344 episodes

Inside the Headset with the AFCA takes you in-depth with interviews, career breakdowns, and coaching development with football coaches around the country.

Inside the Headset with the AFCA American Football Coaches Association

    • Sports
    • 4.8 • 215 Ratings

Inside the Headset with the AFCA takes you in-depth with interviews, career breakdowns, and coaching development with football coaches around the country.

    Scotty Walden, Head Coach - Austin Peay

    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/

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Nick Hill, Head Coach - Southern Illinois

    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/

    • 39 min
    Harland Bower, Defensive Ends - Duke

    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/

    • 38 min
    Steve Steele, Head Coach - T.F. Riggs HS (SD)

    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  

    • 43 min
    Kevin May, DC - Seton Hill

    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 

    • 41 min
    Tremaine Jackson, Head Coach - Valdosta State

    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 

    • 1 hr 5 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
215 Ratings

215 Ratings

Bear757 ,

Great Interviews

Coach Mint showed how full person coaching and planing can help a program!

Mike Sierra 46 ,

Love it BUT….

Absolutely love this podcast. The content is always great no matter who is on to discuss ball. BUT please turn the volume up on your audio. The volume is very low despite my speakers being on max volume. Thank you and appreciate all of y’all’s great content!

K. Jack ,

Love it!!

Awesome insight!!! Great journey!!

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