 Contact Information

• Phone: (781) 686-0708

• Headquarters: 651 N Broad St, Suite 2051924, Middletown, Delaware, 19709

• Website: rocketalumnisolutions.com

🏈 Coaching Journey & Achievements

• Coach Ford was hired by Effingham County High School in January 2021 to lead the Rebels football program.

• Before joining ECHS, he served as defensive coordinator at Bleckley County High School for two seasons.

• His head coaching résumé includes successful stints at Roswell High School and Buford High School, where he compiled a 61–17 record over six seasons.

• At Roswell (2013–2016), his teams went 40–12 and reached the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state championship twice.

• At Buford (2017–2018), he led the Wolves to the state semifinals and quarterfinals.

🌟 Coaching Philosophy

• Ford emphasizes adaptability, saying his offensive and defensive schemes are built around what his players can do—not forcing a system on them.

• He’s passionate about building team chemistry and culture, focusing on effort, resilience, and execution.

• He believes in the mantra: “Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent”—highlighting the importance of consistent preparation.

🏡 Why Effingham?

• Ford was drawn to Effingham County for its strong community, leadership, and proximity to Savannah—a place he and his wife love.

• He’s committed to building a program that reflects the values of the school and community, and he’s excited about the potential of the Rebels.

Kevin Abrams is the Co-founder and CEO of Coach Portal, a platform built by coaches, for coaches, designed to give every coach visibility, access to career opportunities, and a chance to be discovered.

Before founding Coach Portal, Kevin spent 11 seasons as a Division 1 college football coach—first as a student assistant and quality control coach at the University of Illinois (2009–13), then serving as a graduate assistant at the University at Buffalo (2014) and Vanderbilt University (2015–16), working on both offense, defense special teams. In 2017, Kevin joined Indiana State University as the Special Teams Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator, guiding an FCS unit that ranked among the national leaders in multiple Special Teams categories and producing multiple all-conference specialists.

These years on staff brought firsthand perspective on what works—and what doesn’t—in coaching, recruiting, career progression, hiring transparency, and day-to-day operations.

Since stepping away from on-field coaching, Kevin has served as the managing partner of Conroad Associates, L.P., a family office investment firm focused on commercial real estate and public/private equity investing. He's also an angel investor in early-stage sports technology startups, bringing business, finance, and entrepreneurial insight to his leadership of Coach Portal to benefit coaches across the country.

Using the Coach Portal platform, Kevin and the Coach Portal Team continues to help, guide, and empower coaches to achieve their career goals, which is ultimately the mission of Coach Portal.

Podcast Interview Guide for Coach Kevin Furtado

Guest: Chris Verdi – Muscle Activation Techniques (MATRx®) Specialist & Founder of

Core Restore, HIP-A-LINE, and The Core Restore Training System™

INTRO TO CHRIS VERDI

Chris Verdi is a certified MATRx® Specialist—the highest level of certification offered by

Muscle Activation Techniques®, with only approximately 200 people certified at this level

worldwide. He is also the founder of Core Restore, located in Watkinsville, Georgia, and the

inventor of HIP-A-LINE and The Core Restore Training System™.

Chris’s journey into the world of biomechanics and muscular health began from deeply personal

experience. After years of living with chronic pain, undergoing multiple spinal surgeries, and

searching for lasting relief, he discovered Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT®). The technique

transformed his life, allowing him to function pain-free for the first time in years.

That breakthrough sparked Chris’s passion to help others restore their strength, mobility, and

performance. Today, he works one-on-one with clients at Core Restore and serves athletes and

professionals nationwide with his innovative training tools.

EDUCATION:

• Stanford - 1989-93

YEARS AT SAN FRANCISCO:

• Sept. 2016 - Present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AT SAN FRANCISCO:

• Molly Goodenbour, a two-time national champion at Stanford who has over a decade of head coaching experience on the collegiate level, was named the ninth head coach in University of San Francisco women's basketball history on Sept. 28, 2016. This is Goodenbour's third coaching stint on the Hilltop, where she served as an assistant coach with the Dons during the 1994-95 and 2005-06 seasons.

