As USA Basketball prepares for the next window of World Cup Qualifying in Southern California, Stephen Silas joins Woj to talk through the unique, high-pressure discipline of tight-window international team building.

Fresh off a 24-year run in the NBA — includingas the Houston Rockets’ head coach and assistant roles working with Steph Curry and LeBron James — Silas shares what he’s learned about coaching in preparation for World Cup qualifying events.

Woj and Silas dive into:

    •    The 72-Hour Turnaround: How to build a cohesive roster in just six practices with players from the G League and European circuits.

    •    The FIBA vs. NBA Gap: Why the international game is more physical, why the "three-ball" is the ultimate equalizer and the rule differences that catch even veteran coaches off guard.

    •    Patrick Ewing’s Impact: What it’s like having a Dream Team legend on the bench and the advice Silas received from Jeff Van Gundy before taking the job.

    •    The Weight of the Jersey: Why representing the U.S. remains the ultimate career milestone for players who may never reach the Olympic stage.

    •    Life After the Grind: Silas opens up about finding the balance between "Coach Silas" and "Stephen Silas" after decades on the road.

Subscribe to The Program with Woj for more deep-dive interviews with the most influential figures in team building.

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Mark Pantoni, General Manager and Director of Player Personnel at Ohio State, joins The Program to pull back the curtain on the rapidly evolving "front office" of college football.

From his humble beginnings as an undergraduate pre-med student at Florida—where his first task for Urban Meyer was hand-writing 400 envelopes a day—to now managing what is essentially a collegiate "salary cap," Pantoni shares the blueprint for building a career in player personnel. He discusses the shift from relationship-based recruiting to agent-led negotiations and how the "Indiana model" is changing how big programs value veteran experience over high school potential.

In this episode, Woj and Mark discuss:

The Non-Traditional Path: How a pre-med student with no playing background became one of the most powerful executives in college football.

The Evolution of Recruiting: Transitioning from VHS tapes and handwritten letters to managing NIL valuations and transfer portal "free agency."

The "Switzerland" Approach: Why Pantoni has to remain emotionally detached from players to make fair, data-driven financial decisions for the locker room.

The High School vs. Portal Dilemma: Analyzing the "dead money" risk of high school recruits versus the immediate impact of veteran transfers.

Building a Front Office: How Ohio State has structured its personnel department to mirror an NFL scouting operation.

Red Flags for Recruits: Why something as simple as being on your phone during a visit can change a staff's evaluation of your "football IQ" and maturity.

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This week, Woj sits down with Utah Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy to go inside one of the most intentional culture-building projects in the NBA. Since taking the reins in Utah, Hardy has navigated the transition from a veteran contender to a young, hungry roster by emphasizing the "monotony of greatness" and a holistic approach to the modern athlete.

In this episode, Woj and Will discuss:

The Monotony of Greatness: Why a seared mental image of Tim Duncan shooting jump hooks 45 minutes before a shoot-around still dictates Hardy’s expectations for his young core.

Human Development vs. Player Development: Moving beyond drills to help players navigate life in their 20s, mental health, and the habits that drive winning.

The Kevin Love Factor: The honest conversations that brought a 5-time All-Star to a rebuilding locker room and why his "honesty and perspective" have become a cheat code for the Jazz coaching staff.

"Show Love": The origins of the team’s viral mantra and the daily locker room exercises used to combat the negativity and ego of professional sports.

Front Office Alignment: How the Jazz avoid the "grab for credit" and "passing of blame" through constant communication with Danny Ainge, Justin Zanik, and the Utah leadership team.

Subscribe to The Program with Woj for more inside looks at the architects of modern basketball.

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This week, Woj sits down with Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff to go inside the high-stakes world of NBA player development.

Longstaff, a rising name in the coaching ranks, shares the lessons he learned in the trenches of Oklahoma City, where he helped mold three future Hall of Famers, and explains the radical "CEO" culture he is now building alongside Charles Lee in Charlotte.

Josh and Woj discuss:

"He Would Test Me": The raw honesty required to earn the respect of a young Russell Westbrook and the moment Longstaff realized that truth is a coach's greatest currency.

The Soul of Development: Why the Hornets' "holistic" approach reaches far beyond the court, focusing on mental performance, nutrition, and the "whole person."

