3 Minute Drill

Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy

The Thornton- McFerrin Coaching Academy proudly presents the “3- Minute Drill”. This is a podcast that will bring you individuals from a variety of athletic experiences. We've asked them to provide 3 minutes of their thoughts or advice on what is important for coaches and successful teams.

  1. Sep 3

    Episode 59: David Williams

    Coach Williams is a dedicated and experienced high school coach with a diverse background in baseball, football, soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Throughout his coaching career, Coach Williams has worked with athletes at multiple levels, from freshman and junior varsity teams to varsity programs, developing players both on and off the field while emphasizing discipline, teamwork, accountability, and a commitment to excellence. Coach Williams began his coaching career at Lanier High School in Austin ISD, where he spent four years as a Junior Varsity Baseball Coach. During his time there, he also coached soccer for three years at the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels, served as the Freshman Basketball Coach for one year, and coached Freshman Volleyball for three years. This experience provided Coach Williams with a strong foundation in coaching across multiple sports and age levels while developing his ability to build relationships with student-athletes and create positive team environments. At John B. Connally High School, Coach Williams took on additional leadership responsibilities. He served as the Head Freshman Football Coach for four years and the Head Baseball Coach for four years. During his tenure as the baseball head coach, Coach Williams was honored as the 2022 18-5A Coach of the Year. This experience strengthened Coach Williams's leadership skills and allowed him to take responsibility for developing a program, mentoring athletes, and establishing a culture centered around player development and team success.

  2. Jul 17

    Episode 57: Brad LaPlante - Part 2

    Brad LaPlante is currently the Director of Athletics at Montgomery ISD in Texas. He has been married for 20 years to Christie, a Special Education Teacher in MISD. His sons Carson and Cashton are student-athletes at Northern State University in South Dakota pursuing teaching and coaching. Coach LaPlante has held Head Football Coaching Positions at Rochester Community and Technical College, Northwest Mississippi CC, and Hutto High School. LaPlante's overall Head Coaching record is 94-38. He has also held Athletic Director Positions at RCTC, Hutto, and now Montgomery. LaPlante was a part of 2 National Championships at RCTC (1 as assistant, 1 as head coach) and numerous state championships while at RCTC. During his tenure, he coached 114 all-division players, 35 all-region players and 18 All- Americans. He was Region XIII Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2010. During his 8 years at Hutto, he helped the Hippos win 64 games (70%), and make the playoffs 7 out of the 8 years including the 3rd round twice, and one trip to the 4th round. He has also helped over 225 female and male athletes get to the college level in his coaching career. LaPlante was an All-State High School Player from Chatfield, MN and for RCTC (Junior College, Rochester, MN) in 1997 and 1998 earning all-conference, all-state and all-region honors. Both years, the Yellowjackets were state champs and earned bowl berths. College: AA Degree from RCTC, Bachelor's degree from Winona State University and Master's degree from University of Minnesota Hobbies: Exercising, spending time with my family, attending/watching sporting events, Biggest influence in my life: Coach Joel Swisher (RCTC Head Football Coach) and Gerald LaPlante (my father) Favorite Quote: Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people. - Nick Saban

  3. Jul 1

    Episode 56: Brad LaPlante

    Brad LaPlante is currently the Director of Athletics at Montgomery ISD in Texas. He has been married for 20 years to Christie, a Special Education Teacher in MISD. His sons Carson and Cashton are student-athletes at Northern State University in South Dakota pursuing teaching and coaching. Coach LaPlante has held Head Football Coaching Positions at Rochester Community and Technical College, Northwest Mississippi CC, and Hutto High School. LaPlante's overall Head Coaching record is 94-38. He has also held Athletic Director Positions at RCTC, Hutto, and now Montgomery. LaPlante was a part of 2 National Championships at RCTC (1 as assistant, 1 as head coach) and numerous state championships while at RCTC. During his tenure, he coached 114 all-division players, 35 all-region players and 18 All- Americans. He was Region XIII Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2010. During his 8 years at Hutto, he helped the Hippos win 64 games (70%), and make the playoffs 7 out of the 8 years including the 3rd round twice, and one trip to the 4th round. He has also helped over 225 female and male athletes get to the college level in his coaching career. LaPlante was an All-State High School Player from Chatfield, MN and for RCTC (Junior College, Rochester, MN) in 1997 and 1998 earning all-conference, all-state and all-region honors. Both years, the Yellowjackets were state champs and earned bowl berths. College: AA Degree from RCTC, Bachelor's degree from Winona State University and Master's degree from University of Minnesota Hobbies: Exercising, spending time with my family, attending/watching sporting events, Biggest influence in my life: Coach Joel Swisher (RCTC Head Football Coach) and Gerald LaPlante (my father) Favorite Quote: Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people. - Nick Saban

