
344 episodes

Inside the Headset with the AFCA American Football Coaches Association
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- Sports
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4.8 • 215 Ratings
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Inside the Headset with the AFCA takes you in-depth with interviews, career breakdowns, and coaching development with football coaches around the country.
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Scotty Walden, Head Coach - Austin Peay
On this week’s episode of Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, Scotty Walden, the head coach at Austin Peay, talks through his journey as a football coach. Coach Walden shares how he got his first opportunities in coaching, the learning curves he experienced throughout his career, and how he has grown into the coach he is now. Coach Walden, a member of the 2019 AFCA 35 Under 35 Class, led the Governors to a huge week 3 victory.
Follow Coach Walden and Austin Peay Football on social media here:
@APSUcoachSW & @GovsFB
Show Notes:
0:52 Introduction
1:36 Experience as a transfer and with the transfer portal
8:14 What was the moment that led you to wanting to be a football coach?
10:35 Experience playing middle school football in Texas
12:26 Starting out as a student assistant coach
15:07 Transition to Offensive Coordinator in year two as a coach
17:05 Delineating the line between being a former player and coach
21:05 Learning curve of being a first-year coordinator
24:47 Transition to ETBU and continuing to develop as a coach
31:35 Where did you go to learn and grow your offensive system?
34:33 Leading coaches who have more experience
38:12 Transition to Head Coach at ETBU
41:25 Biggest challenges in first year as a head coach
43:11 Decision process behind the move to Southern Miss
45:35 Serving as an interim head coach during 2020 season
49:08 Opportunity to become head coach at Austin Peay
52:27 Biggest difference in year 1 and year 2 at Austin Peay/Biggest place of growth in career
57:27 Growth in the hiring process
1:00:22 Conclusion
For more information on CoachComm visit https://www.coachcomm.com/ -
Nick Hill, Head Coach - Southern Illinois
On this week’s episode of Inside the Headset - Presented by CoachComm, the Head Coach of Southern Illinois, Nick Hill, dives into his career as a football coach. Coach Hill shares about his entry into the coaching profession, the process he uses to hire a staff that fits his program, and why he chooses to include his family in his work with the team. Coach Hill, a member of the 2019 AFCA 35 Under 35 class, has led the Salukis to two big victories to start their 2023 campaign.
Follow Coach Hill and Southern Illinois Football on social media here:
@17NickHill & @SIU_Football
Show Notes:
0:54 Introduction
1:24 Love for Football and Basketball
3:14 When did you decide you wanted to be a coach?
4:00 Experience playing D1 Basketball and coming back to football
8:06 Benefit of athletes playing multiple sports and how that impacts recruiting
12:04 Your approach to athletes wanting to play multiple sports
14:23 Starting out as a young coach
18:03 Developing as a coach
21:27 As you began as a coach, what was something you were unprepared for?
25:19 Hiring a staff that fits your program
28:14 Avoiding burnout and balancing work and family
34:48 AFCA 35 Under 35 experience
37:14 Conclusion
For more information on CoachComm visit https://www.coachcomm.com/ -
Harland Bower, Defensive Ends - Duke
On this week’s episode of Inside the Headset - Presented by CoachComm, Harland Bower, the defensive ends coach at Duke University takes us inside his career as a football coach. Coach Bower discusses the impact moving from job to job had on his family, the value of networking and having connections, and his experience participating in the AFCA 35 Under 35 Program. Coach Bower, fresh off an upset win versus Clemson, is in his second year with the Blue Devils, and was a member of the 2023 AFCA 35 Under 35 Class.
Follow Coach Bower and the Duke Football on social media here:
@Coach_Bower & @DukeFOOTBALL
Show Notes:
0:57 Introduction
1:17 When did you know you wanted to be a football coach?
3:17 Transition to life post-football
5:10 Experience serving as a Strength Coach along with being a Position Coach
7:34 Transition to Murray State University
8:34 Review of coaching jobs in early career
9:51 Strain of having to make many transitions as a coach
13:43 Most influential stops early in your career
16:58 What was something you were not prepared for in having your own room?
