The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Rick Moore didn’t set out to become a legendary pole vault coach. He was a football guy. A wrestler. A chicken farmer. A middle school coach trying to figure it out.

Then one junior high track meet changed everything.

From that moment forward, Rik built one of Georgia’s most dominant programs:

🏆 Six straight state titles in the vault

🥇 Multiple 1–2 finishes at the state meet

🚀 Coaching Georgia’s first 16-foot high school male vaulter

🏅 A state team championship… with no ring and no parade

He coached through triumph and tragedy, gave up football to protect track, commuted an hour for 16 years to support his family, and eventually transitioned into officiating and facility consulting.

More than anything, Rik explains why track & field bonds people differently:

>The 100-lb miler and 300-lb thrower sharing the same grind

>Male and female athletes training through the same 400m pain

>Every great athlete starting in the same place

“Track and field has done more for me than I’ll ever do for it.”

— Rik Moore

This is a conversation about legacy, loss, leadership, and why track & field becomes more than a sport.

🌟 Explore Our Library:Dive into over 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, DiljeetTaylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan,as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou(Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) andmany more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more!

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode,which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill ConnectionsPodcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Wantto get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham),email at [email protected],or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

The crew at the University of South Florida put on an excellent clinic in Tampa, Fla this past fall of 2025. Speakers included Sammy Dabbs, Erik Jenkins, Vince Anderson, Chris Korfist, and Dwight Phillips.

Today we share Chris Korfist's talk on sprint training. Enjoy!

Don't forget to join us over on YouTube for the video version of Monday's Gill Connections Podcast as well as Twitch.TV for 24/7 track/field Gill Connections Podcast interviews.

The crew at the University of South Florida put on an excellent clinic in Tampa, Fla this past fall of 2025. Speakers included Sammy Dabbs, Erik Jenkins, Vince Anderson, Chris Korfist, and Dwight Phillips.

Today we share part 2 of Dwight Phillip's talk on coaching the long jump. Enjoy!

Don't forget to join us over on YouTube for the video version of Monday's Gill Connections Podcast as well as Twitch.TV for 24/7 track/field Gill Connections Podcast interviews.

The crew at the University of South Florida put on an excellent clinic in Tampa, Fla this past fall of 2025. Speakers included Sammy Dabbs, Erik Jenkins, Vince Anderson, Chris Korfist, and Dwight Phillips.

Today we share part 1 of Dwight Phillip's talk on coaching the long jump. Enjoy!

Don't forget to join us over on YouTube for the video version of Monday's Gill Connections Podcast as well as Twitch.TV for 24/7 track/field Gill Connections Podcast interviews.

David is a Coach O Ambassador and nationally known T&F announcer. He also serves as the Director of Client Relations for CoachO.com

Leaning on his personal experience as a high school T&F coach, David encourages coaches to attend or host a 9th/10th grade-only meet and shares his insights on how it helps the athletes, coaches, and team.

If you have a topic to share on this podcast, contact David to learn more.

Some coaching stories are about wins.
Some are about rebuilding.
This one is about truth, belief, and resilience when the system fails you.

Sol Stephens’ journey spans classrooms, weight rooms, locker rooms, and boardrooms — from a second-grade teacher who changed his life, to building successful college programs, to having that program cut while doing everything right.

This is not a bitter conversation.
It’s a grown one.

In this episode, Sol shares:

• 🧠 How self-awareness became his greatest coaching skill

• 🏃‍♂️ Why “math and science” applies to every event group

• 📚 Lessons learned from mentors like Brooks Johnson and others who shaped his philosophy

• 💥 What it feels like to have a program cut after growth, success, and academic excellence

• 🏫 Why honesty in hiring matters more than prestige

• 🔍 What coaches should listen for when evaluating institutional health

• 🌱 How healing, perspective, and leadership can grow after loss

This conversation is for:

• Coaches who feel unseen

• Coaches questioning fit and alignment

• Coaches who know their value but refuse to dim their light

💬 “I didn’t do anything wrong — and that’s the hardest part.” — Sol Stephens

Sol’s story isn’t about where he was — it’s about who he’s becoming.
And why sometimes the right season arrives only after the hardest one.

🌟 Explore Our Library:Dive into over 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, DiljeetTaylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan,as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou(Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) andmany more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more!

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode,which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill ConnectionsPodcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Wantto get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham),email at [email protected],or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

The crew at the University of South Florida put on an excellent clinic in Tampa, Fla this past fall of 2025. Speakers included Sammy Dabbs, Erik Jenkins, Vince Anderson, Chris Korfist, and Dwight Phillips.

Today we share part 2 of Vince Anderson's talk on 400m training. Enjoy!

Don't forget to join us over on YouTube for the video version of Monday's Gill Connections Podcast as well as Twitch.TV for 24/7 track/field Gill Connections Podcast interviews.

The crew at the University of South Florida put on an excellent clinic in Tampa, Fla this past fall of 2025. Speakers included Sammy Dabbs, Erik Jenkins, Vince Anderson, Chris Korfist, and Dwight Phillips.

Today we share part 1 of Vince Anderson's talk on 400m training. Enjoy!

Don't forget to join us over on YouTube for the video version of Monday's Gill Connections Podcast as well as Twitch.TV for 24/7 track/field Gill Connections Podcast interviews.

Latasha is an Olympic Gold Medalist in the 4x4, World Record Holder in the 4x2, 2-time Olympian, and Hall of Famer. Currently, she leads Christ Studios and the LC Treasures Within Foundation which provides scholarships to students. Latasha shares from her journey moving from perennial HS state champ to Olympic champion and encourages young athletes, their parents, and coaches to provide patience and grace during their process of growth toward greatness.

We'd love to hear from you, too! Contact David Mitchell to learn how to join the Gill1918 Youth Series team of presenters.

Some coaches leave the sport because they’re burned out.

Some leave because they’ve lost their passion.

Devin Green stepped away for a different reason — his son.

In this deeply honest conversation, Devin walks us through a coaching journey that started with a high-school 4x400 emergency, grew through years of building programs in Arizona, and ultimately led to one of the hardest decisions a coach can make: choosing family over the stopwatch.

This isn’t a retirement story.

It’s a priority story.

In this episode, Devin shares:

🏃‍♂️ How a last-minute relay leg changed the trajectory of his life

🧠 What young coaches get wrong (and eventually learn) about control and leadership

📈 Why structure — not talent — is the real difference in successful programs

🤝 How reaching out to other coaches shaped his philosophy more than certifications ever did

👨‍👦 The quiet moments that made him realize he was missing time he could never get back

🧭 Why stepping away now doesn’t mean the door is closed forever

This episode is for:

➡️Coaches feeling stretched thin

➡️Coaches questioning their current season

➡️Coaches who love the sport — but love their family more

💬 “I don’t regret coaching at all. I just realized this season of life required something different.” — Devin Green

If you’ve ever wondered when it’s okay to step away — or if that thought alone makes you feel guilty — this conversation is for you.

🌟 Explore Our Library:Dive into over 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, DiljeetTaylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan,as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou(Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) andmany more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more!
🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode,which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill ConnectionsPodcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Wantto get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham),email at [email protected],or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