The Rising Coaches Podcast

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Charles Allen, Assistant Coach with the New York Knicks. Allen’s journey includes playing at Dallas Baptist before working his way through coaching roles with Houston, Phoenix, Houston again, Utah, Sacramento, and now New York. In this episode we discuss what his one-week tryout as a student manager for Kelvin Sampson at Houston was really like, how working with different coaching minds shaped the coach he is today, what makes an assistant truly valuable beyond simply knowing basketball, and some of his biggest “welcome to the NBA” moments along the way.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Billy Donlon, Head Coach at Eastern Michigan University. Donlon held various assistant coaching titles at American, Saint Peter’s, UNC Wilmington, Wright State, Michigan, Northwestern, and Clemson, with head coaching stops at Wright State, Kansas City, and now Eastern Michigan. In this episode we discuss his unique childhood connection to the legendary Chicago Bulls, why communication may be one of the most important skills a coach can master and tips on how to utilize it and what he learned from his first head coaching opportunity that he plans to approach differently a decade later.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re back with Mike Dunlap for part two of our conversation. His career has taken him through programs like Loyola Marymount, USC, Arizona, Oregon, St. John’s, the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Charlotte Bobcats, with head coaching experience across college, international basketball, and the NBA. In this episode we discuss one thing he believes today’s coaches should avoid, the biggest misconception about coaching in the NBA, and the lessons being fired as an NBA head coach taught him moving forward.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Mike Dunlap for part one of a two-part conversation. Dunlap’s career includes stops at Loyola Marymount, Iowa, USC, Arizona, Oregon, St. John’s, the Denver Nuggets, and Milwaukee Bucks, along with head coaching roles at Cal Lutheran, Adelaide, Metro State, the Charlotte Bobcats, Loyola Marymount, and Colorado Mesa. In this episode we discuss how his definition of great coaching has evolved, the skills that took him from young assistant to NBA head coach, and what he would change if given another opportunity to lead a team in today's era.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Patrick Corrigan, Associate Head Coach at the University of West Florida. Corrigan played at Hampden-Sydney before building his coaching career through stops at Charlotte, Ferrum, West Coast Elite, Windward School, Cal Poly Pomona, and West Florida, including a successful run as the head coach at Ferrum. In this episode we discuss why sometimes moving down a level can actually move your coaching career forward, how being a former head coach has changed the way he approaches the assistant’s chair, and what he saw in Tanner Smith and West Florida that made him willing to step away from a successful head coaching position for a new opportunity.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by James Pristouris, Founder of the Super League Athletic Academy and Director of Strategic Relations with EEP Law. James has helped grow Super League from a youth program of just 25 kids into an organization providing international basketball experiences. In this episode we discuss the challenges and lessons behind scaling a small youth program into an international organization, what American player development can learn from the European model, and the impact a basketball trip to Greece can have on both players and programs.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by David Harris, Associate Head Coach at Northern Kentucky University. Harris played at Ashland University before beginning his coaching career through roles at Florida, VCU, Texas, Navy, and Northern Kentucky. In this episode we discuss the coaching DNA he picked up from Billy Donovan, Shaka Smart, Ed DeChellis, and Darrin Horn, how starting in video gave him a unique lens for teaching and developing players, and the behind-the-scenes lessons he’s learning now that are preparing him for his own head coaching opportunity.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Cheri Mah, a leading expert in sleep and performance who has worked with some of the best athletes and organizations in the world, including Nike, Under Armour, the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, Olympic athletes, Formula 1, and the U.S. military. In this episode we discuss how coaches can build daily and weekly routines around sleep, how to plan travel to maximize sleep and performance, the biggest sleep disruptors athletes face, and how screen time before bed can impact sleep quality. Learn more: https://www.drcherimah.com/

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Hansen Wong, Manager of G League and International Scouting for the Indiana Pacers. Wong has built a unique career with the Pacers, starting as a video intern and working his way through roles as Assistant Video Coordinator, Video Coordinator, and Director of Basketball Information and Technology before reaching his current position, while also serving as an Advanced Scout for the Nigerian National Team. In this episode we discuss his unique journey from student manager to the NBA and what his NBA interview process looked like, how scouts balance what their eyes tell them with data and analytics, which information matters most when evaluating a player, and whether watching a player live or on film provides the best understanding of their game.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Assistant Coach with the New York Knicks. Ahelegbe played at Northern Iowa before continuing his career professionally in Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Austria, eventually transitioning into coaching with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Windy City Bulls, and Knicks. In this episode we discuss how coaches can help injured players stay mentally strong and come back stronger, the impact Coach Ben Jacobson had on his development as a leader and point guard to help his preparation for the professional level, and how players can make an impact without the ball and become stars in their roles no matter the level.