The Jump Around with Blake DuDonis

The leader of a program that hasn’t lost a conference game since 2016, Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk joined me on the pod today.

We discuss her successful Drake program and what it took to get them to the level they are playing at today, including her first signee and the impact she made.

We also talked about the advice she got from a coaching legend on an airplane at the very beginning of her coaching career, what it’s like having your name thrown out there every time a bigger job opens up, and what it’s like having a president that comes to your games and yells just as loud as everyone else.

Now in her 19th season as the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Lisa Bluder joined me to talk all about her program before their game tonight against 1st place Rutgers.

We talk about her career that has occurred entirely in the state of Iowa, how she has continue to adapt to the changing scenery, and about that decent post player her team has.

Already with the most ACC wins since 2013, Clemson head coach Amanda Butler took some time to chat with me about the team's success in her 1st season at the school.

We also discussed the learning she did in her "gap year" between Florida and Clemson, how she has changed as a coach since being at Florida, and if the story of her running into a wall to pop back in her injuried shoulder is true or not.

For this episode, I was joined by Hampton head coach David Six. A long-time high school head coach who was once named AP Coach of the Year, Coach Six is the winningest coach in Hampton history. He is also an Air Force Vet.

Despite that impressive list of accolades, perhaps his most impressive accomplishment is that he not only survived a stroke on June 27, 2018, but that he was back to work before the first official practice in October. Listen to this man's story.

Northeastern head coach Kelly Cole took some time to join me during one of the best starts in the programs history. A longtime assistant at Boston College, Kelly stepped away from the college game to coach high school for six years after having three children, all under the age of 3 at the time. We discuss that, plus her journey back into college coaching and, eventually, taking over at Northeastern.

We talk about how her team has gotten to this point (12-3 when this episode first aired), her memories over that time, and the one time her team pushed a bus out of the snow.

This episode I am joined by Rice head coach Tina Langley. We discuss how she took her program from just 9 wins in year one, to 23 wins the past two seasons, including a WBI championship and a WNIT birth.

We also talk about her journey to Rice, how the high academic standards at the school has been an asset, and how the team continues to improve.

Sue Guevara, head coach of Central Michigan, joined me today in a really fun episode.

We discussed her college coaching career as a WBB assistant AND the head softball coach at Saginaw Valley, her time working for Tara Vanderveer and Nell Fortner, and if she took the time to appreciate CMU's run to the Sweet Sixteen a season ago.

I also asked her a question that, after great pause, Sue declared has never been asked of her before.

A legend of the game joined me today: Nikki McCray. The head coach of Old Dominion and a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Nikki talked to me about her career as a player, from her time at Tennessee all the way through the ABL and the WNBA.

I also tried to get her to tell me an embarrassing story about Dawn Staley, her former teammate and boss, but she wasn't biting.

Dawn Plitzuweit, head coach of the University of South Dakota, joined me after a thrilling 2OT win over archrival South Dakota State. We discussed that game plus the incredible success that South Dakota has had as a whole.

Coach also called me out for my intro music to my pod, told me the name of their family dog (which shows how competitive she is), and how she has grown in her career.

For the first episode of 2019, I was joined by South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler. Coach has taken over a Jaguars program that was in a bad spot and has led them to a 12-1 record this season, something we talk about plenty but discuss even more his philosophy as a coach.

We also talk about his dislike of coffee and love for orange juice, how his career was almost one in a MLB front office, and why he has only coached at smaller schools.