Contacts Coaching Podcast

Justin Clymo
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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. Half Moon Bay AD Mike Barragan on Small-Town Athletics, Multi-Sport Development, and Building Sportsmanship

    9H AGO

    Half Moon Bay AD Mike Barragan on Small-Town Athletics, Multi-Sport Development, and Building Sportsmanship

    On the Contacts Coaching Podcast, Half Moon Bay athletic director Mike Barragan shares his path from being an undersized multi-sport athlete to coaching Little League, high school baseball (including at South San Francisco High), and eventually becoming AD in his hometown. He discusses lessons from varied sports and jobs (restaurants, construction, special education), the value of sociology for empathy and reading people, and why he strongly promotes multi-sport participation—especially at small schools where rosters and program health depend on it. Barragan describes navigating relationships with alumni coaches and parents, balancing what’s best for individual athletes versus the program, and using team culture practices like bonding meals. He also explains recent focus on improving sportsmanship amid growing trash talk and social media-driven behavior at games. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:45 Mike’s Sports Roots 04:43 Tony Gwynn Moment 05:15 First Coaching Break 06:57 Hometown Coaching Drama 08:48 Carlmont Reality Check 10:51 Teaching and Varsity Leap 14:38 Back to Half Moon Bay 15:00 Becoming Athletic Director 16:59 San Diego Detour 20:49 Life Skills and Empathy 23:08 Multi Sport Advocacy 29:53 Program vs Kid First 31:37 Program First Culture 32:02 Leading Without Micromanaging 33:19 Parents Communication Balance 34:33 Coaching Nuggets Learned 37:24 Cuts Roles and Development 42:44 Alumni Town Dynamics 48:52 Sportsmanship Stand 58:26 Closing Thanks and Wrap

    1h 1m
  2. From Combat Helicopter Pilot to BYU Football Strength Coach with Nate “Blackjack” Pototschnik

    APR 8

    From Combat Helicopter Pilot to BYU Football Strength Coach with Nate “Blackjack” Pototschnik

    In this Contacts Coaching Podcast episode, host interviews Nate “Blackjack” Pototschnik, associate director of strength and conditioning for BYU football, about his path from the U.S. Military Academy to flying helicopters for 10 years, deploying twice to Afghanistan, and using GI Bill benefits to earn a master’s in exercise physiology at the University of Virginia. Nathan shares why he left the cockpit for coaching, how success habits built his confidence, and how trusting his gut and prioritizing family guided career decisions when coaching opportunities shifted. He explains what transferred from aviation to coaching (explicit vs tacit learning, staying calm under pressure), discusses not tying self-worth to wins and losses, and outlines strength-and-conditioning priorities: movement quality screening, full-range training preferences, power clean vs full clean, building culture through standards, objective feedback and competition, staff alignment, and maintaining daily relationship touchpoints with athletes. 00:00 Meet Coach Blackjack 00:40 From 9/11 to Coaching 03:27 Betting on Yourself 05:22 Confidence and Gut Calls 10:04 GI Bill Explained 11:59 Combat Pilot Lessons 16:51 Staying Detached from Outcomes 18:50 Weight Room Priorities 24:08 Movement Screening Basics 26:52 Full Depth vs Quarter Squats 29:33 Power Clean vs Full Clean 31:03 Be Ready Before Promotion 33:20 Head Coach Time Demands 35:48 Hiring and Coaching Trees 38:58 Healthy Dissent Culture 43:07 BYU Grouping and Mods 44:25 Testing Buckets and Profiles 47:08 Freak Athletes and Standards 49:10 Environment and Competition 52:33 Leadership Lessons and Alignment 55:10 Building Relationships at Scale 56:40 Strength Coaches as Conduit 57:58 Wrap Up and Next Round

    1h 4m
  3. Jesuit XC Legend Walt Lange on 56 Years of Coaching, Strava, VDOT, and Building Confidence

    APR 1

    Jesuit XC Legend Walt Lange on 56 Years of Coaching, Strava, VDOT, and Building Confidence

