Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

Episode 114: Bob Wilson, NAIA Hall of Famer

Bob Wilson served as the athletic director at Vanguard University for more than 20 years. He earned the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Athletic Director of the Year honors twice (2002, 2012). Wilson also coached basketball at the collegiate level for more than 24 years. Wilson served the NAIA in significant ways over the years, including chair of NAIA Region II, chair of the National Administration Council, president of the Basketball Coaches Association, men’s basketball rater, and chairman of the NAIA Basketball Tournament. In addition, Wilson served as vice president of the GSAC, and was a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He conceptualized the Champions of Character initiative on the Vanguard campus when he created VU’s Gold Pride program. During his tenure, the department won 16 Champions of Character Team awards, two student athletes were voted Leroy Walker winners, and two head coaches were named Coach of Character. In March 2007, Wilson was inducted into the NAIA Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the author of “The Ripple Effect” and currently serves as a partner with Comprehensive Athletics Consulting, LLC.

 
In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Developing student leadership
  • Creating a championship culture
  • Hiring and job search tips
  • … and so much more!!!

[Read more…]

Episode 106: Greg Tonagel, Indiana Wesleyan University Basketball Coach

Greg Tonagel is the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana Wesleyan University. Tonagel and the Wildcats have won three NAIA Division II National Championships in a five year spans with titles in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Since Tonagel took over the program in 2005, he has become the winningest coach in program history both in total wins and winning percentage. Prior to coming to IWU, Tonagel served as Director of Basketball Operations at Valparaiso University, where he also played for legendary Homer Drew and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments as the starting point guard. He also led his LaPorte High School team to the last single class state finals in 1997. Much of the unprecedented success of the Wildcats can be attributed to the culture Tonagel built at IWU.  The IWU culture is built around two Biblically transforming principles; I am Third and Fearless. This has helped the influence of IWU basketball to extend far beyond the court. Tonagel and his staff have been committed to using basketball as a platform for discipleship.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What any coach can do to create a better culture
  • Why IWU is so good year in and year out
  • How he convinces great players (including DI transfers from IU and Kansas) to come to IWU
  • … and so much more!!!

[Read more…]

Culture Is A Choice

“Don’t tell them what you’re going to do – that’s vision.  Do what you’re going to do – that’s culture. Culture eats vision for lunch”.  (John C. Maxwell)

When I first heard this, I wrote it down and thought that it sounded good.  However, the more I thought about that statement the more I started to see the truth of it.

We need both a strong culture and a positive vision to reach our fullest potential.  If I have to choose, however, I will take a strong culture any day of the week over a clear vision.  Even the clearest vision may not be realized if the culture is poor and weighing you down.

[Read more…]

Episode 065: Executive Director of the NCCAA Dan Wood

Dan Wood is the Executive Director of the National Christian College Athletic Association. He joined the NCCAA national office staff in 2000. Dan was the recipient of the 2016 Professional Excellence Award from Southern Wesleyan University’s (SWU) School of Education. He serves on the Advisory Board of Sports Spectrum Magazine, is a member of Greenville Connect Ministry, and as a member of ALIVE Wesleyan he has provided leadership in building and capital campaigns and youth ministry. Prior to his time with the NCCAA, he was involved in Christian Higher Education, beginning in 1987 as a professor, coach, and Athletic Director at Christian universities. Dan was awarded NCCAA and NAIA Coach of the Year in Men’s Soccer and Men’s Golf; received the NCCAA Meritorious Service Award; and was inducted into SWU and Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • What the NCCAA does
  • Why Christian Higher Education is important
  • The high level athletics played at the NCCAA level
  • How he overcame cancer and losing an eye during his life

[Read more…]

Episode 062: Todd Gongwer, Author of “LEAD…for God’s Sake”

Todd Gongwer is the best-selling author of “LEAD…for God’s Sake. The book has been called a “game changer” by national championship football coach Urban Meyer. It has been credited with having a huge impact on Coach Meyer’s decision to come out of the broadcast booth and take over the reigns of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Todd is first and foremost, a husband and father. His expertise in leadership and cultural dynamics comes from a broad range of experiences in the world of business and athletics, spanning over 25 years. He has held numerous executive positions in companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-up to public entity, while also serving as an assistant college basketball coach for over a decade.

Following the successful launch of the Need to LEAD program, a systematic approach to shaping team culture, Todd wrote LEAD…for God’s Sake, A parable for finding the heart of leadership. As the popularity of the book grew, stories of its powerful impact surfaced in such noted publications as ESPN Magazine, Yahoo Sports, ESPN.com and Forbes.com. Testimonies from high profile coaches, business leaders, and educators from around the country continued to stream in, affording Todd the opportunity to work directly with some of the most successful leaders, teams and organizations in America.

Today, when Todd isn’t coaching his own children, he travels throughout the country speaking, teaching, and coaching on the topics of leadership, purpose and cultural dynamics. He lives in Indiana with his wife Traci and their three children; Kaden, Kira, and their newest arrival from Haiti, Wadson.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • Writing a best-selling novel
  • Working with Urban Meyer and other famous coaches
  • Leadership and culture in organizations

[Read more…]

Episode 046: Southeastern University Basketball Coach R-Jay Barsh

R-Jay Barsh is the head men’s basketball coach at Southeastern University. The 2017-18 season marks his sixth season at the helm of the Fire program. At the time of this episode being released, Barsh just won his 100th game moving the 7th ranked Fire program to 12-2 on the season.

