Jorge Ruiz, Assistant Coach and Assistant GM at Weber State University, joins the show to share his path from Video Coordinator to one of the youngest assistant coaches in the nation and his recent promotion to Assistant GM.

We dive into how Jorge approaches recruiting and roster building in today’s unpredictable college sports landscape, what he evaluates in high school recruits versus the transfer portal, and what coaches often miss about players like Damian Lillard and Dillon Jones, who became 1st-round NBA picks.

Jorge also breaks down what makes Weber State unique in developing professional-level talent, how strength coaches can add value in the recruiting process, and his in-season approach to skill development that balances long-term growth with keeping players fresh.

🔗Check out more from Jorge 👇

Instagram: @ruizjorge1

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:13 Career Journey at Weber State

04:51 The Value of Longevity in Coaching Roles

08:26 Understanding the Assistant GM Role

09:46 Navigating Roster Management and Recruitment

11:14 The Importance of Honest Communication in Recruiting

13:04 Fitting Roles and Managing Expectations

15:38 Finding the Truth in Recruitment

17:35 Managing Challenging Personalities

20:27 Expectations and Ownership in Player Development

22:03 The Path to Professional Success

28:10 What Big Schools Miss in Talent Recruitment

34:16 Choosing the Right School for Development

35:40 The Pressure of Immediate Production in College Basketball

39:40 The Importance of Development and Growth

41:49 The Impact of Alumni on Current Players

47:33 Identifying Talent: What Sets Players Apart

52:04 The Role of Strength Coaches in Recruiting

58:04 The Costs of Pursuing Greatness in Coaching

59:54 Finding Purpose in Coaching Relationships

Anthony Cockrill, Director of Volleyball Sports Performance and Assistant Director of Olympic Sports at SMU, returns to the Podcast for his second appearance after his first episode became our most downloaded episode ever. 

In this conversation, we go deep into the systems behind elite volleyball performance. Anthony breaks down jump and swing mechanics, squat progressions, jump training, building bulletproof shoulders, getting your first chin-up, and how he balances physical preparation with skill development.

We also dive into assessments, warm-ups, gymnastics movements, nutrition, injury mitigation, and how to organize training to support long-term athlete development.

This episode is packed with practical insight and high-level thinking for anyone training volleyball players—or athletes at any level.

🔗Check out more from Anthony👇

1st Episode with Anthony: The Epidemic of the Underprepared Athlete (#1 MOST DOWNLOADED EPISODE) - [click here]

Framework For Flight - PDF Program: [click here]

Instagram: @anthonycockrill

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:10 Jump Mechanics: Understanding the Approach

14:56 Visual Feedback and Skill Acquisition in Jumping

17:38 Body Awareness and Squatting Fundamentals

25:54 Plyometric Training for Vertical Jump Improvement

34:48 Swing Mechanics: Enhancing the Volleyball Arm Swing

41:01 Why Volleyball Players Should Throw Footballs

48:32 Key Movements for Shoulder Health

51:14 Getting Your First Chin Up

01:00:49 Nutrition for Young Athletes

01:09:11 Game Day Nutrition and Timing

01:11:14 Effective Warm-Up Strategies

01:18:03 Balancing Skill and Physical Development

01:22:11 The Importance of Physicality in Youth Sports

01:25:39 Assessment and Evaluation Processes

01:32:55 Reflecting on Injury Management and Prevention

01:36:58 Building Routines for High-Pressure Situations

Owner of Hansen Athletics and Speed Lab Director with Universal Speed Rating, Darren Hansen joins the show to break down how he’s built one of the top performance facilities in the region by making speed development a true priority. Voted the best performance facility in Southeastern Idaho, Hansen Athletics is known for both results and culture.

We dive into how Darren creates an environment athletes can’t wait to return to, how he programs in the private sector, and how to build systems that make high-quality training scalable as your business grows. Darren also shares the biggest mistakes he sees in youth athlete development, how they run assessments and onboard new athletes, and what actually drives long-term progress.