    On the Contacts Coaching podcast, longtime Jesuit High School (Sacramento) history teacher and cross country coach Walt Lange recounts how getting cut from freshman baseball led him to running, being recruited by UCLA, and then coaching after training on his own at Loyola University of Los Angeles. He describes early coaching at St. Bernard’s near Playa del Rey, a move to Sacramento (including a brief stint as a stockbroker), and joining Jesuit in 1970, where he has coached cross country for 56 years and previously served about 20 years as head track coach. Lang credits assistant coaches, the American River Parkway training environment, and tools like Strava, and explains how Jesuit uses VDOT-based training groups and recognition to scale workouts for all levels. He discusses shifts from high-mileage eras to modern threshold/tempo approaches, the role of confidence and health, Tahoe summer camp, and balancing multi-sport participation, ending with the importance of an understanding spouse. 00:00 Meet Coach Walt Lange 00:41 From Baseball Cut to Runner 02:14 College Running and Early Coaching 05:54 Move to Jesuit and Early Success 09:16 56 Years of Coaching Longevity 10:09 Assistant Coaches and Team Roles 14:30 Strava and the Internet Era 18:28 VDOT Groups and Recognition 20:50 Tahoe Camp and Team Size 25:54 Coaching Every Ability Level 28:52 Hundred Mile Weeks 30:58 Tempo Training Explained 33:09 Threshold Versus Intervals 35:13 Cross Country Confidence 39:05 Motivating Young Runners 42:41 Year Round Training 49:25 Blueprint And Sundays 51:33 Late Bloomers Story 54:32 Coaching Wisdom Finale https://sites.google.com/view/jesuitdistance/home https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRPvxaGrR4gIcFaBXAZRwjw1eCiHUFYFMDL-grwavt0zlKXGmhhpM4yPLS9ScarhskXS3apXk3VmEEI/pub https://www.youtube.com/JesuitTrack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCVnMvq3nx8&list=PLKYXiqAHWASjAZyQlIUBUq7JVd0QYU-FL

    1h 2m
  4. Navigating the Complexities of Athletic Directing: Insights from Chris Stevens of Immanuel Schools

    MAR 25

    Navigating the Complexities of Athletic Directing: Insights from Chris Stevens of Immanuel Schools

    In this episode of the Contacts Coaching podcast, Athletic Director Chris Stevens from Immanuel High School returns to discuss his journey and the key elements of managing a high school sports program. Stevens, a 30-year veteran football coach now in his fourth year as an athletic director, was recently honored with the Rookie of the Year award by the Central Section. He shares his experiences transitioning from public to private education, the importance of budgeting and fundraising, managing family involvement in school sports, and creating memorable experiences for student-athletes. Stevens provides invaluable insights into how to balance the logistical and emotional demands of the job while fostering a supportive environment for athletes and coaches. Tune in for a comprehensive look at the world of high school athletic administration and gain practical advice for navigating this challenging yet rewarding field. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 00:34 Chris Stevens' Major Award 02:49 Journey to Becoming Athletic Director 04:43 Public vs. Private School Administration 15:05 Balancing Family and Career 20:53 Fundraising and Development in Schools 31:01 Finding the Perfect Tournament 31:28 Prepackaged Deals vs. DIY Trips 32:52 Creating Memorable Experiences 34:35 Innovative Team Bonding Ideas 39:02 Senior Night Celebrations 49:22 Managing Budgets in Private Schools 57:11 Fundraising Strategies and Challenges 01:03:20 Closing Thoughts and Networking

    1h 10m
  5. OU Compliance Director Danielle Koval on Scholarships, Financial Aid, NIL & Revenue Sharing in College Athletics

    MAR 18

    OU Compliance Director Danielle Koval on Scholarships, Financial Aid, NIL & Revenue Sharing in College Athletics

