Contacts Coaching Podcast

Justin Clymo

The CONTACTS Coaches Podcast is a digital database of coaching where Coach and Athletic Director Justin Clymo discusses the various aspects of coaching, leadership and life with those he has met along the way.

  1. 2d ago

    Building Culture in a Small-School Athletic Department (with AD Jeffrey Dixon, River Valley HS)

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, host interviews Jeffrey Dixon, athletic director at River Valley High School outside Pittsburgh, about his path from an average high school athlete to teacher, multi-sport coach, and AD since 2021 amid a district merger and rebrand. Dixon explains how River Valley built an indoor track program without its own facility, traveling to college sites while indoor remains PTFCA-sponsored rather than PIAA-sanctioned due to limited venues. They discuss the shift away from volunteering in coaching, strategies for staffing shortages through alumni and cross-sport hires, and communication systems that build accountability. Dixon shares culture lessons he’s borrowed from other coaches, ways to reduce subjectivity with data and video, concerns about specialization and burnout, the value of multi-sport participation, and how his mindset has evolved from chasing wins to prioritizing relationships and learning from failure. Substack: https://gdthead.substack.com/ 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:50 Coach Dixon’s Coaching Journey 04:34 Building an Indoor Track Program 08:29 District Merger and School Landscape 11:35 Football Culture and Small-School Numbers 14:19 Volunteering vs Paid Coaching Today 20:01 Creative Staffing and Recruiting Helpers 22:13 Stealing Great Ideas From Other Coaches 26:00 Inbox Rules and Boundaries 27:39 Email Text Call Hierarchy 29:33 Overcommunicating With Parents 31:10 One Platform for Everything 32:09 Culture Builders in Programs 35:19 Making Subjective Sports Fair 39:38 Specialization and Travel Ball 48:48 Multi Sport and Real Development 50:49 Handling Insults as a Leader 53:16 Changing Minds on Winning 57:28 Wrap Up and Next Projects Twitter: @RVTFXCCoach Substack: @geoffdixon185810 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-dixon-caa-b69655245 Podcast Instagram: @exchangezonepodcast

    Building Culture in a Small-School Athletic Department (with AD Jeffrey Dixon, River Valley HS)
  2. Aug 19

    Butte College WBB Coach Phillip Thomas Jr. on JUCO Recruiting, Culture, and Coaching Beyond Basketball

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Butte College head women’s basketball coach Phillip Thomas Jr. shares his journey from Fairfield High (class of 2007) through multiple college stops (Delta/CRC, Florida International, Humboldt State, Whittier) and into coaching via AAU and high school before roles with Team Kidd, Academy of Art, and ultimately becoming Butte’s head coach (year three). He explains early head-coaching surprises at the JUCO level—administration, travel, eligibility, housing, and constant roster volatility—and how he now recruits by selling Chico as a college town while pulling talent from states and Canada. Thomas discusses learning from mentors like Chico State’s Coach Fogel and Rob Bishop, building a coaching network, and defining culture through accountability, punctuality, study hall, energy, and life lessons. He critiques youth/AAU development gaps, emphasizes fundamentals and “reps,” and describes coaching with authenticity over ego while prioritizing relationships and growth beyond basketball. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:23 Coach Journey Begins 01:29 Switch to Coaching Women 02:26 Landing at Butte College 03:08 Career Timeline Breakdown 04:39 Team Kidd Origins 05:25 Head Coach Reality Check 07:41 Planning for Chaos 09:32 Recruiting to Chico 11:17 Mentors at Butte 13:20 Building Coaching Network 15:52 Defining Program Culture 22:17 Life Lessons and Buzzwords 23:06 Family Concept in Sports 24:24 Accountability With Care 25:57 Players Leave And Return 26:42 Using Your Own Journey 30:08 I Had My Turn 32:33 Learning Beyond Basketball 37:30 Clubs Versus Schools 40:08 Fixing Youth Development 44:09 Teaching From Scratch 48:50 Coaching Authentically 51:02 Power Of Hello 52:06 Final Reflections