We also touch on the business side—what truly fuels growth, where coaches overcomplicate things, and how to build a model that lasts.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:51 The Story Behind Hansen Athletics

04:42 Culture and Environment at Hansen Athletics

08:49 Coaching Staff and Development

13:41 Making Them Want To Come Back

18:12 Scalable Individualized Training

19:45 Onboarding New Athletes

20:50 Balancing Training Loads

21:54 Scaling and Structuring Programs

24:32 Integrating Middle School and High School Athletes

31:33 Fostering Positive Competition Among Young Athletes

33:56 Common Mistakes in Youth Athletic Development

38:32 The Importance of Diverse Experiences for Young Athletes

41:00 Building a Business from Scratch in a New City

43:05 Drivers of Growth in Established Athletic Programs

46:59 Incentivizing Referrals in Youth Sports Training

47:38 Learning from Controversial Training Methods

51:16 Reflecting on Decision-Making and Growth

Director of Strength and Conditioning at Cistercian Preparatory School, Colton Rosseau, joins the show to discuss his transition from coaching in college to leading athletic development in a high school setting. We explore the biggest shifts he’s experienced moving sectors and what it really takes to serve athletes well at different stages of their development.

This conversation goes far beyond sets and reps. Colton shares what drives his desire to make a meaningful impact, why he prioritizes excellence over perfection, and how he thinks about building skills and character alongside physical development. We also dive into how to structure long-term athletic development from elementary-aged athletes through college, balancing both athletic and skill progression.

This episode is packed with insight for coaches who care deeply about leadership, values, and building systems that truly serve the athlete in front of them.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Challenges and Joys of Coaching High School Athletes

10:25 Finding Purpose Beyond Monotony in Coaching

11:37 The Drive to Impact Young Athletes

14:50 Balancing Athletic Excellence with Life Lessons

16:42 Coaching Conversations: The Heart of Impact

18:31 Learning from Burnout: Efficiency in Coaching

21:29 Chasing Excellence Over Perfection

23:20 Simplicity in Programming for High School Athletes

24:46 Long-Term Goals and Skills Development

26:33 Simplifying Coaching Approaches

27:45 Skill Acquisition and Learning

30:55 Life Experiences Shaping Coaching Skills

32:28 Enhancing Communication Through Storytelling

34:02 Balancing Information Intake for Effective Coaching

35:33 Contextualizing Coaching Practices

40:26 Evolving Perspectives on Training Intensity

42:51 Foundational Development for Young Athletes

46:46 The Bigger Picture in Coaching

In this solo episode, I break down how to separate yourself in the coaching interview process and land your next job. From getting your foot in the door to preparing for Zoom and on-campus interviews, I walk through the strategies that make the process simpler, clearer, and far more effective.

I cover how recruiting, interviewing, and sales are deeply connected, what you should be researching before every interview, and how to communicate your value with confidence. I also explain why every coach should build a Portfolio Packet, what to include, and how to use it as a true separator in the hiring process. 

This is a short, practical episode for coaches who want to show up prepared, stand out in interviews, and position themselves as the obvious choice.

⁠⁠EP 7: Phil Baier | Making Career Moves, Acing Interviews, and Developing Interns⁠⁠

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Getting Your Foot in the Door

01:31 Building Your Resume

02:31 The Research Phase

03:35 Connection of Recruiting, Interviewing, and Sales

06:08 Zoom Interviews

07:48 Zoom Slides

10:27 Making a Lasting Impression

11:42 Building Your Portfolio Packet

13:02 Preparing for On-Campus Interviews

Julian Lo Casto, Head of Performance and Nutrition at Challenger Strength, joins the show to discuss what actually goes into building elite basketball athletes. Julian recently released his first book, The Foundation: The Proven System for Building Elite Basketball Athletes, and this conversation centers around the principles behind that system.

We dive into the most common mistakes basketball players make, the myths young hoopers often fall for, how athletes should structure their weekly schedules, and how to approach sprint and jump training throughout the year—including why AAU season should be treated like a mini in-season.

Julian also shares lessons from the business side of private-sector training, including how to consistently show parents that their athletes are improving, the sacrifices he’s made along the way, and why he still prioritizes protected time for family and himself, even without perfect work-life balance.

Check out Julian’s book The Foundation: The Proven System for Building Elite Basketball Athletes by [clicking here].

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

06:13 Common Myths in Youth Basketball Training

13:27 In-Season Training: Maintaining Strength and Performance

17:56 Educating Parents: The Importance of Consistency

23:29 Structuring a Balanced Training Schedule

31:35 Maintaining Speed and Strength During the Season

35:25 Communicating Progress to Parents

38:01 Establishing Clear Metrics for Success

41:58 The Importance of Skill Development

45:58 Ruthless Consistency in Business and Training

49:16 Sacrifices on the Path to Success

53:21 The Foundation: A Resource for Young Athletes

Connor Abreu, owner of Thunder N Lightning Performance in New Jersey and winner of the 2024 Gym of the Year award from the Business of Strength group, joins the show to break down the strategies behind running a highly successful and profitable single-location gym.