    In a special Contacts Coaching podcast episode, Stevenson alumna Danielle Koval—Director of Compliance for Financial Aid and revenue sharing at the University of Oklahoma—shares her path from being a swimmer and water polo player at Stevenson to swimming at Fresno State, working in student-athlete academic services, moving to UNLV, and then joining OU after taking a financial aid role just before COVID. She compares working environments across Fresno State, UNLV, and a Power Four brand like Oklahoma, emphasizing the scale of budgets, the weight of a global brand, and the constant pace of compliance changes driven by lawsuits and reactive policy shifts. The conversation explains how college athletics finances work, why most sports operate at a loss, and how football revenue and attendance underwrite broader departmental resources. Koval details how athletic scholarships and financial aid function across headcount and equivalency sports, why FAFSA and campus/college-level scholarships matter, and how tuition waivers and programs like the Western Undergraduate Exchange reduce costs. She breaks down the shift from NCAA scholarship limits to roster caps under the new landscape, including how schools decide whether to fully fund expanded rosters and how new scholarships can count against the revenue-sharing cap. The episode also covers OU’s revenue-sharing approach (six sports), Title IX defensibility pressures, preferred walk-on dynamics under roster caps, the increased role of agents in everyday issues, and how contracts are renegotiated annually amid early signing day and the transfer portal. Koval discusses the challenges of paying athletes while preparing them for life after sports, including OU’s financial literacy programming, and closes with a personal reflection on changing her mindset from perfectionism to giving herself grace as circumstances shift. 00:00 Welcome & Meet Danielle Koval (OU Compliance + Financial Aid/Rev Share) 00:33 Danielle’s Athlete-to-Administrator Journey: Fresno State → UNLV → Oklahoma 05:31 Leveling Up: What Changes from Mid-Major to Power Program? 08:34 The OU Brand & Culture of Excellence Across Sports 11:23 Money Talks: Football Revenue, Facilities, and Funding Other Sports 12:51 Is College Athletics Sustainable? NIL ‘Funny Money’ to Revenue Share 17:26 Scholarships 101: Headcount vs Equivalency (and Why ‘Full Ride’ Is Rare) 20:46 New Era: Roster Caps, Scholarship Flexibility, and the 20.5M ‘Salary Cap’ 24:30 Financial Aid Hacks: FAFSA, Department Scholarships, WUE, and Tuition Waivers 30:10 Reallocating Aid: When Top Students ‘Free Up’ Scholarships for Other Sports 31:41 The Scholarship Funding Crunch: Revenue Sports vs. Everyone Else 32:24 Tuition Waivers & Campus Support: How Schools Make Full Funding Work 34:33 OU’s Self-Sustaining Model and the ‘Front Porch’ Value of Athletics 36:13 Roster Caps vs. Scholarship Limits: Why Walk-Ons Are Disappearing 37:53 Revenue Share at OU: The 6 Sports in the Pool (and Why Gymnastics) 39:36 Preferred Walk-Ons, Practice Bodies, and Stretching the Rev-Share Dollar 41:35 Inside Football Rev-Share Tiers: Contracts, Cutoffs, and Annual Renegotiations 46:03 Culture & Pay Equity: Avoiding Locker-Room Blowups in the NIL Era 47:43 Transfer Portal Reality Check: The Grass Isn’t Greener (and Many Don’t Land) 48:52 Recruiting Goes Pro: Agents, Negotiations, and the New GM Job 50:25 Preparing Athletes for Money & Life After Sport: Literacy, Taxes, Careers 55:15 Closing Reflection: Changing Your Mind, Letting Go of Perfection

    1h 5m
  6. Exploring Vulnerability, Masculinity, and Life's Journey with Mike Luevano

    MAR 11

    Exploring Vulnerability, Masculinity, and Life's Journey with Mike Luevano

    Welcome to the Contacts Coaching podcast! In this episode, we sit down with Mike Luevano, host, and founder of the Between the Shots Show. Mike shares his extensive background in education, development work, and his latest venture that combines golf with deep, meaningful conversations about life, vulnerability, and masculinity. From his upbringing in San Jose to his work with nonprofit organizations and his passion for sports, Mike provides valuable insights into building relationships, personal growth, and the importance of open dialogue. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on how to navigate life's challenges and the transformative power of real, heartfelt conversations. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 01:13 Mike's Early Life and Career 03:09 Nonprofit Work and Development 05:35 Fundraising Strategies and Community Involvement 12:55 The Concept of 'Between the Shots' 24:07 A Lifestyle Show with Purpose 24:26 Fatherhood and Legacy 25:31 The Importance of Vulnerability 28:24 Creating Safe Spaces for Open Conversations 30:55 Personal Growth and Self-Reflection 37:07 Setting and Achieving Goals 40:38 Building and Maintaining Relationships 45:08 Conclusion and Future Plans

