Basketball and Life: with Coach Jon Cook
By Jon Cook
Basketball and Life: with Coach Jon CookOct 16, 2023
Episode 98: Andy Moore - Head Coach - Reynoldsburg High School (Ohio)
Andy Moore spent 25 years as an assistant basketball coach in the college ranks including stints at the United States Air Force Academy, and in both the Mid-American Conference and the Big Ten. He is beginning his fourth season as the head coach Reynoldsburg High School in central Ohio.
After playing for his father at Mt.Vernon High School, Andy had a stellar playing career at Division III Muskingum College for legendary head coach Jim Burson. His career in college coaching began at Kenyon College as an assistant to Bill Brown in the early 1990’s, and continued through the pandemic in 2020. Andy’s journey in high school coaching may have been unexpected, but his success should not be. Please enjoy my conversation about Basketball and Life with Coach Andy Moore of Reynoldburg High School.
Andy Moore spent 25 years as an assistant basketball coach in the college ranks including stints at the United States Air Force Academy, and in both the Mid-American Conference and the Big Ten. He is beginning his fourth season as the head coach Reynoldsburg High School in central Ohio.
After playing for his father at Mt. Vernon High School, Andy had a stellar playing career at Division III Muskingum College for legendary head coach Jim Burson. His career in college coaching began at Kenyon College as an assistant to Bill Brown in the early 1990’s, and continued through the pandemic in 2020. Andy’s journey in high school coaching may have been unexpected, but his success should not be.
Episode 97: Brook Cupps - Head Coach Centerville High School
Brook Cupps first joined the podcast in the fall of 2020 on Episode 72. Since that conversation Coach Cupps has seen his team at Centerville win a state championship and make 3 consecutive trips to the state Final Four in Ohio's big school division. He has also seen his son be named Ohio's Mr. Basketball and accept a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University. Did I mention that he has also published a book, Surrender the Outcome, co-authored a 2nd book, The Score That Matters, and he remains the head coach of one of the most respected high school programs in the country. Enjoy my conversation about Basketball and Life with Brook Cupps of Centerville High School.
Episode 96: Cody Hartzler - Assistant Coach - Baldwin Wallace University Women's Basketball
Episode 95: Jon Tropf - Assistant Basketball Coach - Ohio Northern University
Episode 94: Nick Sales - Head Basketball Coach - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Episode 93: Michele Durand - Head Women's Basketball Coach - University of Findlay
Episode 78: Basketball & Life - Introduction
Episode 92: Keith Utendorf - Head Basketball Coach - Ottoville High School (Ottoville, Ohio)
Episode 91: Quincey Simpson - Head Basketball Coach Lima Senior High School (Lima, Ohio)
Episode 90: Bob Ghiloni - Head Basketball Coach Grandview Heights High School (Columbus, Ohio)
Episode 89: Dre White - Head Basketball Coach - Upper Scioto Valley High School (McGuffey, Ohio)
Episode 88: Andy Bucheit - Head Basketball Coach - Heidelberg University (Tiffin, Ohio)
Episode 87: Dennis Hopson - Head Basketball Coach Lourdes University (Sylvania, Ohio)
While he may have disappeared from the basketball world's public eye relatively early in his basketball journey, Dennis Hopson continued an odyssey that includes scouring in the NBA, coaching in the CBA, in NAIA basketball as well as in the Mid-American conference, and at the high school level. Today Dennis is the head coach at NAIA Division II Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio and is the director of the Hopson Elite AAU Basketball Program. Please enjoy my conversation about Basketball and Life with Lourdes University head coach, Dennis Hopson.
Episode 86: Tyson McGlaughlin - Head Basketball Coach - Ottawa-Glandorf High School (Ottawa, Ohio)
Episode 85: Geno Ford - Head Men's Basketball Coach - Stony Brook University
Episode 84: Doug Etzler - Head Basketball Coach Crestview High School (Convoy, Ohio)
More than 30 years after watching him play for the first time, I am now blessed to call Doug a friend. I am ecstatic to let him share his story about Basketball and Life. Please enjoy my conversation with Doug Etzler of Crestview High School.
