The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Gill Athletics
  • 4.9 (73)
  • Running
  • Updated Weekly

Unlock the world of track & field coaching with The Gill Connections Podcast! Host Mike Cunningham brings you inspiring stories, real conversations, and coaching insights from leaders at every level. Discover a new coach's interview every Monday. Plus, don’t miss the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts with our NEW Gill1918 Project episodes Tuesday-Sunday — short, powerful lessons from top coaches to help you grow on and off the track. Powered by Gill Athletics — Supporting Coaches Since 1918.

  1. 21h ago

    #375: Josh Brooks-UGA | Why Track & Field Matters, Coaching Leadership, and the Future of College Athletics

    Mike Cunningham is joined by Josh Brooks, Athletic Director at the University of Georgia, for a deep, inside look at leadership in college athletics—and the growing role of track & field. Josh shares his journey from javelin athlete to SEC Athletic Director, along with his perspective on why track has become such an important part of athletic department success—from both a competitive and developmental standpoint. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including: Georgia’s recent success across track, baseball, and other sportsBuilding a world-class track & field facility with athlete, coach, and fan experience in mindWhy track offers unique developmental value for youth athletesThe balance between revenue and non-revenue sports at the DI levelThe evolving NCAA landscape, including NIL and the new 5-year eligibility ruleChallenges with roster age gaps and international recruitingThe idea of expanding NCAA scoring beyond the top 8What Athletic Directors look for when hiring head coachesWhy assistant coaches need to demonstrate leadership beyond their event groupThe concept of “good high maintenance” and advocating for your programAdvice for coaches considering a move into administrationJosh also discusses how he approaches recruiting—even meeting with track & field recruits personally—and why he views recruiting as the single biggest way he can impact success. This episode provides rare insight into how top-level decisions are made—and how coaches can better position themselves and their programs moving forward. Dive into nearly 400 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more! 🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network. 📲 Stay Connected:Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Instagram (@MikeCunninghamTF), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

  2. 3d ago

    #214: Gill1918 Presents Mike Cunningham "What Are the NCAA Requirements for Pole Vault Pits? A Coach's Guide to Compliance and Safety"

    How do NCAA pole vault pit requirements differ from NFHS standards? In this episode of the Gill Connections Podcast, Mike Cunningham breaks down the current NCAA requirements for pole vault landing systems and explains what coaches, facility managers, and athletic directors need to know when planning new facilities or evaluating existing equipment. Topics covered include: ✅ NCAA pole vault pit requirements and dimensions ✅ Key differences between NCAA and NFHS standards ✅ Why larger landing systems are common at the collegiate level ✅ Landing system performance and athlete safety ✅ Common mistakes made during facility planning ✅ How to evaluate an aging landing system ✅ Compliance vs. best practices Whether you're building a new facility, preparing to host collegiate competition, or simply trying to understand NCAA standards, this episode will help you make more informed decisions about athlete safety and facility design. 📲 Stay Connected:Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Instagram (@MikeCunninghamTF), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    #214: Gill1918 Presents Mike Cunningham "What Are the NCAA Requirements for Pole Vault Pits? A Coach's Guide to Compliance and Safety"

  3. 5d ago

    #213: Gill1918 Presents Mike Cunningham "What Are the NFHS Requirements for Pole Vault Pits? Everything Coaches Need to Know"

    Are you confident your pole vault pit meets current NFHS requirements? In this episode of the Gill Connections Podcast, Mike Cunningham breaks down the NFHS rules governing pole vault landing systems and explains what coaches, athletic directors, and facility managers need to know to ensure athlete safety and compliance. Topics covered include: ✅ Current NFHS pole vault pit dimensions ✅ Vault box collar requirements ✅ Hard-surface protection requirements ✅ What NFHS means by "decelerating the athlete's landing" ✅ Common compliance mistakes coaches make ✅ How to evaluate an older or inherited landing system ✅ The difference between minimum compliance and best practices Whether you're planning a facility upgrade, purchasing a new pit, or inspecting an existing landing system, this episode provides practical guidance to help keep athletes safe and programs compliant. Link to LinkedIn Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-nfhs-requirements-pole-vault-pits-mike-cunningham--5pzuc/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_publishing_published%3BDMTRInMgSlGPXaEcQyO6kQ%3D%3D 📲 Stay Connected:Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Instagram (@MikeCunninghamTF), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

    #213: Gill1918 Presents Mike Cunningham "What Are the NFHS Requirements for Pole Vault Pits? Everything Coaches Need to Know"

  4. 6d ago

    #212: Gill1918 Presents Gwen Gray “Strava, High School Running, and Trusting the Process” Powered by Coach O

    Gwen is an up and coming T&F announcer along with being a high school XC/TF coach in Bend, OR and at the Steens Mountain Running Camp. Gwen is a University of Oregon graduate who studied filmmaking and advertising. She offers original, thought-provoking perspective on the impact of technology and comparison on the development of high school distance runners and on what coaches can do about it. You can get to know Gwen and her work by following her on IG (Gwen The Announcer).

