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

On the Context Coaching Podcast, athletic administrator Dustin Mones (Monte Vista Christian) shares his journey from a multi-sport athlete in Connecticut to boarding school coach and athletic director roles at Eaglebrook and Stony Brook, then returning to Monte Vista as AD. He discusses early coaching insecurity, the importance of mentors for new athletic directors, and how small paperwork mistakes can directly impact student opportunities. Mones reflects on coaching learned under Don Keithley—discipline, attention to detail, and integrating faith—and contrasts boarding school co-curricular expectations with Monte Vista’s day-school model, noting he misses deeper daily student connections. The conversation covers resisting youth sports specialization, training both physical and mental/spiritual aspects, simplifying practices, aligning consequences with behavior, and blending “old school” standards with empathy.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:38 From Athlete to Educator

02:40 Boarding School Coaching Life

03:31 Returning as Athletic Director

04:20 Year One Lessons and Why

07:35 AD Transition Challenges

10:00 Paperwork Mistakes and Details

12:07 Mentors and Coaching Philosophy

15:11 Junior Boarding School Insights

18:05 All In vs Balance

23:55 Day School Shift and Connection

26:20 Multi Sport vs Specialization

29:44 Co Curricular Requirements

31:31 Required Co-Curriculars Model

32:27 Arts and Athletics Crossover

33:30 Boarding Program Considerations

34:52 Culture Builders for Coaches

36:27 Training Mind and Body

38:37 Structuring Lifts and Practice

43:49 Advice to Younger Coaches

45:58 Mentoring and Keeping It Simple

49:43 Entitlement and Life Lessons

52:13 Old School vs New School Coaching

57:05 Consequences That Align

59:57 Final Wrap and Thanks

In this Contacts Coaching Podcast episode, the host welcomes back Brett Cauchi to discuss his growth over nearly three years at Rancho Solano as the head girls basketball coach and a teacher. Brett explains how the job has confirmed his mission fit through long-term impact on kids, relationship building, and developing trust across age groups from middle school to high school. They explore balancing warmth with accountability, building leadership and systems that can outlast a coach’s personality, and managing the reality of being paid to teach rather than coach. Brett reflects on program progress (14-4, 11-3, playoff run), emphasizing unseen culture gains like resilience and belief. Key coaching takeaways include embracing simplicity, focusing on rebounding and strength, recognizing patterns, setting boundaries by learning to say no, and being intentional about confidence-building competitiveness.

00:00 Welcome Back Brett

01:06 Mission Fit Confirmed

04:02 Coaching Across Ages

07:13 Structure Over Energy

10:43 Warmth And Standards

12:48 Progress Beyond Wins

16:31 Simplicity And Identity

21:23 Systems That Sustain

22:53 Playing The Long Game

24:46 Patience Over Results

25:09 Setting Parent Expectations

26:45 Raising Teens With Structure

28:36 Three Sports And Wilderness

31:10 Letting Kids Own Stories

32:33 Coaching With Empathy

36:26 Every Kid Needs An Adult

38:04 Love As The Job

39:39 Hard Schedules Build Grit

40:45 Learning To Say No

43:11 Changing Minds And Patterns

44:58 When Competition Backfires

46:43 Routine And Truth Tellers

49:38 Closing Patterns And Truth

On the Contacts Coaching podcast, host Justin Clymo welcomes back Cal State East Bay men’s basketball coach Bryan Rooney to unpack the program’s dramatic turnaround from 11–17 to an undefeated run until a loss in the Elite Eight, finishing at 33-1. Rooney credits player commitment, continuity, the team mantra “just get better,” and this season’s theme “burn the boats,” emphasizing role definition, accountability, and dominating roles across both players and staff. He explains how relationships, habits, staying present, and not reinventing the wheel helped sustain success under pressure, shares moments showing player-led ownership and deep teammate care, and describes weekly one-on-one meetings as a nonnegotiable culture builder. Rooney also discusses empowering assistants, adapting tactically (including sending five to the boards), navigating recruiting and the transfer portal case-by-case, the importance of administrative alignment, and guarding culture by prioritizing character fit.