Episode 83: Neal Young - Head Coach Ohio Northern University (Ada, Ohio)
Young came to ONU after winning three USA South titles in five seasons as head coach at Covenant (Ga.) College. He guided the Scots to a 79-47 record (a winning percentage of .627) and USA South titles in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Prior to his time at Covenant, Young was the head coach at Goshen (Ind.) for four seasons from 2014-17, where he also served as an associate director of athletics. Young was also an assistant coach at Lewis (Ill.) in 2012-13 and Goshen from 2009-11.
And these details do not tell his story. Coach Young played Division III basketball at Anderson University (Indiana), and began pursuing college coaching almost immediately, becoming a head coach at just 28 years of age. At both Goshen College and Covenant College, coach young found success where very few ever have. During his time at Goshen College, Coach Young battled and overcame cancer, and is noe focused on restoring the proud tradition of Ohio Northern Basketball. Please enjoy my conversation about Basketball and Life, with Neal Young of Ohio Northern University.
Episode 82: Doug Billman - Head Basketball Coach Antwerp High School (Antwerp, Ohio)
Episode 81: Jim Clay - Former Director of Van Wert (OH) AAU & American Youth Basketball Tour (AYBT)
Episode 80: Joe Campoli - Retired Head Basketball Coach - Ohio Northern University (Ada, Ohio)
Episode 26 - Bob Ghiloni - Head Basketball Coach (Retired) Denison University (Ohio)
Episode 79: Bob Seggerson - Former Head Coach - Lima Central Catholic High School (Lima, Ohio)
Coach Seggerson was a huge impact on me as an aspiring coach during my days in high school and college. He has influenced countless coaches and players both during his 32-year career as a head coach, and since his retirement in 2010. Please enjoy my conversation with former Lima Central Catholic head coach Bob Seggerson.
Episode 77 - Jamie Kachmarik - Head Coach St. Francis High School (Toledo, Ohio)
Note: In the fall of 2020, Talkin' Hoops with Coach Jon Cook was interrupted for what was supposed to be one basketball season. For a couple of specific reasons, I was unable to publish what would have been the final episode of Season 1, or to resume the podcast for well over two years. I apologize to Jamie Kachmarik for that, and I am publishing this episode now as pre-cursor to the re-launch and the beginning of Season 2 of the Talkin' Hoops with Coach Jon Cook podcast. Thanks so much for listening and/or giving us a second chance and listening again.
For all of Season 1 this podcast has been about sharing the stories that make up the basketball journeys of our guests. Perhaps no one who has joined the podcast has a journey that has touched so many levels of the basketball world and provided such rich experiences as the journey of Jamie Kachmarik. Jamie joins me for this episode of the podcast and shares the story of his journey as well as how his stops have shaped his philosophy of basketball and of coaching. Please enjoy my conversation with Coach Jamie Kachmarik of St. Francis High School in Toledo, Ohio.
Episode 76 - Dave Krauss - Former Assistant Coach University of Findlay & Head Coach at Patrick Henry High School
This episode of the podcast is one of two that was recorded just prior to my unexpectedly being named as the head coach at Ada High School (you can listen to Episode 74 for the details on that situation). I so greatly appreciate Coach Dave Krauss for sharing his time and the story of his journey with the podcast. Coach Krauss was a remarkably successful high school coach including a state championship in Ohio at Patrick Henry High School, before joining the staff at the University of Findlay. Please enjoy my conversation with Coach Dave Krauss.