    Butte College WBB Coach Phillip Thomas Jr. on JUCO Recruiting, Culture, and Coaching Beyond Basketball
  3. Aug 12

    Dean of Students & Coach Evan Campbell on Junior Boarding Schools, Coaching Roles, and Building Better Athlete Relationships

    Evan Campbell from The Rectory School in Connecticut discusses his 17-year journey from college tennis player to Dean of Students and interim Director of Secondary School Advising, while also coaching varsity tennis and assisting with varsity hockey. He explains what a junior boarding school is (boarding grades 5–9, with only 11 in the U.S.), how Rectory supports varied student outcomes, and how proximity to neighboring high schools like Pomfret enables shared facilities without being a guaranteed feeder path. Campbell compares coaching in hockey versus tennis, emphasizing the mental demands of individual sports, the value of students playing multiple sports, and how his dean role shaped his coaching through consistency, accountability, and care. He breaks down head vs. assistant coaching responsibilities, humility, role clarity, and concludes with a mindset shift toward intentionally building personal connections with each student-athlete. 00:00 Meet Evan Campbell 00:37 Many Hats at Rectory 01:32 How He Got Here 02:19 What Is Junior Boarding 06:17 Rectory and Pomfret Neighbors 08:47 Coaching Tennis in Winter 09:38 Multi Sport Upbringing 12:09 Pond Hockey Culture 13:35 Dean of Students Reality 14:28 Discipline Through Relationships 18:21 Dean Role Shapes Coaching 21:28 Head vs Assistant Coach 26:36 Assistant Coach Humility 27:22 Multi Sport Coaching Benefits 29:19 Hockey vs Tennis Intensity 32:11 Tennis as Mental Therapy 35:08 Team vs Individual Lessons 35:54 Head vs Assistant Reps 46:20 Building Coaching Staff Roles 48:41 Delegation and Practice Splits 51:48 Changing Minds on Connection 54:47 Final Wrap and Golf Banter

    Dean of Students & Coach Evan Campbell on Junior Boarding Schools, Coaching Roles, and Building Better Athlete Relationships
  4. Aug 12

    From South Central to Head Coach: Egypt Glover on Coaching, Entrepreneurship & Building Culture

    The host interviews Coach Egypt Glover, a 26-year-old new varsity head coach at Creative Connections Arts Academy in North Highlands, California, who shares his path from growing up in South Central LA in a sports-focused family to playing travel basketball, attending Merced College, and gaining early unpaid experience as a student assistant under coach Bill Russell. After high school he built a box-truck logistics business (now a four-vehicle fleet pursuing a fifth), started a security company serving about 11 sites, and purchased a fourplex with plans for transitional housing. Glover explains how research, commitment, passion, and team-building—crediting his wife Lauryn—drove his entrepreneurship, and how networking led to coaching roles from middle school head coach to varsity assistant to JV head coach. He outlines his coaching philosophy emphasizing fundamentals, defense, buy-in, grades/behavior/practice, calm leadership, and winning on and off the court. 00:00 Meet Coach Glover 01:15 South Central Roots 03:12 High School Turning Point 03:57 Entrepreneur Detour 06:04 First Coaching Breaks 08:03 Middle School Culture Build 10:22 Climbing to Varsity 13:43 New Head Coach Mission 14:47 Business Deep Dive 18:01 Trucking to Fleet Growth 20:41 Security Company Scaling 22:21 Real Estate Wealth Play 25:40 Business Mindset Blueprint 29:20 Coaching Pay and Purpose 31:22 Networking Over Job Boards 33:40 High School Sports Boom 34:24 Breaking Into Coaching 35:38 Defining Coaching Greatness 39:53 Head Coach Reality Check 41:23 Building Staff and Culture 45:40 Receiving Feedback Well 49:08 Fall Priorities Fundamentals 52:03 Managing Emotions and Refs 56:39 Identity and Burn Boats 59:47 Changing Minds and Pruning 01:02:38 Closing Thanks and Next Steps