The CEO Mindset: How Charlotte empowers young stars like Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball by putting them at the head of the table (literally) to own their professional growth.

Mentoring Icons: What it was like to witness the daily, obsessive work habits of a young Kevin Durant and James Harden.

The Head Coaching Path: Longstaff’s transition from the video room to leading an expansion G League franchise.

We’ll see you next week for episode fourteen of The Program.

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ESPN’s Pete Thamel joins Woj to dissect one of the most improbable rises in the history of the sport: the Indiana Hoosiers’ journey to the national title game. Ahead of a showdown with Miami, Woj and Pete dive into how Curt Cignetti built a "destination logo" in record time and the seismic shifts making this era of college athletics the most chaotic in history.

    •    The Indiana Rocket Ship: Pete explains why the Hoosiers’ rise is unprecedented and why it required a "perfect storm" of the transfer portal, NIL and administrative defiance to keep a coaching staff intact.

    •    The Death of Continuity: How the gap between the "Blue Bloods" and the rest of the field has widened, and why the mid-major advantage of veteran rosters is disappearing.

    •    The Revenue Share Frontier: A look at the House settlement and why schools are continuing to spend at "100 miles per hour."

    •    The 10-Year Outlook: Will the Power Conferences eventually break away from the NCAA? Pete breaks down the multi-billion dollar binders that are keeping the current model together for now.

We’ll see you next week for episode thirteen of The Program.

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A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, Novig, America's #1 Sports Prediction Market, where you can make picks on the NBA, NFL, and more at the best odds in over 35 states! Learn more at ⁠https://novig.us/woj and use code THEPROGRAM for a match up to $100 on your first purchase.

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On this episode of The Program, Woj is joined by BYU Head of Personnel Justin Young. Young walks us through "The Perfect Storm": a combination of NBA-level player development, the transition to the Big 12, and a high-functioning NIL landscape that has allowed BYU to go shoulder-to-shoulder with the blue bloods of the sport.

The Kevin Young Effect: Why a top NBA assistant chose the college game and how his "intellectual relationship" with elite players like AJ Dybantsa changed the recruiting trail.

The Business of Winning: How BYU’s leadership and donor community scaled their resources to compete with the likes of Duke and Kansas.

The International Market: Calibrating talent evaluation in Europe and the challenges of identifying "archetypes" in leagues across the globe.

NIL & The "Ego" Factor: Why the new era of college sports allows donors to feel like NBA owners—and whether or not it’s sustainable..

We’ll see you next week for episode twelve of The Program.

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A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, Novig, America's #1 Sports Prediction Market, where you can make picks on the NBA, NFL, and more at the best odds in over 35 states! Learn more at ⁠https://novig.us/woj and use code THEPROGRAM for a match up to $100 on your first purchase.

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Tom Crean, former head coach at Marquette, Indiana, and Georgia, returns for Part 2 of a masterclass in team building. Crean shares why the fundamentals of winning haven't changed, even if the payrolls have. He and Woj dive into everything from the challenges facing Mid-Majors, to the danger of setting "ceilings" for your stars, and much more.

The Talent Raid: How mid-majors can still win when high-majors consistently pluck talent from their rosters.

The Harbaugh Influence: Lessons in experience-based coaching from Jim and John Harbaugh.

Raising the Floor: Why developing the bottom of your roster is the secret to consistent winning.

Personalized Recruiting: Crean on using film and voice memos to provide value to prospects before they sign.

The Efficiency Gap: Why the highest payroll doesn’t always equal the best team.

We’ll see you next week for episode eleven of The Program.

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A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, Novig, America's #1 Sports Prediction Market, where you can make picks on the NBA, NFL, and more at the best odds in over 35 states! Learn more at ⁠https://novig.us/woj and use code THEPROGRAM for a match up to $100 on your first purchase.

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Tom Crean, the former head coach at Marquette, Indiana, and Georgia, joins Woj to discuss the seismic shifts currently reshaping the college basketball landscape. Crean, who led Marquette to a Final Four and coached stars like Dwyane Wade and Anthony Edwards, dives deep into the evolving demands of coaching staffs in the NIL and Transfer Portal era, sharing insights on  player development and how the best programs are fighting to maintain culture in an increasingly transactional world.