Episode 75 - Chris Oliver - Basketball Immersion and The Basketball Podcast
Chris is an innovative thinker, and a proponent of a games approach to coaching. His background in the study of skill acquisition and the science behind learning has led him to a belief that there simply is a better way to coach this game. His passion to "share the game" is remarkable and his knowledge is a valuable resource that has allowed him to consult with basketball programs from the youth level to college basketball as well as national programs around the world and even the NBA. I know you will enjoy today's conversation with Chris Oliver of Basketball Immersion and The Basketball Podcast.
Episode 74 - You Can't Make This Stuff Up
The year 2020 just continues to be more and more bizarre. When this podcast launched last spring no one, I mean no one, would have been able to convince me that coaching high school basketball again was in my immediate future. But about a month ago some things began to transpire that ultimately resulted in me doing just that. So as I prepare to begin this very unexpected season as the head basketball coach at Ada High School, today's episode of the podcast will give an explanation of just how we got here, and what is ahead for Talkin' Hoops: With Coach Jon Cook.
Episode 73 - Matt Jones - MattJonesHoops.com
My guest today is Bryan, Ohio native Matt Jones. Matt is a basketball lifer who has bet on himself more often than most people twice his age in pursuit of a life in basketball. After high school, Matt played at two separate junior colleges before receiving a degree at Lourdes University, then beginning his coaching odyssey. Mobile, Alabama, Miami, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina are among the stops on his coaching journey that also includes a season coaching professionally in Israel under Brad Greenberg, before starting a basketball training and consulting business in Lexington, Kentucky.. Please enjoy my conversation with Matt Jones.
Episode 72 - Brook Cupps - Head Coach Centerville High School (Ohio)
Brook Cupps graduated from Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio near Springfield in 1995, and following a 4-year playing career at Capital University in Columbus, he returned to Graham. He became the head coach in 2000 and spent 12 seasons building a high level basketball program at a relatively small school with a national reputation for wrestling. But that is the information that anyone can get from Google. What many don't know, and what Coach Cupps shares in today's episode is that in the midst of building his program things changed. His focus, his understanding and his purpose as a basketball coach all began to evolve beyond as he says it, "...just coaching basketball like everyone else was coaching basketball...". It was a change that he says saved his career as a basketball coach. In 2012, following a remarkable run with the Falcons, including a trip to the state semifinals, Coach Cupps left his alma mater to become the head coach at Centerville High School. With him came the somewhat unique and ever evolving philosophy of coaching that is more, a lot more than just style of play and X's & O's. Please enjoy my fascinating conversation with Brook Cupps of Centerville High School.
Episode 71 - Brooks Miller - Head Coach Trine University (Angola, Indiana)
How many coaches have a resume that includes a year of high school assistant coaching while working for a tree service, a stint as a Division II assistant, followed by a graduate assistant position under Bob Knight and time spent at a Texas junior college? All of those are a part Brooks Miller's coaching journey. Coach Miller is the head basketball coach at Trine University, an NCAA Division III school in Angola, Indiana. Under Miller's leadership, The Thunder have become a perennial contender in the MIAA, and on the national scene in Division III basketball. Please enjoy my conversation with Brooks Miller of Trine University.
Episode 70 - Nate Axelrod - Assistant Coach Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, Ohio)
Nate Axelrod was a phenomenal player at Ohio Wesleyan University. A 3-time North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, an All-American and the NCAA Division III National Player of the Year as a senior. After beginning his college coaching career as an assistant at Oberlin College, and while planning to serve as a graduate assistant at Otterbein College, Coach Axelrod was given the unexpected opportunity to return to his alma mater last October, just days before the official start of practice. In today's episode Coach Axelrod talks about his amazing transformation as player from his high school days at Dublin Coffman through his magical career at OWU, his brief experience coaching at recruiting at one of the truly academically elite institutions in the country at Oberlin and the transition from player to top assistant under Coach Mike DeWitt with the Bishops. Please enjoy my visit with Nate Axelrod of Ohio Wesleyan University.