    53 min
  7. From Coach to Leader: The Journey of Madison High School's Athletic Director, Rick Jackson

    MAR 4

    From Coach to Leader: The Journey of Madison High School's Athletic Director, Rick Jackson

    Tune in to the Contacts Coaching Podcast as we dive deep with Rick Jackson, the Athletic Director of Madison High School in Greater San Diego. With 26 years at the same school, Rick shares his journey from coaching multiple sports at Scripps Ranch to becoming a pivotal figure at Madison. In this episode, Rick reflects on his transition from being a head coach to stepping into an administrative role, the significance of maintaining relationships with student-athletes, and the importance of fostering a supportive and multi-sport culture. Discover insights into the challenges of modern athletics, insights on countering the temptation of sports specialization, and learn about the impactful Leadership Council initiative. Join us for a captivating conversation filled with valuable lessons for both aspiring and seasoned coaches and athletic directors alike. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:21 Rick Jackson's Coaching Journey 02:09 Balancing Multiple Coaching Roles 03:02 Family and Coaching 04:18 The Importance of Multi-Sport Athletes 05:08 Challenges in Youth Sports Specialization 08:42 Building a Positive Sports Culture 08:52 Managing Small School Athletics 14:00 Transitioning from Coaching to Administration 14:37 Organizational Skills in Coaching 17:34 Reflections on Coaching Football 18:53 The Importance of Relationships in Coaching 26:06 Competing Fall Sports 26:23 Balancing Coaching and AD Responsibilities 28:10 Challenges of Dual Roles 30:59 Parental Influence and Spectator Behavior 33:05 Leadership Council Initiatives 37:33 Encouraging Multi-Sport Participation 43:21 Retention and School Culture 45:57 District Collaboration and AD Networking 47:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    54 min
  8. Building Championship Cultures: Paul Caffery's Journey as an Athletic Director

    FEB 25

    Building Championship Cultures: Paul Caffery's Journey as an Athletic Director

    In this episode of the Contacts Coaching Podcast, we are joined by Paul Caffery, the Director of Athletics at LaHabra High School. Paul shares his extensive background in coaching and administration, highlighting his journey from growing up in an athletic family to becoming an athletic director. He discusses the vital role of community culture, the importance of multi-sport athletes, and shares invaluable insights on creating cohesive and branded athletic programs. Paul also delves into the challenges of balancing coaching duties, family life, and handling unexpected health issues. Towards the end, he provides advice for new athletic directors on establishing effective systems and fostering strong relationships within the sports community. Don't miss this insightful discussion packed with practical tips and heartfelt experiences on leading successful high school athletic programs. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:26 Paul Caffery's Athletic Background 01:41 Transition to Public School Education 02:21 Coaching Career and Health Challenges 03:54 Return to La Habra as Athletic Director 05:43 Building a Supportive Athletic Culture 12:34 Challenges and Learning as a New AD 19:20 Promoting Multi-Sport Participation 26:29 Transitioning Between Seasons 26:41 Lessons from the Sporting Goods Industry 27:54 The Importance of Branding 30:18 Building Relationships and Trust 33:03 Challenges of Being an Athletic Director 35:23 Networking and Mentorship 39:48 Balancing Approachability and Efficiency 47:39 Changing Perspectives on Student Interaction 52:42 Evaluating Coaches Effectively 55:56 Conclusion and Future Plans

    1h 3m
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Justin Clymo
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    297
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Justin Clymo
  • Show Website
    Contacts Coaching Podcast

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