Red & Bold

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Brian Yearwood neverdreamed he’d lead the largest school district in Kentucky. Now, the Jefferson County Public Schools superintendent arrives at a pivotal moment for JCPS full of opportunity. In this episode of Red & Bold, Superintendent Yearwood chatswith President Gerry Bradley about the lessons he learned as the child of educators that are helping him steer the Louisville youth of today toward a bolder tomorrow.

Episode guest: Brian Yearwood has served as superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, since 2025. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, he immigrated to the U.S. on a tennis scholarship and began his academic career as a science teacher before transitioning into administrative leadership. Before joining JCPS, Yearwood led Columbia Public Schools in Missouri. His work prioritizes improving student outcomes, strengthening systems and building relationships with the families and communities JCPS serves.

Episode topics:

00:58 – Small islands, big district

2:55 – For the love of teaching

4:38 – Going to the principal’s office

7:03 – Becoming a change agent

8:26 – Where’d you go to high school?

10:20 – Biting the budget bullet

14:15 – Day by day at JCPS

16:02 – Preparing students for success

20:50 – Intentional downtime

22:53 – The best of Louisville

24:54 – Lifting each other up

Cardinals Football coach Jeff Brohm is used to being the onethrowing, but in this episode of Red & Bold, President Gerry Bradley rapid-fires the questions at the hometown hero quarterback turned head coach. From his family’s football legacy to what he learned from Steve Young and JerryRice as a 49ers player, Brohm shares the lessons that work just as well in life as they do on the field.

Episode guest: Jeff Brohm is the head coach of theLouisville Cardinals football team. In his four seasons at UofL, Brohm has a 28-12 record, posted back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in a decade, and led the Cards to their first appearance in the ACC championship in2023 and their highest win ever over a ranked opponent on the road when the team defeated No. 2 Miami in 2025. Brohm is a Louisville legend, starring as quarterback first at Trinity High School before playing for Coach Howard Schnellenberger at UofL. He spent eight seasons in the NFL playing for six teams.

Follow Brohm and Louisville Football on Instagram @louisvillefb.

A life in the public eye wasn’t on Britainy Beshear’s bingocard, but when her husband, Andy, was elected as Kentucky’s governor in 2019 she added the title of First Lady for Team Kentucky to her full-time job as mom to kids Will and Lila. In this episode of Red & Bold, Beshear chats with President Gerry Bradley about her journey from being raised in California to raising a family in Kentucky, her advocacy to combat human trafficking and working with kids in the classroom.

Episode Guest:  First Lady of Kentucky Britainy Beshear is an advocate for all Kentuckians, especially children and families in need. Married to Governor Andy Beshear since 2006, and mom to Will and Lila, she is dedicated to improving lives for communities across the commonwealth. Beshear is particularly active in raising awareness around issues including human trafficking and domestic violence, and in supporting programs like the Family Scholar House.

Episode topics:

01:39 – West Coast beginnings

03:34 – The Cantina Marina and meeting Andy

5:59 – Her new Kentucky home

7:03 – Living life as a first family

9:55 – Winnie joins the mix

11:48 – Human trafficking advocacy and how everyone can help

23:56 – Benefiting children and families through education

27:11 –  Lookout Kentucky, here come the kids

Lonnie Ali is no stranger to speaking up. Thanks to her, the legacy of Muhammad Ali remains Louisville-born and UofL-bred. Lonnie, a legend in her own right, shares her love for her husband, her city and her Cardinals as she joins President Gerry Bradley to talk life lessons in leadership, compassion and hard work. The Interim President and CEO of the Ali Center also recalls a poignant Olympic memory of her husband and reflects on the family’s connection to the university.

Episode guest: Lonnie Ali is the interim president/CEO of The Muhammad Ali Center. A Louisville native, she is an advocate for various causes including Parkinson’s disease research. She and her husband opened the Ali Center in  2005 to “present and mobilize Muhammad Ali’s legacy of creating change, pursuing justice and inspiring greatness.” Follow Lonnie on Instagram @reallonnieali.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg grew up knowing what he wanted to be. The New York native moved to Kentucky as a child, and while higher education took him all the way to the halls of Harvard, his love of Louisville and sense of service led him back home. In this Red and Bold conversation with President Gerry Bradley, Greenberg shares his path to Louisville’s highest office and his greatest honor.

Episode guest: Craig Greenberg is the 51st mayor of Louisville and a proud Louisvillian. A graduate of Jefferson County Public Schools, the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School, Mayor Greenberg began his career as an attorney before co launching Louisville-based 21c Museum Hotels. A husband, father and son of the city, Greenberg is committed to moving Louisville in a new direction that supports all its citizens. For more, follow him on Facebook.

If anyone knows how to build successful teams, it’s UofL women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz. For 19 years, Walz has been a leader on and off the court for dozens of Cardinals, helping them reach new heights in basketball and beyond. In this Red & Bold conversation with President Gerry Bradley, Walz demonstrates how his coaching philosophies translate to life lessons that everyone can score with.

What happens when two politicians reach across the aisle for a podcast debut? Join University of Louisville President Gerry Bradley and special guests Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and Congressman Morgan McGarvey for the first episode of Red & Bold: Uniting Cardinals and Community. From a Cardinal perspective, Bradley guides a bold conversation on how getting along – even when you disagree – is easier than it may seem.