More Than The Scoreboard | Leadership, Culture & Accountability

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Episode 96 – Tanner Field. Tanner is the Athletic Coordinator at The Woodlands Christian Academy and the founder of B3rd Athletics and B3rd Ministries. In this episode, Tanner shares why he believes athletics is one of the greatest classrooms we have for developing young people—not simply as athletes, but as future husbands, wives, parents, leaders, and people of faith. He discusses the importance of helping athletes understand that their identity is bigger than their performance, why coaches must be intentional about developing the person in front of them, and how faith, humility, communication, hard work, and serving others can become part of the daily pursuit of excellence. Tanner also explains the meaning behind “B3rd”—putting God first, others second, and yourself third—and how a system that began inside his own basketball program has grown into a ministry designed to serve coaches and athletes far beyond his own school. This conversation is ultimately about recognizing the incredible influence coaches have and using sports intentionally to prepare young people not only for their next game, but for the person they are becoming long after the game ends.

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Episode 95 – Matt Eyde. Matt is a former University of Iowa quarterback who transferred to Iowa after beginning his college career at Michigan State and today helps lead his family’s real estate development business. In this episode of the Life Beyond Athletics series, Matt shares how the adversity, competition, disappointment, and pressure he experienced as a college athlete ultimately prepared him for leadership, business, fatherhood, and life. He reflects on learning to get back up after failure, surrounding yourself with the right people, speaking up when something isn’t right, and turning setbacks into lessons rather than allowing them to define you. Matt also discusses what he looks for when building a team—people who take ownership, solve problems, and are willing to step into difficult situations—as well as how the example set by his father continues to influence the way he approaches business and raising his own children. Ultimately, Matt’s story is a reminder that the greatest value of athletics isn’t always found in what happens on the field, but in the resilience, relationships, self-awareness, and character you carry with you long after your playing days are over.

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Episode 94 – Jon Koontz. Jon is a former TCU defensive end who went from walking onto one of the top football programs in the country to earning a scholarship, becoming a starter, and eventually being named a team captain. Today, he serves as President and COO of an independent supermarket company with 34 stores across five states, applying many of the same lessons in leadership, discipline, accountability, and culture that shaped him as an athlete.

Jon shares the mindset it took to enter TCU as a walk-on, spend his first years without seeing the field, and continue working until he earned his place within the program. He reflects on playing for legendary head coach Gary Patterson and how TCU's emphasis on toughness, consistency, responsibility, and simply “doing your 1/11th” taught him that successful organizations are built when everyone understands their role and is accountable for doing it well.

He also discusses how being elected captain prepared him to lead in the business world, why clear standards must come before accountability, and the importance of communication, consistency, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with people who want to grow. Ultimately, Jon’s story is a reminder that athletics can prepare us for far more than competition—it can teach us to earn our opportunities, lead people who depend on us, remain committed when the results don't come immediately, and carry those lessons into life long after the game ends.

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Episode 93 – Mike Pollak. Mike is a former Arizona State standout and NFL offensive lineman who has turned his playing experience into a mission to help develop the next generation of athletes and coaches. Mike shares how athletics shaped his mindset around perseverance, failure, leadership, and gratitude—and why learning to get back up after being knocked down has carried into every part of his life as a husband, father, and business leader.

He discusses why athletics has become increasingly transactional, what transformational coaches can do differently, and why the strongest programs create cultures where players feel ownership and responsibility for one another. Mike reflects on lessons learned from leaders throughout his career, including the importance of relationships, serving others, and understanding that the impact of a coach extends far beyond wins, championships, and trophies.

Mike also shares his work as Director of Training for Tip of the Spear and how the organization is helping coaches teach safer, more effective football through better body mechanics and contact technique. Ultimately, his message is about what athletics can give us long after the game ends: the perseverance to keep moving forward, the willingness to learn from failure, and the responsibility to use what we've been given to impact the next generation.