  4. Apr 1

    Episode 53: Amanda Wolf-Schramm

    Amanda Wolf-Schramm is a softball coach, educator, and leader with over two decades of experience developing student-athletes both on and off the field. A 2001 graduate of Elgin High School, she was a standout multi-sport athlete, earning numerous honors including District MVP, CenTex Player of the Year, TGCA All-State, NFCA All-American, and 3A Player of the Year. She continued her softball career at Fresno State University under Hall of Fame coach Margie Wright, where she earned a degree in Criminology with a focus on Victim Services and a minor in Child Development. During her time there, she served on the Title IX Compliance Committee and the Athletic Director's Leadership Board, and was honored with the Fresno State Bulldog Softball Award in her senior year. Coach Wolf-Schramm began her coaching career in 2006 and quickly established herself as a transformational leader. She spent 12 years as Head Softball Coach at Elgin High School, leading her alma mater to 11 district championships in 12 seasons and multiple deep playoff runs. In 2017, she was recognized with the UIL Sponsor of Excellence Award. In 2019, she relocated to Bulverde, Texas, and joined Smithson Valley High School, where she has continued to elevate her program. Under her leadership, the Rangers have captured multiple district titles—including their first in 12 years—and she reached the milestone of 400 career wins in 2024. Her program is built on a foundation of family, character, integrity, leadership, and accountability, preparing athletes for success far beyond the game. A respected voice in the coaching community, Wolf-Schramm has served on the THSCA Softball Advisory Committee and made history as the first female At-Large representative in 2021 and, in 2025, the first woman elected to the THSCA Board of Directors. A nominee for the prestigious THSCA Jody Conradt Award, she considers her work with THSCA and its mission to “help coaches help kids” among her greatest honors. Coach Wolf-Schramm's passion for developing the whole person continues to impact athletes, coaches, and communities across Texas.

  5. Mar 4

    Episode 52: Lori McLaughlin

    Coach McLaughlin came to Cedar Park fresh off the road to state where she ended her 2018 season as the 6A State Runner-Up. When her career in Houston was complete, she was a four-time Regional Quarter-finalist, three-time District Champion, a Regional Semi-Finalist and a State Finalist at Ridge Point High School. In her time at Ridge Point, she was District Coach of the Year three times. In her final season in Houston, Coach McLaughlin was named AVCA Regional Coach of the Year and GHVCA Coach of the Year. She has also been an All-Star coach for TGCA & GHVCA four years combined. Prior to Ridge Point, she spent five years at Dawson High School where she went to the Regional Tournament twice, was a Regional Semi-Finalist and also had a District Championship. Prior to Dawson, she spent nine years in Katy ISD: her first three years at Katy Junior High before moving to Mayde Creek for six years where she started her head coaching career. This season is Coach McLaughlin's twenty-fourth year as a Head Coach, 7th year at Cedar Park, and she has led her teams to playoffs for the last 18 consecutive years in a row. Most recently, she led her team to a 2024 State Runner Up Finish at the State Championship. In 2025, Cedar Park Volleyball ran it back to State and won it. This was historical due to this being the 1st ever Volleyball State Championship for Cedar Park HS, but also the 1st ever Volleyball State Championship for Leander ISD. Since being at Cedar Park, she has achieved 563 wins, back to back District Championships(2024 & 2025) in an extremely competitive district, three-time Regional Semi- Finalist, three-time Regional Finalist, two-time State Semi-Finalist, and two-time State Finalist Appearances. Coach McLaughlin was also named Austin Coach of the Year(2019), District Coach of the Year(2024), and most recently All South Central Texas Coach of the Year, TGCA Coach of the Year, and Blue Bell/Texas Sports Association Coach of the Year. She and her husband, Mike, have two sons, Chase and Cole. Chase is a Senior, Master's Student at Oklahoma State University, and Cole is a Sophomore at Texas Tech University.

About

The Thornton- McFerrin Coaching Academy proudly presents the “3- Minute Drill”. This is a podcast that will bring you individuals from a variety of athletic experiences. We've asked them to provide 3 minutes of their thoughts or advice on what is important for coaches and successful teams.