On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Coach Chris Caputo, head men’s basketball coach at George Washington University. Coach Caputo began his coaching career as a student assistant at Westfield State before joining Jim Larrañaga’s staff at George Mason. He was part of the legendary 2006 George Mason Final Four run and followed Larrañaga to the University of Miami, where he spent over a decade, eventually becoming associate head coach. In 2022, Caputo was named the head coach at GW, bringing with him a reputation for player development, recruiting, and defensive intensity. He’s helped develop multiple NBA players and led Miami to several NCAA Tournament appearances. At GW, he’s focused on building a competitive, connected culture in the A-10. In this episode we talk about how his first coaching stops came about through connections, what he looks for as a head coach in the hiring of an assistant and mistakes he sees young coaches make when trying to network and grow in the industry.