00:00 Welcome Back Coach Rooney

00:27 Quick Coaching Background

01:16 From 11 Wins to Elite Eight

02:33 Burn the Boats Mindset

04:16 Pressure Proof Habits

06:51 Team First Chemistry

09:07 Family Moments and Loss

11:30 Weekly Meetings and Trust

13:53 Making Roles Matter

17:24 Keeping the Fringe Ready

20:27 Player Led Turning Points

23:33 Empowering the Staff

26:51 Trust and Effort Standards

28:46 Staying Present in Success

29:49 Next Game Focus

30:20 Control The Controllables

31:27 Transfer Portal Reality

37:16 One Year Journeys

40:20 Alignment And Innovation

43:37 Turnaround Lessons

47:24 Raising The Ceiling

48:43 Protecting Culture

50:16 Authentic Gratitude

52:47 Closing Thoughts

On the Contacts Coaching podcast, host interviews Melissa Fortenberry, founder of Heat Sense, about proactively monitoring heat strain in athletes to prevent heat illness. Fortenberry, a former Texas athlete and tech professional, describes being sick during a 107-degree football game and researching why existing guidelines focus on symptoms, meaning athletes are already ill once dizziness or nausea appears. She explains limitations of heat index and wet bulb globe temperature for team decisions because athletes differ in hydration and acclimation, and argues core body temperature is the key metric, though gold-standard measurement is rectal thermometry. Heat Sense uses a Swiss wearable (bicep/chest) plus heart rate to estimate core temperature within about 1°C, flag rising heat strain trends via an app and team dashboard, and support cooling interventions. They discuss adoption models, rotating sensors to identify sensitive athletes, EAP planning, and “cool first, transport second” protocols.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:32 Melissa’s Origin Story

02:05 107 Degrees Spark

03:44 Why Heat Guidelines Fail

06:05 Core Temp Monitoring Tech

08:31 Accuracy and Thresholds

12:00 Cooling Protocols in Practice

13:03 Practice Risks and Acclimation

16:17 App Dashboard and Pricing

17:33 Adoption for Schools and Clubs

20:27 Parent Checklist and EAP

21:42 Cooling First Transport Second

22:18 Regional Risk and Humidity

23:57 Where to Learn More

24:10 Wrap Up and Takeaways

https://heatsense.com/

In this Contacts Coaching podcast episode, former guest Bre Smedley, co-founder of Elite Competitor and a championship high school volleyball coach, shares how her mental performance framework has evolved into plug-and-play tools for coaches and resources for parents. She explains key skills—failure recovery (the “snapback routine”), self-talk, and visualization—and describes how the snapback routine (breath, reset word, reset signal) helped her team stay composed in a state championship comeback. Reflecting on a season that ended in third after four straight titles, she discusses how pressure can reveal cracks in culture and the need to systemize values, communication, and accountability. Bre also covers parent influence, including avoiding badmouthing coaches/teammates, improving car-ride conversations, and supporting athlete autonomy, plus guidance on aligning college-sport goals with habits and recruiting effort.

00:00 Welcome Back And Reintro

01:10 Bre’s Coaching Origin Story

02:55 From Framework To Coach Program

05:10 Snapback Routine Explained

09:18 State Title Pressure Test

13:02 After The Streak Lessons

16:46 Culture Cracks And Systems

19:49 Parents Coaches Athletes Triangle

22:30 Parenting Mistakes To Avoid

25:38 Postgame Parent Mindset

26:07 LOVE Talk Framework

27:05 Autonomy Over Pressure

28:34 College Dream Reality Check

31:17 Coach Truth Without Crushing

34:40 Parents Driving The Dream

37:45 Female Coach Double Standard

43:39 Systems To Prevent Drama

45:56 Delegation And Injury Lesson

49:30 Resources And Wrap Up

Previous Episodes: 

Bre Smedley Pt. 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zipbClx90G2u2vOkkYt3c?si=72dca5bf8abb4f3c

Bre Smedley Pt. 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ba0v7bdGmrI28ziyZ7xjc?si=445b608c271e40f2