The Servant Leader Coaches Bible Study

Chip Baker is a fourth generation educator. He has been a teacher/coach for over twenty four years. He is a multiple time best-selling Author, Youtuber/Podcaster, Transformational Speaker and Life Coach. He is the Greater Houston Area Ambassador for Hartwell University.
Chip Baker is the creator of the youtube channel/podcast “Chip Baker - The Success Chronicles" where he interviews people from all walks of life and shares their stories for positive inspiration and motivation.
Live. Learn. Serve. Inspire. Go get it!
Live. Learn. Serve. Inspire. Go get it!
Facebook, IG and Tik Tok @chipbakertsc
Twitter @chipbaker19

The first episode of 2024. Weekly Tip-Off Series...

Begin each week with a small "kick-off" devotional to set the tone.

NEW SERIES ALERT!!!

Begin each week with a small "kick-off" devotional to set the tone.

With a vast array of experience in the retail sales management accumulated throughout the last 15 years. William "Will Power" Hall has managed multiple one-million-dollar retail locations during his tenure in the sales. As a leader, he was able to achieve numerous awards for sales performance and creation of processes that improved employee turnover and inventory efficiency. During that time William managed and led over 200+ sales representatives and store managers to district recognition. William is known for galvanizing diverse teams to improve morale and the development of training programs which has 30+ promotions. 

   William has taken his years of experience in leading, managing and training millennials into practical applications and methods that help businesses GROW in 3 AREAS: Employee engagement, Employee retention and Profitability.   

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      Being known as the "Millennial Interpreter," a name coined by a prominent business coach, Summer Dey. William has also translated his life experiences and continued education in the field of human development to develop applicable life methodology and framework that he will guide you along as your standard of life begins to MANIFEST!!!

   William Hall is a Florida native. Raised by his parents, grandmother and three sisters whom helped to mold who he is today. Attended Godby High School in Tallahassee, FL where he was a tri-sport athlete and honors graduate. William was able to receive an academic and athletic scholarship to Savannah State University where he obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration with honors.

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   Being the first male in his family to achieve a college degree, William decided to continue his education at Jacksonville State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Masters of Science in Emergency Management. While attending Jacksonville State University he became the first member of his family to become a member of a Divine Nine organization, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity INC., as well as becoming a part of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society.

   His vision is to increase self economic empowerment, foundations of building generational wealth and promoting the power of love. William is an advocate of social responsibility and displays his passion for the social ecosystem by creating a yearly blanket drive in 2015 that takes place in the city of Atlanta named " Blankets in the Park." William has completed leadership and keynote training held by Les Brown, Eric Thomas, Grant Cardone, Peter Vargas, and Robert Kiyosaki. He was blessed with the honor of being a winner of the “The Great American Speak Off” - Atlanta. Currently, William resides in Atlanta, Ga with his wife, who is a devote educator and beautiful daughter and he serves as Associate Pastor of The Worship Center of Atlanta.  

Coach Chelsea speaks wih Coach Simmons as she takes the helm at the University of Memphis. We speak about her plans, her faith in God, Servant Leadership, and apply those principles to her assignment as Head Coach.

Two-time NCAA National Champion and Tennessee native Alex Simmons was named the head coach of the Memphis Tiger women’s basketball team on April 6, 2023 and became the 13th head coach in the program’s history.   

Simmons comes to Memphis after five seasons at the helm of Gardner-Webb where she led the team to a 90-59 record including a 29-5 mark this past season. The Runnin’ Bulldogs broke multiple program, school and Big South records with their 29 victories and a 21-game win streak that included a perfect 18-0 record in conference play. GWU captured the regular season and championship titles for the program’s first trip to the Big Dance since the 2010-11 season. 

Simmons, who was named as the Big South Coach of the Year, saw four of her five starters earn All-Big South honors in 2022-23, while Jhesskya Williams became just the third player in Gardner-Webb history to surpass 2,000 career points, finishing as the program’s second all-time leading scorer with 2,049 points.  

Simmons’ basketball roots run deep to one of the most respected programs in the game. She played collegiately at the University of Tennessee under basketball Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt from 2004-2009, helping the Lady Vols win back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2007 and 2008.  

Simmons was a member of three Final Four squads (2005, 2007, 2008) and another Elite Eight team (2006) while serving as a team captain and was also the Lady Vols representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).  

During the 2021-22 season, Simmons steered the Dogs to an overall record of 11-13 and 10-7 in the Big South. Under Simmons, Alasia Smith was named the Big South Freshman of the Year after the five-time Freshman of the Week averaged 11.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG and led the conference with 4.0 offensive rebounds per game.  

Simmons led the Runnin’ Bulldogs to an 18-11 overall record and 13-7 in Big South Conference play in 2019-20, finishing fifth in the league standings. GWU ended the season on a hot streak, winning four-straight games and seven of their last eight matchups before play was halted prior to the Big South tournament.  

Under Simmons, Carley Plentovich earned a handful of accolades during the 2019-20 season, including All-Big South honors, as well as a Big South Player of the Week award. She also became the program’s 24th 1,000-point scorer, the first under Simmons, and was named to the Big South’s All-Academic team.  

In her first season in Boiling Springs, Simmons led Gardner-Webb to a 16-15 record and 10-8 Big South mark in 2018-19 with a fifth-place finish. Two players - Plentovich and Williams – would earn All-Big South honors.  

Simmons took over the Runnin’ Bulldogs in April 2018 after assistant coaching stints at Ole Miss (2013-2018) and Middle Tennessee State (2010-2013). She also served as a graduate assistant coach at Kansas (2009-2010).    

Prior to her time at Ole Miss, Simmons served as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State, helping the Blue Raiders to three NCAA Tournament appearances during her time on the bench. Her work with the team’s post players produced an honorable-mention All-America selection and in the 2011-2012 season saw the Blue Raiders grab the most rebounds since 1983.  

Also a Street & Smith’s All-America Honorable Mention selection in 2001 and 2002, Simmons helped the Golden Eaglettes to Tennessee State Championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004. She was a three-time All-State selection, four-time All-District choice and was named as the Mid-State Player of the Year in 2003.  

She graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2008 with a degree in exercise science. Simmons and her husband, Christian, have two daughters – Carsyn and Channing. 

Coach Chelsea speaks with Coach Rouse on Servant Leadership and what it means to serve for the return of Christ.

As the head coach of women’s basketball and surf, Kyle is entering his 18th year as a basketball coach and 2nd year with Westcliff University. He enters his first year as a surf coach and is in the inaugural season with the Westcliff University surf team.

Kyle played high school basketball at Murrieta Valley High School where he won 2 coaches awards and a playoff berth his senior year. He began his coaching career at Murrieta Valley High School with his coaching mentor Steve Tarabilda. He coached there for 5 years in the boy’s program before continuing to Murrieta Mesa High School where he coached the boys' program for two years then switched over to the girls' program for another 6 years where his team made the CIF playoffs 5 out of the 6 seasons and setting multiple school records. His last high school season before coming to Westcliff was at Temecula Valley High School where he turned around a struggling program to a winning record and a narrow miss of the CIF playoffs. Coach Rouse also was selected by the WBCA to speak at the Final Four in 2017 as a guest speaker and has served as a mentor coach for 2 years. 

Kyle understands the value of community within his leadership and believes positive community involvement is a part of his coaching role. He has joined with Special Olympics, the American Cancer Society, and other community programs in his years as a coach. He believes involving his student-athletes in the community helps them understand the big picture. He also is a board member for the Rick Gabrielson Memorial Scholarship Foundation which allows high school student-athletes to receive scholarships to go to college. 

Kyle has been married to his wonderful wife Katie for 9 years and they have 2 daughters. 

Charles Utter became a victim of corrupted authority when his own girlfriend was victimized by their ‘devout’ leader.

In his chilling story about a small-town Catholic priest who was a con artist, fraudulent investor, and serial sex abuser, Charles courageously holds nothing back. She was one of possibly hundreds that were damaged by this religiously disguised master manipulator who used his power and position to engage in fraudulent business activities with the father of a US president while blackmailing his bishop to gain protection. He managed to acquire 12 hotels while he pretended to be living on his modest clerical salary. There he took advantage of women many of whom were vulnerable followers.

In his jaw-dropping book Roman Collar Crime - The Transgressions of a Small-Town Priest, Charles exposes the dirty secrets of the product of the most powerful institution on the planet and the reason we need to radically change its leadership landscape.

Charles is on a mission to influence a healthy redistribution of power that encourages a more transparent and collaborative faith environment.

Charles A. Utter holds a bachelor’s degree in history from St. John’s University. He spent seven years teaching and coaching at the high school level before beginning a career in finance that would span nearly four decades.

Utter currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Phyllis.

Kyle Adams is the Deputy Director of Athletics post for the Hornets.
Under the position, Adams is tasked with providing leadership on student-athlete welfare, risk management; NCAA, conference and Title IX compliance, in addition to recruiting, student-athlete and community engagement, among other things.
Adams most recently served as Principal and Chief Strategist of  itsBIGGERthantheball, LLC, a leadership development entity that helps equip coaches, educators, and organizations with the necessary resources, dexterity, and awareness in providing transformative learning experiences for the next generation of leaders.

Through itsBIGGERthantheball, he has provided consulting and facilitated team-building workshops multiple colleges, including Maryland Eastern Shore, College of Charleston, University of Delaware,  Lincoln University of Pennsylvania and East Stroudsburg University, among others.  
Adams has also worked in conjunction with Georgia Southern University Coaching Education, University of Washington's Center for Leadership in Athletics -Master of Education in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership (IAL) program, and the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University.
Adams brings more than two decades of coaching and higher education student development experience, most recently serving as Head Girls' Basketball Coach at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pa., , Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, as well as Delaware State University and North Carolina Central University.

He has also served as Head Women's Basketball Coach at his alma mater, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
Adams also has extensive experience in student diversity and advocacy while serving as Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at the University of Rio Grande to his new position.

In March of 2022, he spearheaded and hosted an alumni event entitled HERstory Cannot Be Erased: The Celebration of the 1982 Cheyney State Lady Wolves and their historic run as the FIRST and ONLY HBCU to compete for the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship game. The event attracted over 200 people, including alums, politicians, stakeholders, and community partners

In 2015, Adams was distinguished as one of the 30 Head Coaches across the country to participate in the Center for Coaching Excellence on the campus of Columbia University by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) selected Adams to participate in the ACE (Achieving Coaching Excellence) leadership development program at NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2014.

Adams has experience conducting basketball clinics internationally, working with Bahamas Elite Basketball Clinic, Nassau, Bahamas and Southwest Summit Clinic, and Educational Workshop, Ontario, Canada. He served as a skill development trainer for the Disney biopic Rise, based on the real-life experiences of NBA champion and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family.
He recently published his first book, Discarding the Mask: The Soul Sacrifices of a Coach, and hosts the itsBIGGERthantheball podcast with Coach Kyle Adams.
Adams graduated from Cheyney University with a B.A. in Psychology and holds a M.Ed. in Athletic Coaching and Leadership from the University of Rio Grande.
He is a life member of the Cheyney University National Alumni Association, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and the Epsilon Pi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated.

Coach Chelsea Speaks with Coach Stephanie Murphy in the 3rd Anniversary of the Podcast.

Stephanie Murphy begins her first season as an assistant coach at Troy in the 2022-23 season following five seasons as the head coach at Coahoma Community College. 
 
Murphy, the 2022 Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference Coach of the Year, led Coahoma to a 48-10 record during her final three seasons, including a 21-7 mark during the 2021-22 campaign. The Tigers advanced to the MACCC Championship Game and the NJCAA Region 23 semifinals that season.
 
The year prior, Coahoma finished the season as MACCC Co-State Champions, MACCC's North Division champions and Region 23 runners-up in a season that featured a 14-game winning streak.
 
In the 2021-22 season, the Coahoma program tallied four student-athletes on the NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, with one on the NJCAA All-Academic First Team.
 
Prior to arriving at Coahoma, Murphy coached for seven years at Brandon (Miss.) High School, five years as the head coach at Tupelo (Miss.) High School and two years as the head coach at Meridian (Miss.) High School. She led each school to the state tournament and Super Ten rankings.
 
Murphy experienced great success at the high school level, comprising an overall record of 326-124 (.724).  She reached the state tournament five times, finishing as a three-time state runner-up. She has also won six district championships, a South State Championship and was named Daily Journal's Coach of The Year in 2007.
 
She played college basketball at Ole Miss, where she earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2000 and her master's degree in higher education with an emphasis in student personnel in 2002.
During her time at Ole Miss, she was an Arthur Ashe, Jr. Leadership Award recipient, NCAA Leadership Conference participant and an SEC All-Academic Team member.

Mitch Mason serves as the FCA Football Chaplain at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is responsible for the spiritual and character development of the team.  Before arriving in Chapel Hill, Mitch was the Associate Pastor of FreeWay Church in Clemson, SC. He was a Campus Minister at Clemson University and served as a mentor with Clemson Football in the TigerHood program. He received his biblical education at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Masters in Theological Studies. He is an ordained Reverend and previously served as a telephone crisis counselor and suicide prevention counselor at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay where he also worked with Sexual Assault Services. From 1993-1996, Mitch was a four year starter at cornerback for Missouri Western State University where he became a two-time All American that held the school record for interceptions (16) upon graduation. After attending some NFL Free Agent camps, Mitch finished his football career in the Arena League. He later coached Arena Football and also coached at Army in West Point, NY in 2009. In 2014, Mitch was inducted into the Missouri Western State University Hall of Fame. A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Mitch attended Suncoast Community High School. He and his wife Chondra have been married for 21 years and have two teenagers: Sydney and Riley.

The Servant Leader Coaches Bible Study is celebrating and thanking God for 3 years!! We present a series with the theme: "The 4th Quarter: How to Serve for the Return of Christ." We will be joined by various Servant Leaders.

Dennis Mculty is no stranger to the podcast. He is the Pastor of Lighthouse Family Worship Center and the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Timothy Christian School in New Jersey.

Brenita Jackson enters her second year (2022-23) as head coach of the women’s basketball program and 7th season overall as a head coach at the college level coaching alongside her husband Kevin Jackson.  In just her first season at the helm of the Lady Ram's program, Jackson holds the third best record in program history 25-7 and holds the highest win percentage .781 of any coach in the history of women's basketball at Texas Wesleyan.  The Lady Rams qualified for the national tournament for only the third time in program history ending their historic season in Sioux Falls, Iowa to St. Francis University. 
Jackson was named the 2021-2022 John Hudson Coach of the Year after reviving the program that only won 1 game that she inherited to a 25-win season.  This 24 win improvement in just one year is the best turnaround in the program's history.  The team was lead by junior transfer Kertisa Amos who was named First Team all Sooner Athletic Conference, New Comer of the Year and on the All-Defensive Team.  The team was also propelled by the play of Freshman of the Year, Zarria Carter, and All Conference Honorable Mention, Makayla Coy.  Both Carter and Amos were awarded Player of the Week Awards in the Sooner Athletic Conference during the historic season.  
Turning around losing programs is something Kevin and Brenita Jackson have done at three different college programs in their coaching careers and have worked tirelessly to maintain an overall graduation rate of 100% of all student-athletes.  The husband and wife team believe in building the whole person and developing the student and the athlete for success in the classroom, on the court and in life.
 
Prior to coming to Texas Wesleyan, Brenita spent a season at Little Elm High School where she served as an assistant coach for a year. She has also spent the last 8 years building KBJ Academy with her husband Kevin Jackson to offer consulting, basketball skills training, camps and team building retreats across the country. 
 Jackson is from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from Cedar Hill High School in 2003. She went on to play two years at Lon Morris College where she led the team from last place, to a Region 14 Conference Champion Runner-Up finish in 2005. She was voted to the All-Conference and All-Academic team and signed to play at NCAA Division I Southeastern Louisiana University in the Southland Conference. While at Southeastern, she led the Lions from last place in the conference to an East Division Conference Championship in 2007 while also garnering All-Conference, All-Academic and All-Louisiana honors. While at Southeastern, she met her now husband - Kevin Jackson who would later join her on the coaching journey making history together at various stops. After graduating from Southeastern with her Bachelor’s in Business Management, Brenita went on to play professionally in Aarhus, Denmark where she began coaching her team to an undefeated season.
 Brenita returned to her alma mater in the fall of 2008 to become an assistant coach at Lon Morris College. In 2010, she was promoted to the head coaching position and made history with Kevin Jackson in their first two years. The pair broke the school record for the most wins in a season finishing 19-12, while also finishing runner-up in the Region 14 Championship. Brenita and Kevin recruited and coached two All-Americans, six All-Conference winners, four All-Academic winners and one Freshman of the Year. They also obtained a 100% graduation rate of all sophomores and the team GPA was ranked No. 5 in the nation, with an average GPA of 3.5.

Coach Chelsea speaks with Christopher clark about his faith walk, Coaching, Humility, and his testimony. 

Cameron O’Neal is a recruiting analyst for running backs. O’Neal has made stops at Henderson State where he was secondary coach and NFL liaison. Prior to that he was the defensive pass game coordinator at Birmingham Southern College. O’Neal, played safety at Southern Miss from 2007-11 and graduated with his Bachelor degree in Mass Communication. He served as a graduate assistant at University of North Carolina for four-years and earned a second degree, this one in Sociology.

O’Neal went on to coach the secondary at Saraland High School in Alabama before moving into the small college coaching ranks.

David Zechman’s leadership experience is not confined to one

field. Recognized as a Life Fellow in the American College of

Healthcare Executives, Zechman’s 39-year career in healthcare

that started as a respiratory therapist led him to serving as a successful hospital CEO and then

to the founding of The Zechman Group, an award-winning consulting group that offers support

for hospital leadership. Currently, he serves as an active member for both healthcare and

non-healthcare not-for-profit boards. Driven by Compassion is his debut book.

Bubba Jenkins is an American mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler. He currently competes in the featherweight division of Professional Fighters League. He has also notably competed for Bellator MMA, Absolute Championship Berkut and Brave Combat Federation, where he was a former champion. As an amateur wrestler, Jenkins was a freestyle junior World Champion and an NCAA Division I champion.

Coach Chelsea speaks with Pastor and Coach Dennis McNulty in a special Revival Night Series on Spiritual Gifts. 

Coach Chelsea speaks with Robert Knotts, Jr. in a special Revival Night Series on Spiritual Gifts. 

Coach Chelsea speaks with Ashton Hopp about her journey with mental health, and shares her testimony of how God stepped in right on time. 

Ashton was added to the Ole Miss Women's Basketball Staff for the 2022-23 season as a graduate manager.

A former student manager for the Kansas men’s basketball program, Hopp spent two seasons with the Jayhawk program. Hopp helped with all food operations during the 2020-21 season and was solely responsible with dinner operations for the team. She assisted with various other tasks including practices, game day operations as well as equipment and gear.

Hopp graduated from KU in 2021 with a degree in sport management and a minor in business.

Bryan Aycoth is a former Collegiate Football Player and Track and Field Hall of Famer at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Aycoth, a West Rowan graduate, was a three-time CIAA javelin champion and was Livingstone’s 2010 Male Athlete of the Year.

Bryan is the creator of Eternally Equipped, a Christian Clothing Line that promotes the love of Jesus. 

He still holds the CIAA record in the javelin.

To purchase your apparel visit:  https://www.eternallyequipped.com/copy-of-prayer

Use Promo Code: "SERVANTLEADER" for 30% off 

Glen is a former junior college men’s and women’s basketball coach, and he has worked with Lineage of Champions, a local youth sports event hosting company, for several years. Glen talks with us about junior college basketball, the upcoming (football) CSRA All-Star Bowl Week (December 13-18), the recent (basketball) LOC Select 60 Showcase, the social media coverage of high school football and basketball from the Independent Hoops and Lineage of Champions accounts, and the nationally prominent AAU tournaments and circuits that LOC hosts, like the Ice Breaker, the Peach State Invitational and the NYBL.

Coretta Brown is the Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Eastern Kentucky University. 

Brown comes from Georgia Southern University where she was an assistant coach since the 2019-20 season. During her time at GSU, she collaborated with the head coach on player development, recruitment, and discipline. Brown coached the guards and the offense while serving as the assistant recruiting coordinator, the director of basketball operations supervisor, equipment liaison, alumni relations contact, and the camp coordinator.

Brown reviewed the game film and provided statistical reports for game operations, developed new drills for training that covered dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, offense, and rebounding techniques.

Brown was drafted 11th overall by the San Antonio Silver Stars in the 2003 WNBA Draft before getting traded to the Indiana Fever where she played for three seasons. She played her final two years with the Chicago Sky in their inaugural season. Brown traveled internationally during the WNBA off-season and competed in FIBA World Championship Tournament in Russia for team USA.

Before her time at Georgia Southern Brown was an assistant at the University of West Alabama from 2017 to 2019.  She managed all aspects of coaching, floor offense and defense and player development. She led the team recruiting program, identified prospects, coordinated home visits and evaluations, and tracked recruiting data. Brown developed scout plans for all games.  She also assisted with scheduling 30+ teams for all age group basketball camps/tournaments and provided financial management.

Brown launched a new program when she became the first head coach at Thomas University from 2012 to 2017. During her time at Thomas, she managed all aspects of the program from scheduling all practices and games, communicating with referees, and coordinating uniform and equipment procurement. Brown oversaw player development, managed assistant coaches, site management, and facility maintenance, reviewed game and practice tapes, and developed game plans.

Brown coached four all-conference players, one freshman of the year, one academic all-conference, two Daktronic-NAIA Scholar-Athletes and one honorable mention All-American.

She has had stops at Tennessee Tech (2009-12), Georgia High School Athletics Association (2008-09), Georgia Tech (2006-08) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (2005-06).

Brown graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2003 where she received a bachelor of arts degree in African American Studies with a minor in English. She holds the UNC record in three-point shots made (251), which ranks third in ACC history.

Coach Chelsea speaks to Janese Constantine, Assistant Women's Basketball Coach for the University of Alabama. 

Coach Chelsea speaks with Landon Bussie, Head Men's Basketball Coach at Alcorn State University. 

Coach Chelsea speaks with Caitlyn Benedik on Faith, Sports, and Servant Leadership. Benedik is the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Salisbury University. 

Coach Chelsea speaks with Jeri Porter on her faith and love for God and Servant Leadership. 

Porter was named to the position on May 11, 2015, and made an immediate impact.  Inheriting a squad that lost 20 games the year before and was picked to finish next to last according to the pre-season Peach Belt Conference coaches' poll, she directed the Patriots to a 24-9 record, a No.23 national rankings, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.  That squad produced one All-Conference performer and one PBC All-Academic Team selection.

During her second year, FMU went 18-12 and placed second in the Peach Belt Conference's East Division.  The Patriots advanced to the PBC Tournament semifinals, one player earned All-Conference honors, and one garnered Academic All-Conference recognition.  In 2017-18, the Patriots posted a 16-12 mark and saw two players earn All-Conference honors and one pick up All-Region and All-America accolades. In 2018-19, FMU went 12-15 with one player gaining All-Conference and All-Region honors, and during the 2019-20 season the Patriots were 14-13 and featured a pair of All-PBC performers.

Altogether, Porter has 21 years experience as a collegiate head coach – 11 at the NCAA Division I level and 10 at the Division II level – and has recorded a 294-300 career mark. 

She came to Florence after spending the 2014-15 season at Georgia State University as an assistant on the Panthers’ staff.

Porter’s first head coaching position was at Division II University of North Alabama, where she posted three winning marks in four seasons, including a 21-7 record in 1999-2000. That squad captured the Gulf South Conference East Division title, while Porter garnered conference Coach of the Year recognition.

She was named the head coach at Radford in 2002 and led the Highlanders to 93 wins in six seasons, including a pair of 20-win campaigns and two second-place finishes in the Big South Conference. Her 2007-08 squad was 23-12 and earned a WNIT invitation.

In 2008, she accepted the head coaching position at George Mason University, where she remained until 2013.  Porter increased the Patriots’ win total over her first four seasons (from four to 15 wins).  During her time in Fairfax, she also created and directed the Jeri Porter Girls’ Basketball Camps.  Her final two squads posted a cumulative team grade point average of 3.09.

Porter is a 1991 graduate of Liberty University, where she earned a B.S. degree in psychology. She garnered first-team All-Big South Conference honors as a senior and was twice named her squad’s most valuable player. She was inducted into the university’s Lady Flames Hall of Fame in 1998.

She began her coaching career at her alma mater serving as an assistant coach for six seasons, during which time the Lady Flames won two conference tournament championships and advanced to the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Tournaments.

She married Michael Porter of Manassas, Va., in 1997 and the couple has a son (EJ, age 20) and a daughter (Jada, 11). Her son plays basketball at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Porter is the 13th head coach in the storied history of the Francis Marion program.

The Francis Marion program has an all-time record of 897-499 in 48 seasons and ranks 12th among all NCAA Division II institutions in total wins.  The Patriots have captured two national championships, the 1982 AIAW Division II title and the 1986 NAIA title, and also advanced to the 1998 NCAA Division II Final Four.  The program made five straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances between 1997 and 2001, and four consecutive appearances between 2008 and 2011.

Coach Chelsea speaks with Pastor Randy Barr, Sr. about Servant Leadership and the Whole Armor of God!

In a world filled with pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness, author Britt Gusmus had many hard lessons to learn. Lessons that continue every day. When a mirror was placed in front of him that reflected love, purity, honesty, strength, and compassion, he had two choices:

1. He could turn and run.
2. He could walk toward that light every day, one step at a time.

He chose to walk toward the light. And he began by asking questions.
Had my upbringing led me astray?
What if I changed my movement patterns based on the essentials to survive?
What if my movement patterns were endless?
What if the source of my strength is rooted in eternal inspiration that satisfies my instincts and human desire?

Coach Chelsea speaks with Britt Gusmus about Faith, Sports, and Servant Leadership. 

Cori Close is the Head Women's Basketball Coach for UCLA. She is  UC Santa Barbara (1993) Alumna, where she was the Four-year starting point guard at UCSB and Captained the 1992 and 1993 teams which each advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She was the first player in UCSB history to record more than 1,000 points and 500 assists for a career.

Here career: 

• Coaching history: Associate Head Coach - Florida State (2004-2011), Assistant Coach at UC Santa Barbara for nine seasons serving as the Associate Head Coach for the last three (2001-2004)
• Coached in 15 consecutive NCAA basketball tournaments
• Coached 13 WNBA players and numerous other professional international athletes
• All-time coaching record of 426-147

Coach Close speaks with Coach Chelsea on The Whole Armor of God and being a Servant Leader. 

In the Whole Armor of God Series, Coach Chelsea Speaks with Monique A. J. Smith on "Clearing the Cache."

Monique A.J. Smith, is a Leadership Strategist that guides Athletics Departments/Sport Organizations and Individuals who wish to advance in Athletics Administration/Sports Business or the Marketplace. Smith, a Sports Management veteran of 30 plus years, owns a consulting business Seeds of Empowerment ® LLC, where she consults in three ways 1. University workshops & retreats, 2. “Advance Academy Mastermind” Monthly Membership Program 3. Executive One-on-One Coaching 4. “Significance in Athletics and Sports” magazine. She is Adjunct Faculty at Hampton University teaching Sports Management Courses. She is most known for her 8 seasons as the host of the internationally recognized weekly podcast "A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith”, that spotlights Women of Color in Athletics/Sports to her 2K Followers.

An Higher Education veteran of over 30 years, she launched her consulting business Seeds of Empowerment ® LLC full-time March 2013. Smith has been conducting workshops for youth, women, educational and corporate organizations as well as senior citizens since 2005. The B.O.S.S. Network has listed Seeds of Empowerment® as one of 50 businesses to watch.

Smith time in Collegiate Athletics includes a 13 year tenure as athletic conference executive for the historic Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). She also served in various athletic administrative roles on the campuses of Saint Paul’s College and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore within a ten year period. Smith was a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Old Dominion University in Norfolk teaching Sports Management courses.

With the understanding that knowledge is the key to success, Smith customizes her presentations to provide clients with leadership tools to prepare them to make informed decisions. Monique has dedicated her life to marketing the success of others, developing opportunities for the underrepresented and influencing decision makers to embrace diversity and inclusion. These actions have led to extraordinary opportunities to facilitate change and see strives in the development of others.

Smith is a native of Waverly, Virginia and resides in Hampton, Virginia with her husband and Hampton University college sweetheart, Thomas Smith III.

To celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the Podcast, we continue studying "The Whole Armor of God ." Ephesians 6:11-18.

In this episode we speak with Dr. Benny Bolden, Jr. Principal at Nims Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida. 

To Celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the Podcast, we study "The Whole Armor of God." Ephesians 6:11-18

In this episode, we hear from Servant Leader Dennis McNulty, Pastor of Lighthouse Family Worship Center and Basketball Coach.

On this episode, we celebrate and chat with Brooke Wyckoff just days after being named the new Head Coach of Florida State Women's Basketball. 

Wyckoff, who is one of the finest players in Seminole history and a 2001 All-American, has been a member of the coaching staff for the past 11 seasons and served as the Noles’ interim head coach during the 2020-21 season.

Wyckoff was selected by the Orlando Miracle in the second round of the WNBA Draft. She spent two seasons in Orlando before the team moved to Connecticut where she played another three seasons with the Sun. She was then selected by the Chicago Sky in the 2006 WNBA Expansion draft and played for that franchise until 2009. During her nine-year WNBA career, Wyckoff appeared in 242 games.

Wyckoff has one daughter, Avery. She is also a founding member of Moms in Coaching, a group of mothers who coach basketball that meet every year at the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Lees most recently worked at Texas State University as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bobcats. She was an integral part of recruiting high school and junior college student-athletes.  She was in charge of guard development and assisted with scouting. In the 2016-17 season Lees helped the team to a post season appearance and worked with Taeler Deer who earned Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.

During the 2015-16 season the Bobcats set a record for made 3-point field goals with 232. Under the guidance of Lees, Taeler Deer was named both College Sports Madness National Mid-Major Player of the Week and Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week.

Before Texas State, she was the head coach at Clarendon College from 2014-15 where her team earned several key victories including wins against South Plains College and No.4-ranked and defending conference champion New Mexico Junior College for the first time in program history.

Lees coached two all-conference players while at Clarendon and her team also earned NJCAA Academic Honorable Mention honors in 2015.

Prior to her stint at Clarendon, Lees was an associate head coach under Earl Diddle at Howard College from 2012-14. Her coaching career began at Eastern New Mexico University in 2009 where she was a graduate assistant coach until 2011.

As a point guard, Lees had an outstanding career in both high school and college. Starting with a pair of state championships and a state runner-up at Plainview High School to back-to-back regional appearances at Midland College in 2005 and 2006.

Lees concluded her playing days at the University of Arkansas at Monticello where she led the team to a conference tournament championship appearance as well as an appearance in the regional semifinal in 2009.

She scored a career best 20 points against Northwestern State University as a Cotton Blossom.Lees, originally from Plainview (Texas), graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2009 from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a master’s degree from Eastern New Mexico in 2011.

Coach Chelsea speaks with Stephanie Williams about how she exudes the attributes of a Proverbs 31 Woman in her recent post as Head Coach at Bossier Parrish Community College. 

In the Proverbs 31 Women in Leadership Series, Coach Chelsea speaks with Portia Hoeg of the Centennial Conference. There is even a guest co-host that makes an appearance. 

Portia Hoeg became just the second full-time Executive Director in the 26-year history of the Conference on April 15, 2019.

Hoeg is one of 18 female conference commissioners in NCAA Division III athletics and the first African-American woman to ascend to the commissioner’s chair at the Division III level. Throughout all NCAA divisions, she is one of two African-American women and five total African-Americans at the position.

A veteran in Division III athletics with more than 15 years of experience in the field, Hoeg has worked in a variety of capacities while rising the administrative ranks at four different institutions. She joins the Centennial after most recently serving as the Executive Director of Athletics at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. and the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.

Hoeg also boasts a lengthy list of NCAA committee and professional association experience throughout her career, including stints on the Division III Management Council (Vice Chair in 2014), the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) executive board, the Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee, and the NCAA National Leadership Selection Committee (Chair in 2010).

In her six years at Allegheny, Hoeg oversaw 23 varsity sports, clubs, and recreational programs, in addition to serving on the Allegheny Administrative Executive Committee (AEC), which consisted of the president’s leadership team. She oversaw the enhancement of multiple facilities on the college's campus, including complete renovations of the athletic training center, weight room, and the football locker room. She also provided the strategic leadership and plan to add two new sports to the school’s offerings: men’s lacrosse and field hockey, including staffing, budgets, facility additions and upgrades.

Prior to joining Allegheny, Hoeg was the Associate Athletic Director at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill., from 2008 to 2012, and the Assistant Athletic Director at the college from 2005 to 2008. She also served as the Interim Assistant Director of Athletics at Vassar College from 2004 to 2005.

Hoeg received her bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, before earning her master's in business administration from North Park University in Chicago, Ill.

At the beginning of September 2021, Montreat athletics announced that Krys Burnett was hired as the assistant coach for the women’s basketball program. She has now been named the Interim Head Coach for the Program.

Burnett came to the Cavalier family following three years as the head varsity girls’ basketball coach at Clark Montessori High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. While with the Cougars in her hometown, Burnett led the team to its furthest post-season run in school history. In her first year at Clark Montessori, Burnett collected the MVC Conference Coach of the Year award.

The Cincinnati native assisted her community over the course of her time in the area by also helping inner-city youth. Burnett spent time as an associate program director and coach for Phenomenal Youth, an inner-city AAU program in Cincy, where she developed elite teams during the offseason. In 2020 and 2021, athletes received basketball scholarships to play at the next level across several divisions.

Prior to her coaching experience, Burnett played basketball for Clermont College from 2003-2005.

Burnett graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2008 where she obtained a degree in communications. As Burnett continued her educational studies, she earned her masters in multi-cultural special education from Mount St. Joseph University in 2016.

Coach Chelsea speaks with Rachel Baribeau about how she exudes the attributes of a Proverbs 31 Woman in her initiative #ImChangingTheNarrative

Rachel developed #ImChangingtheNarrative with student-athletes in mind and a belief that one crooked course made straight is everything. One misstep not taken means one less victim in the world. And one less life thrown away because of a split-second bad decision.

At Rachel’s first visit sometimes they’re skeptical when the petite Latina woman is introduced, but in just 60 minutes she wins them over. She now speaks to athletes, law enforcement, churches, and corporations about taking back the headlines for good – showing them that they have the power to change the narrative and to find their purpose in life outside of their sport and everyday lives.
To live lives of…

Just like her inspiration, Alabama and NFL star Kevin Turner did before he succumbed to ALS and CTE.

When she’s finished, they wait in line to speak to her. They tweet, private message, and text her. They trust her and report back on their efforts to become the kings and queens she consistently challenges them. While the message originated as purpose, passion, platform, over four-plus years and 40 campuses, it now encompasses, heavily, mental health, being a KING/QUEEN every day of your life, and interpersonal relationships, as Rachel was a victim of domestic violence herself.

When she's not scaling the world's tallest freestanding mountain to raise money for ALS or speaking from a stage or computer near you, she enjoys working one-on-one to help others find their own personal #ImChangingtheNarrative, and reclaim their God-given JOY!

Coach Chelsea speak to Tiffany Greene about how she exhibits the attributes of a Proverbs 31 Woman in Leadership while in her role with ESPN. 

Bio: Tiffany Greene is a play-by-play commentator for ESPN, covering a variety of collegiate sports including basketball, football, softball and volleyball. She is the first African-American woman to serve as a play-by-play commentator for college football on ESPN.

Greene has called a number of postseason games including the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament, NCAA Softball Regional and Super Regionals, as well as NCAA Volleyball Regionals.

Greene originally began working with ESPN as a college football sideline reporter in 2012.  She has since worked on the Women’s College World Series, Air Force Reserve Bowl on ABC and multiple bowl games.

Prior to ESPN, Greene honed her skills as a play-by-play announcer and sports reporter at Bright House Sports Network in the Orlando and Tampa Bay markets.  During that time, she was the play-by-play announcer for inaugural season of BIG EAST women’s basketball on Fox Sports 1.

Greene is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Links Incorporated and the National Association of Black Journalists.  She began her on-air career in 2004 as a one-man band reporter at WJCL/WTGS, and later, WTOC, in Savannah, Ga.

Greene earned her Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the Florida A&M University. She serves as the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication Board of Visitors co-chair.

Braxton Byerson is a quintessential professional speaker, published author,  and leadership specialist who is early in his quest to motivational mastery.  Ardently known as "Brax B", he strives to earn his place as a prolific performer at events and conferences worldwide delivering intensive content on strategies that have an immediate impact.

Since 1997, Braxton has served as a leader in many capacities as a player, coach, teacher, and mentor. Braxton assists individuals in achieving their maximum potential of character and leadership in their academics, sports, extracurricular activities, and  everyday lives. Concluding his professional basketball career in 2014, Braxton started coaching and substitute teaching at the middle school level, which eventually elevated to the high school level.   Looking for a change in careers, Braxton decided to go back into the corporate world and pursue marketing.  Being denied after filling out 40 job applications, Braxton took measures into his own hands and went ALL IN; organizing two businesses: Brax B Speaks, LLC (a life coaching/consulting/speaking business) and B7 Marketing (a digital marketing/social media marketing firm).  Braxton has the opportunity to travel and work with various schools across the country highlighting Leadership Habits That Build Character and helping them understand the importance of Academic Achievement.   

After publishing his book Stay On The Tracks: The Journey of Patience & Perseverance in 2019, he has been invited to be the keynote speaker for Young Living Essential Oils in commemoration of their 25th anniversary in Chester, VA.  Since that day, he knew that he wanted to continue to inspire and empower audiences around the nation;  which landed him a number of other speaking engagements for educational events, student leadership conferences, and sports teams and camps. Braxton's strong skill as an experienced educator, coach, and facilitator advances him to teach youth audiences around the country.  Braxton is on the quest to reach 1 million students with his message while empowering them to achieve in school & life.   The techniques, applications, strategies, and approaches he teaches through his speaking help to acquire the necessary lifestyle skills to be successful and competitive in today's environment at any level.  Learning and growing as a confident individual, Braxton knows for a fact that two things are important in life: PATIENCE & PERSEVERANCE.

With the many obligations and responsibilities Braxton has, he enjoys sharing his life with his beautiful wife, Christina and 3 handsome boys, Braxton, Christian, & Declan.  Braxton knows all about having patience and perseverance.  Not everyday is perfect and  making the best of each day is the key to learn important lessons throughout life to become stronger.