EIUPanthers Podcast

Episode 52 of EIUPanthers Podcast visits with one of the newest members of the Eastern Illinois staff as our guest is women’s tennis coach Ross Sons.   Ross comes to EIU following a recent stop as the head coach at NCAA Division II member Mars Hill in North Carolina.  A former collegiate tennis player, Sons talks about his playing experiences and what he hopes to bring to the EIU program as a head coach.

Welcome to episode 51 of EIUPanthers Podcast.  On this week’s episode we talk with former Eastern Illinois women’s swimmer NelliRose Farella.   NelliRose talks about her time as a swimmer at EIU and how that helped set a foundation for many things she has since done in her professional life including writing a recently published children’s book called Nella’s Kindness Kicks.  

EIUPanthers Podcast returns this week for our second season as we debut with episode 50 in our series.   We kickoff year two with a conversation with Eastern Illinois Athletic Director Tom Michael.  Michael is entering his 8th year at the helm in Charleston having recently guided the Panthers athletic department through a year impacted by COVID-19.  On today’s episode we talk about that experience, his experiences as a student-athlete at Illinois and how he got started on his path in athletic administration.

Welcome to this week’s edition of EIUPanthers Podcast.  We are rounding out the summer months as this past week the Ohio Valley Conference held its annual football media day with this year’s event once again in a virtual format.  Eastern Illinois head coach Adam Cushing and running back Jaelin Benefield represented Eastern Illinois during the event.   The Panthers had two preseason All-OVC selections in linebacker Jason Johnson and kick returner Matt Judd.    EIU will open the 2021 season with a week Zero game on Saturday, August 28 at Indiana State.  The home opener is on Saturday, September 18 against Illinois State in the Mid-America Classic with the Ohio Valley Conference opener on the road on Sept. 25 at Tennessee Tech.  New episodes will air the first week in August.

The Tokyo Olympic Games are just weeks away and our guest this week will not only representing Team USA at the upcoming event but also her alma mater, Eastern Illinois as our guest for episode 49 of EIUPanthers Podcast is Team USA Women’s Rugby player Lauren Doyle.  This will be Doyle’s second Olympic Games after being a part of the first women’s rugby team to participate in the Olympics during the 2016 Rio Olympics.  On today’s episode we talk to her about her two Olympic experiences and what it is like to be a member of Team USA.

Episode 48 of EIUPanthers Podcast talks with Eastern Illinois women’s soccer head coach Jake Plant.  Plant, originally from England, talks about his experiences as a player on the EIU men’s soccer team, how he first got into the coaching business and what it has been like to coach the women’s program at his alma mater.

The month of June has been the EIU Panther Club's annual fund drive with this year's campaign centered around the theme of Loyal and True.   Episode 47 of EIUPanthers Podcast talks to several EIU student-athletes, coaches and administrators as they each quickly tell their EIU True Story and how this university has impacted their lives.  For more information on how you can support the EIU Panther Club - click the Panther Club link on www.eiupanthers.com 

Episode 46 of EIUPanthers Podcast talks with Mike Bradd, a voice that will be immediately recognizable to Eastern Illinois Panther fans as he has served as the Voice of the Panthers for basketball since the Kevin Duckworth era and has been calling EU football games since Tony Romo graced the gridiron.  On this week’s episode we talk to him about how he got into broadcasting, some of the memorable moments and players he has covered and his love of Indy Car Racing.

EIUPanthers Podcast returns this week after taking a week off as Episode 45 talks with former Eastern Illinois tennis player Merritt Whitley.  Whitley talks about her time playing tennis for the Panthers, her love of music and foray into the music business and what she is doing professionally now in Kansas City.

With the landscape of NCAA College Athletics changing rapidly episode 44 of EIUPanthers Podcast visits with Kiersten Klekner-Alt, Eastern Illinois Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator.  Klekner-Alt talks about changes in NCAA legislation and the impact it is having on programs and how that makes her job in the compliance world very interesting at this time.  A former student-athlete herself, Klekner-Alt talks about those experiences and how they help her in her current role.  She also talks about her passion for the game of golf.