18:28 Lessons learned as a position coach that you applied to your GA experience
20:05 Most challenging stops early in your career
22:47 Value of networking and connections
28:26 Experience in interviews
32:47 Experience as a Transfer Athlete
35:14 Experience in the AFCA 35 Under 35 Program
36:25 Conclusion
For more information on CoachComm visit https://www.coachcomm.com/ -
Steve Steele, Head Coach - T.F. Riggs HS (SD)
This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Steve Steele, the Head Coach for T.F. Riggs High School in South Dakota. In this episode, Coach Steele shares about the adjustments that he made in his first few years of coaching, his unique way of repeating success, and his experience in AFCA 30 under 30 Program. Coach Steele has led T.F. Riggs to six consecutive South Dakota State Championships and was a 2016 AFCA 30 under 30 class member.
Follow Coach Steele and T.F. Riggs HS Football on social media!
@Steele_House & @pierre_football
Show Notes:
0:31 Introduction
0:56 When did you know that you wanted to be a football coach?
2:02 How did you go about getting your first job?
3:29 Experience in interviews
6:31 Adjustments that you made in your first 2 years coaching
10:32 Where did you go to learn as a young coach?
12:16 Becoming a first-time coordinator at a young age
13:40 Adjusting from coaching one position to an entire offense
15:42 Learning from film breakdown
18:16 Growth as a young coach
22:11 Applying and Interviewing to find the right fit at T.F. Riggs High School
27:55 First year as a head coach at T.F. Riggs HS
30:17 Repeating success
33:04 Unique pieces to T.F. Riggs Program
35:14 What keeps you motivated and coming back year after year?
37:14 AFCA 30 Under 30 experience
39:58 Conclusion -
Kevin May, DC - Seton Hill
This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Kevin May, the Defensive Coordinator at Seton Hill University.
In this episode, Coach May shares about his entry into the coaching profession, his experience as a GA and doing many roles within a program, and how he took advantage of the AFCA 35 Under 35 Program. Coach May will be entering into his fifth season at Seton Hill and was a member of the 2023 AFCA 35 Under 35 class.
Follow Coach May and Seton Hill Football on social media.
@CoachKevinMay & @SHU_FBALL
Show Notes:
0:34 Introduction
1:00 When did you know you wanted to be a football coach?
2:16 Transitioning from a player to a coach
3:37 Separating yourself as a coach from teammates
5:38 Juggling many roles as a young coach
7:40 Using connections to learn how to coach new things
9:13 Learning curve starting out as a coach
12:06 Transition to Wyoming
14:40 Surviving as a volunteer coach
16:11 Working as a GA at Wyoming
18:34 Transition to Texas A&M Kingsville
21:37 Development of your own coaching style
24:00 Differences in recruiting between different levels of football
27:38 At what stop did you learn the most?
29:23 Making the decision to move to Seton Hill
31:42 What role has your wife played in the decision to move jobs and your development?
34:40 Evolving as a coach throughout your career
37:21 Experience with AFCA 35 Under 35 Program
38:47 Conclusion -
Tremaine Jackson, Head Coach - Valdosta State
This week on Inside the Headset, we are featuring Tremaine Jackson, the Head Coach at Valdosta State University. In this episode, Coach Jackson shares about coaching at many different levels, his rise to becoming a Head Coach, and what he learned from being a part of the AFCA 35 Under 35 Program. Coach Jackson is beginning his second season at Valdosta State and was a member of the 2018 AFCA 35 Under 35 Class.
Follow Coach Jackson and Valdosta State Football on social media.
@coachjack212 & @valdostastatefb
Show Notes:
0:32 Introduction
1:10 When did you know you wanted to be a coach?
2:25 How much has football changed since beginning in the profession?
4:35 What types of offenses do you see now?
6:13 Getting your first coaching opportunity
9:10 Experience as a GA
11:48 How do you use GA’s?
14:19 Working through the lows of the profession
16:13 Experiences while coaching at many different levels
20:51 Transition to Sioux Falls
24:33 Starting out as a Coordinator
27:55 How have you grown as a Coordinator?
29:58 Transition to Abilene Christian
33:57 First FBS coaching opportunity
35:37 Becoming the HC at Colorado Mesa
41:30 What is something you learned in your first year as a HC?
46:53 Becoming the HC at Valdosta State
55:46 D.O.G. Mantra
59:15 AFCA 35 Under 35 Experience
1:02:47 Conclusion
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