    From South Central to Head Coach: Egypt Glover on Coaching, Entrepreneurship & Building Culture
  5. Jul 29

    Coaching Boys with Sports Psychology: Emotional Regulation, “Next Play,” and Leading People | Desiree Nunez

    After three weeks on the road, the Contacts Coaching Podcast returns with Desiree Nunez, a mental health therapist and basketball coach at Eagle Crest High School in the Cherry Creek area near Denver. Nunez shares how coaching was “in her blood” through her Air Force veteran father, how she became a therapist to meet mental health needs in athletics, and how she returned to coaching after COVID—eventually earning head coaching opportunities and winning extensively with freshman teams. She explains practical sports-psychology tools for coaches: normalizing emotions (especially for boys), teaching players to notice and name feelings, locate them in the body, regulate, and then “next play.” She details a three-clap reset, body-language standards, and asking for a sub to reset. The conversation also covers time-management lessons from middle school constraints, combining drills with game-like constraints, and how “challenging” authority through curious questions improves leadership. 00:00 Meet Desiree Nunez 00:39 Coaching Roots 02:33 Therapy Path 03:52 Back to the Bench 05:38 Military Culture Shift 09:25 Sports Psychology Breakthrough 11:46 Feelings and Regulation 17:21 Notice the Emotion 25:09 Halftime and Practice Talks 26:38 Three Clap Reset 31:27 Coaching Boys as Woman 33:05 Coaching Boys as a Woman 34:05 Freshman Program Trust Issues 36:15 Head Coach Reality Check 37:35 45-Minute Practice Crunch 39:49 Zoom Out and Prioritize 43:12 Game-Like Drills and Constraints 48:44 Hack Drills for Weaknesses 54:18 Bring It Back to High School 57:50 Changing Minds on Challenge 01:05:41 Be Willing to Be Cringe 01:09:22 Assistant Coach Courage Wrap-Up

    Coaching Boys with Sports Psychology: Emotional Regulation, “Next Play,” and Leading People | Desiree Nunez
  6. Jul 22

    NCAA VP Gina Lehe on NIL, Eligibility, Lawsuits, and the Future of College Sports

    In this special Contacts Coaching Podcast episode, host interviews Gina Lehe, Vice President of Communications at the NCAA, about her path from Stevenson to the University of Arizona, decades in postseason college football (Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, and launching College Football Playoff communications), and joining the NCAA in 2019 just before NIL upheaval, the pandemic, and nonstop crisis communications. Leahy explains how bowl games and CFP operate as separate entities from the NCAA, clarifies that NCAA rules are created by member-driven committees, and describes how a patchwork of state laws and court вмешательства fuels uncertainty around NIL, transfers, and eligibility. She addresses misconceptions like “five and five,” outlines the developing age-based eligibility model, and discusses federal efforts such as the Protect College Sports Act. The conversation also covers House settlement impacts, revenue sharing, protecting Olympic/non-revenue sports, misconceptions in recruiting, and highlights women’s championships—especially women’s gymnastics—as must-see events. 00:00 Podcast Intro Guest 00:32 Gina’s Path to NCAA 02:35 Crisis Comms Era 05:01 How Bowl System Works 07:36 CFP vs NCAA Explained 10:07 NIL Rulemaking Reality 16:00 Patchwork Laws and Congress 18:24 Eligibility Model Update 21:24 Messaging Leaks and Process 30:20 House Settlement Fallout 36:46 Revenue Share and Alston 40:06 Mid Majors And Tiers 41:20 Olympic Sports Sustainability 43:15 Disparity And Expansion 46:07 Accountability And Myths 48:27 Media Literacy And Data 51:23 NIL Recruiting Myths 55:55 D1 Bust Mentality 01:01:08 NCAA Success Means Clarity 01:02:41 Hidden Gem Championships 01:09:04 Leadership Mindset Shifts 01:14:18 Closing Reflections

