That’s “coaches speak” rather than “coachspeak” because I felt like we got some really well thought-out responses in speaking to coaches on the Southern Hospitality tour this week in the deep South.
In all I talked to 13 coaches with the recorder rolling, as well as a couple of others. Most interviews were preceded or followed by some more discussion off the record. Those discussions are great background for me to use in understanding what’s going on.
But I spotlight four coaches in this section, three of them from Georgia and one from Alabama. They have varying levels of experience in Division III and in coaching, varying lengths of time at their schools. But if you listen, you’ll hear some common themes.
For Mitch Cole, at Birmingham-Southern, it’s building a team from scratch. The program itself has been there throughout, obviously, with the infrastructure in place. But every player is new this year after the school did not field a team last season. The things that have to be micromanaged by the coach are somewhat surprising. Listen to his interview for more.
For Philip Ponder, at Oglethorpe, it’s a battle to grow into a competitive program with a young team.
For Lee Glenn, at Piedmont, the concern is getting numbers into the program. And taking care of a newborn baby, as his wife gave birth about five hours after this interview concluded. (Congrats!)
For Jason Zimmerman, at Emory, it’s also getting adjusted to Division III. He’s new to Emory, with a team that has six seniors but not a lot of experience. He has something to say about how Division III players compare with Division I players, having coached at both levels.
But the benefits of some of the schools are interesting as well. Listen in to each take.
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Pat, the depth of the interviews was excellent. You gave us a real understanding of the challenges that the coaches are facing.
I have really enjoyed the podcasts. I look forward to an annual tour that brings more of this quality content each season. Thanks for doing the Southern Hospitality Tour.
Really enjoyed the posts and the interviews. Now that Pat has established a custom of touring underserved D3 regions, I think a trip to California next year is in order.
All the interviews were good but Randy Lambert of Maryville stands out. What really comes through is his knowledge of D3 and basketball, his love of the sport, and above all his concern for the kids at his school – not just his athletes but the school in general. In the Midwest, as in the entire northeastern quadrant of this country, it is easy to be a D3 fan. I appreciate the preserverance and effort that people like Lambert have shown over the years in a difficult situation.
If he is involved in the decision about the future of D3 and his concerns are addressed, I will feel good about the process. When the future of D3 and the potential split are being discussed, the effect any decisions have on schools in the south, in Texas, Nebraska Wesleyan, and all the D3 stalwarts throughout the country should be near the top of the list.