EIUPanthers Podcast

Episode 33 of EIUPanthers Podcast includes multiple guests as we chat with Dan Verdun and Barry Bottino, the creators of Prairie State Pigskin, a website that provides coverage of the four FCS football schools in the state of Illinois.   In addition to being the creators of that source of information five years ago, Dan and Barry are both Eastern Illinois alums that worked at one time for the Daily Eastern News.   So today we talk about the Prairie State Pigskin and revisit some of their favorite memories covering Eastern Illinois Athletics.

On this week’s episode (No. 32) we visit with former three-sport athlete Wayne Stingley.   A native of Chicago, he came to EIU in the early 1960’s as a track athlete and quickly worked his way on to the football and basketball teams with the Panthers.  After becoming the first college graduate in his family, he moved into teaching and coaching.  It was some advice from a friend that would then get him involved in the fast food business as he became an owner of a McDonald’s franchise in Chicago and has since expanded his ownership with his wife Dorothy to franchises in Arizona where the couple now lives.

On this week’s episode of EIUPanthers Podcast (No. 31) we hit the links as we talk with former Eastern Illinois men’s golfer David Lawrence.  Lawrence talks about his time playing at EIU where he posted several first place tournament finishes and was runner-up at the OVC Championship.  He also recalls some early advice coach Mike Moncel gave him as he looked to turn pro and make a living playing golf.  Lawrence is currently playing on the PGA LatinoAmerica Tour and has one PGA Tournament appearance at the John Deere Classic.

Episode 30 of EIUPanthers Podcast visits with former EIU swimmer Amanda Bos.  Bos was a Hall of Fame swimmer for the Panthers who worked internationally in marketing and sales before returning to Charleston to work in Athletic Administration at EIU when her husband Matt was hired as the Panthers swim coach.  Bos talks about those experiences and the journey that has followed as she now works in corporate sales and marketing in Minnesota.

Episode 29 of EIUPanthers Podcast visits with EIU’s newly hired Director of Athletic Development Mike Murray as he transitions into the role on an interim basis while concluding his work as a Development officer in the EIU Office of Advancement and the EIU Foundation.  Today we talk to Murray at about his time as a student-athlete, his first exposure to intercollegiate athletics, his connections to Charleston and EIU Athletics and some of the projects he has been able to help facilitate during his time working for the University.

Episode 28 of EIUPanthers Podcast as this week episode we visit with former EIU All-American runner Mike Hatfield who had a long career in athletic administration before retiring and taking on a new role.  We catch up with Mike as he talks about how he got into running, his success and memories at EIU, some of the highlights from his long athletic administrative career and a program he and several other EIU cross country & track alums put together to support their teammates.

With the NFL season winding down and once again several former Eastern Illinois Panthers playing or coaching in the league, Episode 27 of EIUPanthers Podcast takes this week to visit with one of the newest Panthers in the EIU NFL Family, Alexander Hollins.   Ally B. as he was known earned All-American honors playing for the Panthers in 2018 before signing as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings.  He was a two-year member of the Vikings team before being traded at the end of this past season to the Cleveland Browns.   Hollins was active on the roster for the Browns first round playoff win and today he talks about his NFL experience, his time at Eastern Illinois and his path from Yazoo City, Mississippi to both destinations.

Episode 26 of EIUPanthers Podcast is a little different as earlier this week the Ohio Valley Conference held its Virtual Media Day for football which will be played in the OVC this spring.   The Panthers were represented by head coach Adam Cushing and quarterback Harry Woodbery.   For this week’s episode of EIUPanthers Podcast we bring you the audio recording of EIU’s session from OVC Media Day.   The 2021 Spring football season will kick off for EIU on Sunday, Feb. 21 as six of EIU’s seven games will take place on Sunday.   Two players – wide receiver Isaiah Hill and linebacker Dytarious Johnson – were named to the preseason All-OVC team.

Episode 25 of EIUPanthers Podcast.  On this week’s episode we visit with former Eastern Illinois women’s basketball guard Megan Edwards who was recently selected for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.  Edwards played for the Panthers in the mid-2000’s and was a part of a recruiting class that helped build a foundation of success for the Panthers for nearly a decade.  Edwards talks about her playing days at EIU, what it means to be selected to the IBCA Hall of Fame and her current career as a high school teacher working in family and consumer sciences classes..

Episode 24 of EIUPanthers Podcast visits with the newest member of the Eastern Illinois coaching family as Paul Jarzynka was recently hired as the Panthers new men’s tennis head coach.  Jarzynka becomes the 20th head coach in program history.  A former NCAA Division III player, Jarzynka talks about his playing days reaching the NCAA Tournament and his path to coaching college tennis which includes stops at Wright State and most recently Belmont Abbey, a Top 30 NCAA Division II program.