Dr. Richard Sander is the Athletic Director at Eastern Tennessee State University and the man behind the TopConnect Symposium, Dr Richard Sander. Dr Sander is a very active individual in the community while formally being the Athletic Director at VCU and having brought numerous NCAA Championships to the Richmond area. In this episode we talk about what Dr. Sander looks for in a coach when looking to hire for that next head coaching position, what all the Top Connect Symposium includes for assistant coaches as well as how someone such as yourself can get invited to meet and learn from more athletic directors and coaches in the industry at this event.

KT Harrell is the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Michigan, Coach KT Harrell. Coach Harrell starts his coaching career following a stellar playing career at Auburn and a stint internationally. Following his playing career, he started his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at Auburn which would lead him to be the Director of Basketball Operations at Florida Atlantic and then the University of Michigan. Coach Harrell is a young coach in the industry continuously on the rise but has learned from some of the best basketball minds in the industry so far. He shares what he has learned from coaches such as Bruce Pearl, Dusty May and Tony Bennett, what all his current role as a DOBO includes as well as some challenges he has faced along his journey so far.

Kyle Getter is the Associate Head Coach at the University of Notre Dame, Coach Kyle Getter. Coach Getter started his coaching career following his playing career at Centre College and got his first coaching position at Hanover College. Following Hanover he has grown to places such as Marshall, Wright State, Dayton, Walsh University, VCU, Radford, Liberty, Virginia and now Notre Dame. While in his time at Virginia he even helped the Cavaliers win the National Championship in 2019. On this episode we talk about how a coach can practice their coaching philosophy, some major takeaways he has learned from legendary coaches he has worked for along the ride as well as an in depth look on how their staff have prepared for special situations throughout the season.

Brad Kanis the Founder and CEO of EuroProBasket, Brad Kanis. Brad joins us with a ton of basketball and international experience following his playing career at Grand Canyon University and even having a stint with Houston Rockets NBA Summer League and later would bring him all around the world including, South America, Syria, Taiwan, Dubai, Japan, Uruguay, China, Africa and Europe. He now helps place athletes with international teams based on their skills and abilities. In this episode we talk about the different play styles that he has encountered while traveling to different countries, common themes agencies and coaches are looking for in a player and he even shares some details about events they run that could benefit coaches in the industry.

Katy Young Staudt is the Vice President of TurnkeyZRG. Katy joins us with heavy experience in recruiting and placement of coaches in various collegiate positions as she has worked as a director of recruiting and holding nearly 20 years of experience working in search firms. She has helped support 150+ searches for division 1 Head Coaches at places such as Yale, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Cal and Texas A&M, just to name a few. In this episode we talk about what led her into the placement side of coaching, what a coach should be expecting if working with a placement agency and what most agencies or athletic directors are looking for when hiring for their next position.

Drew Hanlen is a NBA Skills Coach and Consultant, CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball and a published Author. Coach Hanlen built his business from the ground up and now is one of the most well known NBA trainers in the game. Working with players such as Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal and Zach Lavine, just to name a few. In this episode we talk about the journey Hanlen has had growing his business portfolio over the years from the ground up, what a typical layout of his workouts would consist of as well as some major takeaways he looks for in players when preparing for an upcoming workout through film breakdown. Please welcome to the podcast, Coach Drew Hanlen.

Matt Brase is the Assistant Coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. Coach Brase’s playing career allowed him to play at Arizona as well as helped propel his career on the other side of the ball. Following Arizona he took positions at Grand Canyon, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston Rockets and 76ers, all as an assistant. Coach Brase also held head coaching stints with Rio Grande Valley and a stint in the professional leagues in Italy. In this episode we talk about some great things he has learned from a Legendary Coach in Lute Olson, some differences coaching in the college ranks compared to the NBA and some common themes he has learned amongst successful teams he has worked with.

Ganon Baker is an experienced Skills Development trainer, KeyNote Speaker, Life Development coach, Consultant and Author. Coach Baker has been in the industry helping athletes from all levels including the youth all the way to the NBA. Baker currently works alongside numerous clients in the NBA, NCAA and WNBA as well as numerous other countries as well. Baker has worked with many players, a few including Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Maya Moore just to name a few. In this episode we learn about what goes into Coach Baker’s workout plans, how he prepares for them in advance to make sure his clients get the best out of their workouts and also some different ways you can best use your communication skills to be the best leader possible.

RJ Allen is the Head Coach at Newman University. Coach Allen has grown himself in the industry, following his playing career at Hutchinson Community College, he started in a Graduate Assistant position at Concordia University. He grew in his role and ended up taking an assistant coach at Woodbury High School before being appointed the Associate Head Coach at Newman University and ultimately being appointed Head Coach, where he has been for 8 seasons. In this episode we talk about some bumps in the road as a first year head coach, how his coaching philosophy has evolved and on their growth so far this season.

Ryan Pannone is the Assistant Coach at the University of Alabama, Coach Ryan Pannone. Coach Pannone has worked his way up the coaching ranks holding positions in 5 countries including China, Slovakia, Israeli, Germany and South Korea as well as positions including Wallace State Community College, Erie Bayhawks, New Orleans Pelicans and currently the University of Alabama. Pannone has a strong coaching background and a wealth of knowledge for the game overall as you will come to learn. Pannone speaks on common threads amongst the different countries he has coached in, some of his favorite offensive actions as well as how to build a strong team culture in a program.