In only his second season, he was a finalist for the Don Meyer National Coach of the Year Award as he guided the Fire to a 27-7 record and the program’s first-ever NAIA National Tournament appearance. Before coming to Southeastern, Barsh was the assistant coach at Tacoma Community College.  While at Tacoma, he was considered one of the top recruiters on the West Coast and was even featured in The Bleacher Report for being a main catalyst for the Titans recruiting and developmental success. He also coached at Pugent Sound University, as well. Before he began his coaching career, he enjoyed a successful playing career at Tacoma Community College from 2001–2003. In his first season, he led the Titans to a NWAACC title and a 30–3 overall record. In 2003, Barsh was named Second Team All-Conference and found himself in a unique position, having won NWAACC titles as both a player (2002) and a coach (2012).

Off of the hardwood, Barsh has always felt the call of God on his life and has used basketball as the vehicle to deliver the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For over the past 10 years, he has been an integral part of Northwest Basketball Camps (NBC), which is a Christ-centered camp that utilizes basketball to impact the hearts and minds of young people through Jesus Christ. Through NBC, Barsh has led several camps around the world, including in Italy, the United Kingdom, and Alaska.  He is also the founder of SkyMotivation, which is a ministry he uses to help young people grow in Christ. His website for the ministry has testimonies, devotionals, and even an area where viewers can ask questions about their faith.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • How he defines and measures success as a college basketball coach
  • What he is doing to help develop his players both on and off the court
  • Advice he has for a coach (or leader) going through a losing streak

[Read more…]

Episode 036: Spring Arbor University President Brent Ellis

Dr. Brent Ellis became the 30th president of Spring Arbor University when he took over the top position in 2013. During his presidency SAU has been ranked by The Economist as the No. 1 in economic value among Christian universities in Michigan and No 2. among all universities in Michigan. Dr. Ellis has also played a pivotal role in key growth initiatives including the accreditation received by the Master of Social Work program and growing expectancies for the SAU Endowment from $30 million to $60 million. Before becoming President, Dr. Ellis served as a vice president at Spring Arbor University. He also worked at LeTourneau University where he served as dean for the Center for the Development of Christian Leadership. Prior to working at LeTourneau, Dr. Ellis spent four years as the director of leadership development and student programs at Taylor University (Ind.).

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • What the difference is between being in the classroom and being the president
  • The importance of Christian higher education
  • Why Spring Arbor isn’t for everyone
  • The difference between wisdom and knowledge

[Read more…]

Bechler Selected as Opening Speaker at TELL Summit for Educators

WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace College is excited to host the first annual The Educators Leadership Learning Summit (TELL) on Oct. 30.

The Summit, held at Grace’s Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center, is specifically created for school superintendents, administrators, principals, athletic directors and coaches. The TELL Summit will bring in numerous top state educators and motivational speakers to share their experiences in the world of education.

The Grace College Athletic Department created the summit, providing an educational event that is unique across the state of Indiana. 

Click here  for a complete schedule of speakers and topics. 

The TELL Summit is designed to inspire current and future educators in the high school world. This TED Talk-inspired event was created to spark new learning ideas, stimulate deep discussion and provide networking opportunities among like-minded educators. 

“We are honored to host the TELL Summit at Grace College. We feel that professional development for educators in the athletic world is critical to help student-athletes in their development,” said Grace Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe. “We hope that providing an experience for high school educators to grow and sharpen one another will be a great benefit to sports leaders at the high school level across the state.”

Included among the 14 presenters in the 2017 Summit are Bobby Cox, IHSAA Commissioner; Sandy Searcy, National Federation of State High School Associations Director of Sport; Seth Maust, Five Star Life President; and Jamy Bechler, John Maxwell Coach. Three school superintendents will be speaking, including Warsaw’s David Hoffert, as well as three athletic directors, a principal and three high school coaches.

Click here for a complete information packet on the event.

To register for the summit, contact Grace’s athletic office at 574-372-5100 ext 6266 or email chad.briscoe@grace.edu.

Episode 027: Rusty Kennedy

Rusty Kennedy arrived at Midway University as the Athletic Director in January 2016.  Kennedy has been responsible for overseeing the dramatic changes that have taken place within the athletic department.  Within the span of a mere three months the university went from single gender to co-educational as well as adding six new sports, four of those the first male sports in school history, while growing the number of athletes from 92 in the Spring of 2016 and 260 to the Fall of 2016 to 340 in the Fall of 2017.  For his efforts his peers voted him 2016-2017 River States Conference Athletic Director of the Year.  The Fall of 2017 has also seen the addition of three more sports which has brought the total number to 17.  Rusty came to Midway with 18 years of experience as a Coach, Instructor and Athletic Administer at the NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA levels.  Most recently he was the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division II member Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM.  Kennedy has also held various positions at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Central Baptist College, Bacone College, Clarendon College, North Arkansas College and Our Lady of the Lake University.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • His buying a house on a credit card
  • Transitioning Midway University to a Coed athletic department
  • Earning the 2017 River States Conference Athletic Director of the Year Award
  • When he did his best coaching job despite having one of his worst win-loss seasons of his career

[Read more…]

The Leadership Playbook Appears on Amazon Best-Seller List

The much-anticipated July 25 release of Jamy Bechler’s The Leadership Playbook: Become Your Team’s Most Valuable Leader proved to be a giant success as it was named the #1 New Release for basketball coaching books on Amazon.com.

Overall, it reached a high of #2 on Amazon’s list of basketball coaching books. Other books on this list include Jay Bilas’ Toughness, Pat Summitt’s Sum it Up, Mike Krzyzewski’s Leading with the Heart, Lew Alcindor’s Coach Wooden and Me, and Phil Jackson’s Eleven Rings.

Bechler is a John Maxwell certified leadership coach and former college basketball coach. He works with various teams and businesses to maximize their success by developing leadership skills and creating a championship culture. His clients have included teams from the NBA and the Big Ten, as well as multi-million dollar corporations.

[Read more…]

Sign Up For Leadership Insights

Join Thousands Of Others Who Follow Jamy On These Platforms: