Jamy Bechler

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

Episode 139: Rising Coaches Elite CEO Adam Gordon

Adam Gordon spent 17 years in the coaching industry, making stops from the JUCO level to High-major Power 5 basketball. In 2010, along with Andy Farrell, he co-founded a company called Rising Coaches with the mission of servicing the coaching industry. In June of 2019, he stepped away from his coaching career and decided to run Rising Coaches full-time. He is now growing his passion project which has an incredible following, support and brand awareness into a profitable business that helps basketball coaches all across the country. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What qualities the best coaches possess
  • How Rising Coaches helps young coaches develop
  • Tips for young coaches
  • The Rising Coaches conference in Phoenix and Atlanta
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 134: Coach Bill Curry

Bill Curry has been the head football coach at Alabama, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Georgia State. He was a 2x SEC Coach of the Year, ACC Coach of the Year, as well as the National Coach of the Year in 1989 for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Before embarking upon a coaching career, he played 10 years in the NFL as a Center. He played in Super Bowls I, III, and V, winning two Super Bowl rings with the Packers and the Colts. 

Click here to read Coach Curry’s complete resume and biography.

You can find out more about Coach Bill Curry, his motivational speaking opportunities, and his book “Ten Men You Meet In The Huddle” by visiting www.BillCurry.net. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What the best teams have in common
  • Playing for Vince Lombardi and Don Shula
  • Attending Martin Luther King’s funeral
  • Why Johnny Unitas and Bart Star were so great
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 129: Pure Sweat Basketball’s Jon Beck

Jon Beck is a must-follow on twitter for coaches and athletes. After his stellar playing career at Division I Arkansas State University, he went on to have a successful career as both a boys and girls basketball coach in Tennessee. He has been trained at Nike Skills and Pure Sweat clinics and coaches academies and has worked Nike Elite camps and completed a summer internship in Los Angeles, CA for Drew Hanlen of Pure Sweat Basketball, where he has worked with several NBA players.

He now offers skills academies and team clinics, as well as individual and team training to players as a Skills Coach for Pure Sweat Basketball. Throughout his career, his focus has been on player development and skills coaching. His passion is to help players reach their full potential on and off the court. He is continually working to improve his craft as a coach, while developing great relationships with coaches and players.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • How to coach today’s athletes
  • What the best players do when they work out
  • Building a strong culture
  • Pure Sweat Basketball
  • … and so much more!!!

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Seeing Turtles

As a college student, I spent my summers as a life guard and camp counselor. During the weekends, the camp director would take the staff for boat rides around the lake. It seemed like every five minutes, he said, “See that turtle over there” or “Look at that turtle sunny itself on that log”. I don’t think I saw a turtle before he saw it at any point during that entire summer. Funny thing is that I also never saw a turtle on my own when I went out on the boat out without him.

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Episode 128: Swen Nater, Only player to lead ABA & NBA in Rebounding

Swen Nater won two NCAA Championships as a basketball player for the legendary John Wooden at UCLA. He would become the first player to ever be a NBA first round draft choice despite never starting a college game. During the 1973-74 season, Swen would earn ABA Rookie of the Year status. He would go on to play professional basketball for 12 years for the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Spurs, and Nets. He is the only player in basketball history to lead the ABA and the NBA in rebounding. At the 2004 NBA All-Star game, he was officially named “Mr. Clipper”. After retiring as a player, he would go on to help start the Christian Heritage athletic department and lead the men’s basketball team to a National Championship. Today, he is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and executive of a Fortune 500 company. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • His unbelievable story of going from an orphanage to finding his parents on an American TV show.
  • Playing for the legendary coach John Wooden
  • What made him such a great rebounder
  • The journey of not playing basketball in high school to being a bench player in college to being selected as a first-round draft pick in the NBA
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 127: Patti Phillips, C.E.O. of Women Leaders in College Sports

Patti Phillips is the CEO of women leaders in college sports. This is the nation’s premier organization that develops, connects and advances women working in collegiate athletics.  Patti Phillips is the former president of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2015, she was a recipient of the NCAA’s Champion of Diversity Award. Phillips has served as the CEO of the Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly known as NACWAA) since 2010. In her time as CEO, the association has seen triple-digit growth in membership, has been rejuvenated with a renewed focus on advancing and empowering women, has undergone a name change and organizational transformation, and has established itself as the premier leadership association for women in athletics. Under Phillips’ direction, the association provides a road map, resources, and coaching for women wanting to advance into leadership positions. It also launched the Women Leaders podcast in 2017 which highlights the successes and career paths of women leaders both in and outside the industry.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The current state of college athletics
  • Developing the next generation of leaders
  • Women leaders in college sports
  • Leadership qualities that the best leaders possess
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 124: Jon Steinbrecher, Mid-American Conference Commissioner

Dr. Jon Steinbrecher is the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference. He has held the position since 2009. He was previously the commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. 