We dive into what Connor would do if he had to start over in a brand-new city with zero connections, the core principles he would use to rebuild his membership base, and how he identifies true core-value fits when hiring staff.

Connor also shares how he develops employees, builds clear systems and SOPs, and ensures that high-quality individualized programming can still fit inside a scalable, efficient business model.

If you’re a coach or gym owner looking to strengthen your systems, staff, and long-term sustainability—this episode is a must-listen.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Thunder Lightning Performance

06:51 Transitioning from College Coaching to Entrepreneurship

09:29 Advice for Aspiring Coaches and Entrepreneurs

12:02 Building a Business from Scratch

17:41 Establishing Authority and Value in Coaching

20:45 Creating a Vision for Life and Business

23:04 Hiring and Evaluating Employees

31:34 Core Values in Hiring

39:58 Developing New Coaches and Standard Operating Procedures

48:35 Shifting Business Beliefs and Philosophies

54:35 Motivation and Growth in Business

Joey Burton is an NBA player development coach who specializes in shooting development and has worked with more than 20 NBA players.

In this episode, Joey breaks down how he built his career from training youth athletes to becoming a trusted private development coach for multiple players in the NBA. He shares what he would do if he had to start over today with zero clients or connections, and why creating small wins early is the key to long-term buy-in and results.

We also dive into how to use social media for your business non-transactionally, the biggest issues he sees in youth basketball development, and how to navigate the seasonal highs and lows that come with running a basketball training business.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Becoming a Skills Development Coach

06:28 Overcoming Challenges and Finding Your Niche

09:56 The Importance of Authenticity in Training

13:40 Navigating the Ups and Downs of the Basketball Season

19:02 The State of Youth Basketball Development

30:09 Coaching Philosophy: Macro vs. Micro

33:03 The Importance of Coaching Development

37:14 Building Trust with NBA Players

44:08 Long-Term Commitment in Player Development

54:10 Future Aspirations in Coaching

Tommy Hansen, owner of Perform 4 Life and Director of Sports Performance at Top Flight Volleyball Club, joins the show to break down the realities of volleyball training and athlete development. Best known on Instagram as @freestyle_jump_guy, Tommy has become a go-to resource for jump training and performance insights in the volleyball world.

We dive into what injury prevention actually is, the truth about landing mechanics, and how he approaches sprint and jump training specifically for volleyball athletes. Tommy also shares his perspective on navigating the youth and club sports landscape and what coaches and parents often misunderstand about long-term development.

Beyond the training side, Tommy walks through how he grew his Instagram from 5,000 to 45,000 followers, what has (and hasn’t) led to real business growth, and the vision he’s building toward for the future.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Self-Experimentation in Training

10:04 Scaling Programming for Big Groups

13:10 Consistency in Training for Youth Athletes

15:49 Balancing Performance and Injury Prevention

24:18 Building Resilience Through Jump Variety

29:21 Balancing Extensive and Intensive Jumps

34:15 Sprint Training for Volleyball Players

38:25 Common Misconceptions in Athletic Development

44:15 Navigating Skill vs. Physical Development Priorities

51:54 Integrating Skills and Conditioning in Coaching

58:06 Growing a Social Media Following

01:07:13 Long-Term Vision and Sustainable Coaching

In this solo episode, I share 12 lessons from 10 elite coaches featured in Strength In Numbers. Each lesson comes from a real passage in the book—insights that have stuck with me and shaped how I think about coaching, leadership, and life.

I unpack ideas like why feedback is a gift, how clarity drives performance, what it really means to teach athletes to fail, and why balance isn’t always the goal early in your career. We also dive into overcoming burnout, recruiting the right families, building your personal Mount Rushmore, creating a pirate map for life, and the balance between character and talent when evaluating players.

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 The Gift of Feedback

04:03 Clarity Equals High Performance

05:22 Teaching Your Athletes to Fail

08:00 Why You Don't Need Balance Starting Your  Career

09:24 Passion vs. Burnout

11:00 Overcoming Burnout and Struggles

12:45 Evaluating + Recruiting the Parents

15:33 Building Your Personal Mount Rushmore

17:22 Never Assume Resilience in Others

19:39 Creating a Pirate Map for Life

21:58 Building the Right Staff

24:24 Character vs. Talent in Recruiting