    NCAA VP Gina Lehe on NIL, Eligibility, Lawsuits, and the Future of College Sports
  7. Jul 15

    Kevin Fox on Character Coaching at Texas Tech, NIL Pressures, and Building Team Culture

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Justin interviews Kevin Fox, a Salinas native and longtime Midland, Texas resident who serves as character coach for Grant McCasland at Texas Tech. Fox shares his path from UC Davis and early ministry work to building relationships in junior college basketball at Midland College, where he connected with coaches like McCasland, Ross Hodge, and others. They discuss West Texas sports culture, the importance of encouraging multi-sport athletes, and how character coaching works best through organic relationships, clear boundaries, and accountability. Fox addresses how NIL has increased pressure and outside pull on athletes, the value of JUCO coaching experience for today’s roster turnover, and practical ways teams define and measure culture, including tracking “positive touches.” He also reflects on humility, continuous learning, and stepping out from behind the scenes. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:06 From Salinas to Midland 01:53 Hoops to Coaching Network 04:38 Character Coach Role 05:15 West Texas Football Culture 07:06 Multi Sport Debate 10:37 Organic Mentorship Model 14:40 NIL Pressures and Protection 17:39 JUCO Mindset at Tech 21:16 Calling to Ministry 25:16 Teaching Faith and Coaching 28:44 Coaching Meets Ministry 30:21 Learning to Say I Don’t Know 31:53 Humility and Adaptation 34:26 Boundaries and Accountability 39:03 Preacher vs Minister 41:15 Coaching Across Levels 47:12 Defining Character Culture 51:12 Changing Minds and Showing Up 53:57 Closing Story and Farewell

    Kevin Fox on Character Coaching at Texas Tech, NIL Pressures, and Building Team Culture
  8. Jul 8

    Dual Role, Big-School Athletics, and AI: Beaumont HS AD/AP Jake Van Hofwegen

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Justin interviews Jake Van Hofwegen, athletic director and assistant principal at Beaumont High School in Southern California, about his path into athletic administration and why Beaumont became a dream job after roles at Coachella Valley and Colton. Jake explains how the AD/AP structure streamlines discipline, hiring, and decision-making, and how supportive, sports-savvy administrators help. He discusses managing 28 varsity teams and about 1,500 athletes at a 3,500-student school, the need for an assistant AD, and challenges like scheduling games, tryout cuts, and heavy parent involvement. They critique youth sport specialization and travel ball pressures, emphasize coach development and relationship-based feedback, and share initiatives like media days and coach clinics. Jake highlights using AI tools like ChatGPT to improve communication and efficiency. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:28 Name Pronunciation Bit 00:48 Path to Athletic Director 02:43 Dual Role AP and AD 04:21 Why Beaumont Was the Goal 07:01 Not Every Job Is Good 10:29 Following a Local Legend 12:30 Working With Principals 15:14 Managing 3500 Students 18:05 Cuts and Creative Options 21:06 Multi Sport vs Specialization 25:36 Late Bloomer Athlete 26:38 Travel Ball Takes Over 27:15 Program Pillars Growth Tech 29:25 Media Days And Clinics 31:46 Coach Time And Buy In 34:19 Truth Tellers And Trust 39:23 Finding Dissenting Voices 42:02 Parents And Hard Lessons 46:01 Changing Mind On Coaching 52:28 AI Tools For ADs 54:38 Closing Thanks

    Dual Role, Big-School Athletics, and AI: Beaumont HS AD/AP Jake Van Hofwegen
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About

The CONTACTS Coaches Podcast is a digital database of coaching where Coach and Athletic Director Justin Clymo discusses the various aspects of coaching, leadership and life with those he has met along the way.

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