    #212: Gill1918 Presents Gwen Gray “Strava, High School Running, and Trusting the Process” Powered by Coach O

  5. Aug 3

    #374: Kenneth Cox-Birmingham Crossplex | Leadership, Faith, and Serving the Sport

    This week on the Gill Connections Podcast, Mike Cunningham sits down with Kenneth Cox, Director of the Birmingham CrossPlex, for a wide-ranging conversation about serving track & field from every angle: athlete, coach, administrator, and now facility leader. Kenneth Cox shares how track began for him at age eight, how mentors shaped him, and why consistency and relationships became cornerstones of his leadership. From coaching stops that included Emory (Division III) and ultimately 16 years at Birmingham-Southern, he opens up about the realities of building a program, developing athletes, and learning the “head coach” role beyond X’s and O’s. He also walks through the rare challenge of navigating a school closure, how that season changed his perspective, and why he believes his next chapter at the CrossPlex is another way to “coach” the sport—by creating experiences, memories, and opportunities for athletes and coaches who walk through those doors. If you’re a coach considering administration, a leader trying to build culture, or someone who loves track and believes there’s more than one way to serve it—this one is for you. Dive into over 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more! 🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network. 📲 Stay Connected:Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

  6. Jul 28

    #211: Gill1918 Presents the Beyond The Blocks Podcast Team “Recruiting Tips for Athletes” Powered by Coach O

    Coach Will, Coach Lonnie, and A. Lew from the awesome Beyond The Blocks Track & Field Podcast took some time to share their experience as coaches and parents of athletes in three key areas of the college recruiting process. Their advice is real, practical, and able to be implemented right away. Athletes, coaches and parents will all benefit from these quick tips! You can enjoy their insightful and entertaining in-depth T&F interviews on YouTube and Instagram.  Got a topic you'd love to share with our Youth T&F audience? Contact David Mitchell to learn how.

    #211: Gill1918 Presents the Beyond The Blocks Podcast Team “Recruiting Tips for Athletes” Powered by Coach O

  7. Jul 27

    #373: Rita Gary-Furman University | Leadership, Standards & Building Excellence the Right Way

    Some conversations go long. This one goes deep. In this episode, Rita Gary, head coach at Furman University, delivers a masterclass on leadership, accountability, and what it actually takes to build something meaningful in today’s NCAA landscape. From her early influences as a young athlete to becoming a Division I head coach at just 24 years old, Rita shares how her leadership philosophy was shaped—and how it continues to evolve. Despite a shorter conversation than usual, this episode is packed with insight for coaches who care about: Leading with clarity and convictionDeveloping athletes beyond performanceBuilding culture that actually sustains successNavigating the modern NCAA environment 💬 Rita breaks down her leadership framework—awareness, action, and accountability—and how it applies to both athletes and coaches at every level. 💬 She also shares how Furman became a national contender by focusing on people, not just performance. 💬 And she doesn’t shy away from tough conversations about the current state of college athletics. This is one of those episodes you’ll want to run back a second time. 🔥 Key Takeaways: Leadership is learned—but it requires intentional growthCulture keeps the right people in and pushes the wrong people outDevelopment beats shortcuts every timeCoaching is more about people than programming 🗣️ Quote from Rita: “Culture keeps the right people in—and it pushes the wrong people out.” 👉Dive into nearly 400 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more!🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode:Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.📲 Stay Connected:Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

  8. Jul 26

    #210: Gill1918 Presents Lyle Smith "Running the Wetmore Way"

    Lyle Smith gives us an insider's look at his new book "Blood, Sweat & Spikes: Running the Wetmore Way" on today's Gill1918 Project episode. Check out his book at the Amazon link above; here's the description for this exciting new book for our exciting sport! At the height of the first American Running Boom, a small town in New Jersey emerged as a magical place in the sport. Tiny Bernardsville, in the Somerset Hills of New Jersey produced dozens of local, state, age-group, and national champions and claimed a place in the pantheon of American distance running. A junior program fed a high school team of boys and girls that claimed legend status. Before he was one of the best collegiate distance running coaches on the planet, Mark Wetmore was the young, ambitious, experimental coach of this program. BLOOD, SWEAT & SPIKES is one story of one of those runners in that town and the people who made it unique in the history of the sport.

    #210: Gill1918 Presents Lyle Smith "Running the Wetmore Way"
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Unlock the world of track & field coaching with The Gill Connections Podcast! Host Mike Cunningham brings you inspiring stories, real conversations, and coaching insights from leaders at every level. Discover a new coach's interview every Monday. Plus, don’t miss the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts with our NEW Gill1918 Project episodes Tuesday-Sunday — short, powerful lessons from top coaches to help you grow on and off the track. Powered by Gill Athletics — Supporting Coaches Since 1918.

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