In July of 2019, Steinbrecher became the first Division 1 commissioner to be elected to a NCAA council leadership position when he was elected as vice chair of the NCAA Division 1 Council.

Steinbrecher has previously worked on the NCAA Football Oversight Committee and the NCAA Football Competition Committee, and currently serves on the NCAA Transfer Working Group, as well as the Developmental Model Council of USA Football.

Steinbrecher is the only commissioner in the NCAA’s first division to serve as a commissioner at all three levels of the first division, which includes the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Football Championship Subdivision and the rest of Division 1. Steinbrecher was previously the commissioner of the D-1 Summit Division (1994-2003) and the Ohio Valley Conference (2003-2009.)

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The significance and origins of #MACtion
  • Student-athlete mental health
  • Developing student-athlete leadership
  • Issues such as transfers and paying players
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 123: Heather Macy, Author of Two Feet Forward

Heather Macy is a college basketball coach and author of “Two Feet Forward”. She is also the founder of the non-profit Influence and Impacters.

Macy is a highly requested speaker at civic organizations, hospitals, schools, non-profit organizations, plus in private industry. During these presentations, topics like teamwork, accountability, and discipline to achieve success are explored. One of only 300 coaches in the country Macy received a Certification in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in 2016. She currently travels speaking to teams and organizations on how to use EQ to become an elite performer.

She has been a successful coach everywhere that she has been. She is the all-time winningest coach at NCAA Division I East Carolina University. She has coached at Spartanburg Methodist College, East Carolina University, Francis Marion University, Pfeiffer University, UMBC, High Point University, Lenoir-Rhyne College, and Catawba College. 

Heather Macy logo - hm in a circleMacy was the lone women’s basketball head coach invited to speak at the NIKE Championship Basketball Clinic in Las Vegas, Nev., in May 2015. The Las Vegas clinic is widely regarded as the largest college basketball clinic in the world. She spoke at the same clinics in Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas in 2011, while being chosen as a featured speaker at the 2008 South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association clinic in North Charleston, the 2009 Triad Coaches Clinic in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the NIKE Coaching Clinics in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Cleveland, Ohio and Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The process of writing her first book
  • Lessons learned as a college coach
  • Positively influencing student-athletes
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 122: Bob Vecchione, NACDA Executive Director

Bob Vecchione is the Executive Director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. NACDA is THE professional association for individuals working in college athletics. Nearly 16,000 individuals and 1,700 institutions belong to NACDA.

During his tenure, NACDA has initiated a multitude of programs that provide value-added benefits to the ever increasing membership. Programs such as the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, NCAA Football, the Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year Award, the NACDA Daily Review, the Disney Institute and the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) are examples of those value added membership benefits created under his tutelage. Vecchione was honored with the Tony Snow Award from the WWP in 2013.

Vecchione is also a member of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame National Board of Directors, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Board and is on the advisory Board of the College Sports Video Summit. He previously chaired the NCAA Football Youth Initiatives Committee.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What kind of impact NACDA has on athletic programs and student-athletes
  • How athletic directors can best lead
  • Advice for people wanting to become involved in college athletics
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 121: Kevin Eastman, Former NBA Coach & Executive

Kevin Eastman is a corporate speaker and an internationally-known basketball clinician who brings his knowledge and experience in sports to the business world. He speaks on various topics, including championship culture, teamwork, leadership, motivation and individual success.

Over his 40 years in the game, Kevin has coached basketball at all levels, including 13 years in the NBA. He was a top assistant to Doc Rivers with the 2008 NBA World Championship Boston Celtics, and most recently served as an assistant coach and Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kevin was raised in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and attended the University of Richmond, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He was a scholarship student-athlete at Richmond and in recognition of his unique qualities as a basketball player, the University created the Kevin Eastman Award. The award, which has been awarded just five times in program history, is given to a player who exemplifies the qualities of team leadership, dedication, and outstanding play. He was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at both Haddonfield Memorial High School and the University of Richmond.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What makes the best the best
  • The absolute most important word needed for success
  • How to be truthful and “keep it real” with team members
  • Being the best assistant or #2 possible
  • … and so much more!!!

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