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Episode 92 – Jared DeVries. Jared is a former University of Iowa standout who spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions before becoming a high school head coach and business owner. Jared shares how athletics shaped his approach to leadership, discipline, adversity, and service—and why the lessons learned through sports continue to guide him as a husband, father, and business leader. He reflects on the lasting influence of legendary coaches Ed Thomas and Hayden Fry, the importance of making every player feel valued, and why great cultures are built through relationships, accountability, communication, and doing the little things right. Jared also discusses the value of multi-sport participation, giving back to the community, and how athletics prepares young people to handle adversity far beyond the playing field. Ultimately, his message to coaches is simple: focus on developing the person, and the sport will take care of itself.

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Episode 91 – Dwayne Blakley. We expand our reach on the podcast diving into former college and pro athletes and how athletics shaped their lives.  This is the first in More Than The Scoreboard Podcast expanding.  Dwayne Blakley is a former University of Missouri tight end who went on to play professionally in the NFL and NFL Europe before building a successful career as a personal trainer. In this episode, Dwayne reflects on how athletics shaped his life and shares the adversity, relationships, and defining moments that helped shape the man he is today. He discusses suffering a frightening broken neck while at Missouri, how that experience completely reset his approach to football and life, and a second health scare after his professional career that ultimately led him into personal training. Dwayne also shares what he looks for when working with young athletes—work ethic, coachability, perseverance, and the willingness to keep competing when success doesn’t come immediately. He reflects on the changing landscape of college athletics, NIL and the transfer portal, and why today’s athletes can’t lose sight of the value of earning opportunities instead of expecting immediate results. Most importantly, Dwayne explains how the lessons learned through sports extend far beyond the field: understanding that every decision matters, developing the perseverance to keep going through adversity, and having a vision for who you want to become.

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Episode 90 - Coach Jeff Scurran.  Jeff is one of the most accomplished and respected football coaches in Arizona, with a career spanning championship high school programs, college football, quarterback development, and international coaching. Jeff shares lessons from decades of building winning programs and explains why great coaching still comes down to developing the individual athlete, mastering fundamentals through what he calls “mindless, endless repetition,” and getting players to embrace the process. He discusses the importance of creating genuine buy-in, building programs around family and community, and why head coaches must see themselves as problem solvers whose responsibility extends far beyond the field. Jeff also reflects on how NIL, transfers, talent acquisition, and the changing landscape of high school and college athletics are impacting the game—and why coaches can never lose sight of the ultimate purpose: helping young people love their sport, develop life skills, and become the best version of themselves.

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Episdoe 89 - Coach Justin Conyers is the Head Football Coach at Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri. Justin shares how building a successful football program begins with establishing an unwavering standard, developing intentional leaders, and creating a culture where accountability, relationships, and character drive everything the team does. He reflects on his coaching journey—from being mentored by influential coaches and helping build Battle High School from the ground up to returning to his alma mater and transforming Hickman Football through consistent leadership and clear expectations. Justin also discusses the importance of investing in coaches, empowering player leadership through structured development, treating every athlete with fairness and respect, and why lasting success is built by developing people before pursuing championships.

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Coach Danny Norris is the Head Football Coach at Benjamin Franklin High School in Queen Creek, Arizona. Danny shares how faith, character, and intentional leadership have become the foundation of his coaching philosophy, discussing the importance of serving others, building authentic relationships, and creating a program where love, accountability, and high standards coexist. He reflects on his journey from coaching programs with fewer than 15 players to leading one of Arizona's premier football programs, while offering practical insights on developing coaches, mentoring young athletes, and leading with integrity both on and off the field. Danny also explains why the greatest responsibility of a coach is not simply winning games, but modeling the character and values that shape the next generation of leaders.

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Episode 87 features former Andy Hill, who reflects on a coaching journey that spanned more than three decades, including 24 years at the University of Missouri and multiple Super Bowl appearances with the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy shares lessons on leadership, recruiting, culture, and relationships, emphasizing that great leaders are competitors, connectors, and people of character who consistently uphold standards. He also discusses the impact coaching had on his life as a husband, father, and mentor, while highlighting the importance of surrounding yourself with quality people and building organizations where everyone shares the same vision and purpose.