• In 2023-24, Goodenbour led San Francisco to a second-half resurgence as the team finished in a tie for third place in the West Coast Conference standings after starting the season with a 4-9 record. The program posted double-digit victories in WCC play for the fifth time in Goodenbour's tenure as the team finished at 10-6, highlighted by season sweeps of Pacific, Saint Mary's, Pepperdine, and LMU.  

• San Francisco also finished the season strong, rolling eventual WCC Tournament Champions Portland on the road, earning 59-47 victory at Chiles Center.

• Under Goodenbour's guidance, Jasmine Gayles and Debora dos Santos earned All-WCC First Team honors. Dos Santos recorded a career season, averaging a double-double with 15.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while Gayles led the squad in scoring at 16.8 points per game. Gayles also recorded the second 40-point game in program history as she dropped 40 points in an 81-68 win at Pacific on January 13

• The 2022-23 season under the leadership of Goodenbour concluded with an overall record of 19-13. Three Dons earned All-WCC Selections while two Dons earned WCC All-

• Within the first six years on the Hilltop, Goodenbour posted impressive numbers, including becoming the winningest coach in USF history through 50 games (27-23), as well as through two seasons at 34-28 (.548). Goodenbour quickly built up her impressive resume at USF, becoming the first coach to post winning overall and conference records in her first two seasons on the job. 

• Building off the program's strong start to the new decade, the Dons were once again punching a postseason ticket as they battled through a grueling non-conference schedule that kept them away from the Hilltop from Thanksgiving until after New Year's Day. Following an 0-4 start to WCC play battling through injuries and COVID-19 related pauses, the Dons went on to rattle off wins in six of their next seven games and finished with the third seed heading into the WCC Tournament. USF would go on to defeat Santa Clara in Vegas before returning home to host Air Force in the WNIT.

• Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Goodenbour's Dons have made consecutive WNIT appearances and won at least one game in back-to-back WCC Tournaments. Led by two-time All-WCC first team selection Ioanna Krimili, USF's 2020-21 team led the conference in total points and points per game while being a top-four program in team plus/minus. 

• Goodenbour’s third WCC Tournament in 2019 saw her lead the Dons to a first-round victory over Portland, marking the seventh year in a row the Dons advanced beyond their opening game.

• Molly’s 2017-18 squad placed three WCC All-Conference and All-Academic honorees. Anna Seilund earned First-Team All-WCC and Second-Team All-WCC recipients Michaela Rakova and Kalyn Simon.

• She finished her first year on the Hilltop in 2016-17 with an 18-13 overall record that included an 11-7 mark in West Coast Conference play, good for a fourth-place finish, the Dons' highest since the 2002-03 season. In the process, Goodenbour became the first USF head coach since Sue Rojcewicz in 1982-83 to post a winning record in her first year at the helm and compiled the second-best record by a first-year coach in program history. In addition, USF's 11 WCC wins under Goodenbour were the most since the 1996-97 campaign.

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episode 372 of the championship vision podcast today we have Dr. Anthony Pappas. Dr. Pappas I'm going to tell you right now and he's in his 45th year as head coach of the Waterloo West High School and 48th year overall as head coach as a prep athlete played on Mason City High School basketball.

and baseball teams that participated in five state tournaments while winning two state championships. He achieved all state and honorable mention all American status while playing at Mason City High School. He has won numerous Coach of the Year awards, including being named the National Federation of High Schools National Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2015. He was a recipient of the Morgan Wooten Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed by the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2016.

In addition, he was awarded the golden plaque of distinction by the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union in March 2016, the highest coaching award given by the Iowa Coaching High School Association. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and was a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association National Coach of the Year Award in 2017.

His overall record is 663 and 397. He has 11 state tournament bursts, including eight final four pinches and three state runners-up.