Problem vs. Dilemma: Crean explains the shift in the head coaching role, where modern issues like NIL and the portal are no longer "problems" to be solved but "dilemmas" that must be managed daily.

The Evolution of Coaching Staffs: He discusses how the responsibilities of assistants have changed, emphasizing that every staff member must now be a fundraiser, an evaluator, and a relationship-builder rather than just a recruiter.

Recruiters vs. Evaluators: Crean breaks down why the ability to evaluate talent and provide fundamental solutions is more critical than ever, and warns against the "shortsightedness" of recruiting based on empty promises.

Sustaining Culture: He shares a behind-the-scenes look at his recent visit with Tom Izzo at Michigan State, highlighting how the Spartans have mastered program consistency and former-player engagement despite the chaos of the portal era.

The Professional Bridge: Crean reflects on the vital role college programs play in preparing athletes for the mental and professional rigors of the NBA, and the danger of losing those transformational bridges in a transactional environment.

We’ll see you next week for episode eleven of The Program.

Subscribe to The Program with Woj for more in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports.

A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, Novig, America's #1 Sports Prediction Market, where you can make picks on the NBA, NFL, and more at the best odds in over 35 states! Learn more at ⁠https://novig.us/woj and use code THEPROGRAM for a match up to $100 on your first purchase.

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This week Woj sits down with David Carle, the two-time national championship hockey coach at the University of Denver. With four Frozen Four appearances and two titles in eight seasons at DU, Carle is one of the most coveted coaches by the pros in all of college sports.

    •    The College Hockey Disruption: Carle details the unprecedented changes, including the recent ruling that made all players from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) eligible for NCAA hockey — adding an entirely new dimension to recruiting.

    •    The DU Strategy: Why the two-time national title  program intentionally chooses to be one of the youngest teams in the country, prioritizing recruiting and developing freshmen instead of relying on older transfer portal players x

    •    The Non-Starter: Carle reveals the major "red flags" within a prospect's family and his mindset that will cause him to walk away from a top talent in the recruiting process.

    •    Life at the Top: Carle shares his philosophy on success, the pressure of maintaining the standard of a 10-time national championship program and weighing factors when considering job opportunities at the NHL level.

    •    The Future of the Sport: Carle gives his pragmatic prediction on the next major structural change in college hockey, driven by the revenue-sharing model.

We’ll see you next week for episode ten of The Program.

Subscribe to The Program with Woj for more in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports.

A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, Novig, America's #1 Sports Prediction Market, where you can make picks on the NBA, NFL, and more at the best odds in over 35 states! Learn more at ⁠https://novig.us/woj and use code THEPROGRAM for a match up to $100 on your first purchase.

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Dalmar Ali, the newly appointed head coach of the Somalia National Basketball Team and an assistant coach at LIU, joins Adrian Wojnarowski to discuss his new international challenge, his roots, and the unique realities of of building a competitive program.

The International Blueprint: Ali discusses modeling the Somalia National Team's structure after successful nation-building efforts in Africa, including the work of Masai Ujiri's Giants of Africa and Luol Deng's South Sudan program, leveraging their influence and pride.

The Somali Basketball Community: He shares insights into the passionate and large Somali basketball community, particularly in Toronto and Minnesota, and the significant role it plays in developing talent.

Coaching at LIU: Ali opens up about working with head coach Rod Strickland and the staff's remarkable success in the Northeast Conference (NEC) with limited resources. He explains their unique recruiting strategy that prioritizes relationships and vision over NIL funding.

The Future of Mid-Majors: Ali expresses his concern over the sustainability of smaller conferences due to the transfer portal and NIL landscape, and how LIU managed to retain top talent by building a positive and impactful program culture.

Mentorship and Learning: He reflects on the invaluable experience of learning program building from two Division I legends, Rod Strickland and his former boss, Leonard Hamilton.

We’ll see you next week for episode six of The Program.

Subscribe to The Program with Woj for more in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports.

A big thank you to our presenting sponsor, Novig, America's #1 Sports Prediction Market, where you can make picks on the NBA, NFL, and more at the best odds in over 35 states! Learn more at ⁠https://novig.us/woj and use code THEPROGRAM for a match up to $100 on your first purchase.

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