Episode 69 - Kirk Lehman - Retired Head Coach - Defiance High School (Defiance, Ohio)
I have often referred to the coaching profession as a fraternity or brotherhood, and it is. However, it is also a highly competitive and sometimes ego-driven profession as well. Because of that nearly everyone who has spent any time in coaching likely has members of the fraternity whom he/she dislikes. Likewise, those of us who have spent time in the coaching ranks are likely to have coaches who dislike us. It is just a fact of life in coaching. Except, it seems, for Kirk Lehman. I have been around high school coaching in Ohio for more than 25 years, and I have never heard anyone speak about Kirk Lehman that doesn't seem to absolutely love the guy. That is just one reason that I am so excited to have him on the podcast. Coach Lehman has had a remarkable journey in high school coaching. After a playing career at Ohio University, Coach Lehman was an assistant at Logan High School. He became the head coach at Rossford High School and after a tumultuous ending to his time there, he was out of high school coaching for a number of years before taking over the program at his alma mater, Defiance High School, where he won an improbable state title in 2017. Coach Lehman retired after the 2020 season. Please enjoy my visit with Kirk Lehman of Defiance High School.
Episode 68 - Brett Hammons - Head Coach Lincolnview High School (Middle Point, Ohio)
Brett Hammons has been coaching basketball at Lincolnview High School for 14 years. He spent six years as an assistant, including four years as either the JV coach or the varsity assistant. He has been the head coach for the past eight seasons and has led the program to remarkable success, including a trip to the state final four. Coach Hammons is equal parts humble and ultra competitive, and in my estimation is one of the most underappreciated coaches in a northwest Ohio region that is overflowing with outstanding basketball coaches across all high school divisions. As Brett prepares to begin his 9th season at the helm, he sat down with me to talk about his basketball journey from playing at Crestview High School and Defiance College through his time as an assistant, and now building his own program. Please enjoy my visit with Brett Hammons of Lincolnview High School.
Episode 67 - Eric Rosenbeck - Head Coach St. Henry High School (St. Henry, Ohio)
Episode 66 - Corey Britton - Head Coach - Fort Loramie High School (Fort Loramie, Ohio)
Corey Britton is a basketball lifer. He grew up in northwest Ohio, the son of an outstanding high school basketball coach. He attended college and was a student assistant at the University of Findlay with the Oiler basketball program that is a Division II national power. His first head coaching job was at Reedsville Eastern High School near Athens, Ohio immediately after graduating from Findlay in 2011. After two years at Reedsville Eastern, Coach Britton was named head coach of the girls program at Riverside High School in DeGraff, Ohio for one season. In 2014 he was hired to become the head coach at tradition-rich Fort Loramie High School in Shelby County. In six years leading the Loramie program, Coach Britton has the Redskins competing annually for the Shelby County League championship and is a regular in the district and regional tournaments. Please enjoy my conversation with Corey Britton of Fort Loramie High School.
Episode 65 - Doug Krauss - Retired Head Coach Archbold High School
Doug Krauss spent 34 years as the head basketball coach at Archbold High School on northwest Ohio before retiring in 2018. During his 34 years, Coach Krauss built (and maintained ) the BLue Streak program into one of the best programs in the state regardless of division. With 18 league titles, 562 wins and 5 trips to the state final four, the success speaks for itself. What the numbers don't tell, is the whole story of Krauss' journey at Archbold. A journey that encompassed more than 40 years including a long run as the head baseball coach as well. A journey that ironically began as a teacher and assistant wrestling coach. Coach Krauss shares that story and so much more in today's episode. Please enjoy my visit with Doug Krauss of Archbold High School.
Episode 64 - Dan Priest - Head Coach - Kenyon College (Gambier, Ohio)
Dan Priest has been involved in college coaching since the early 1990's. After a stellar playing career at Ohio Northern University, Coach Priest began a coaching odyssey that has taken him to places like Oxford, Ohio, Hanover, Indiana and Conway, Arkansas among other stops on his way to becoming the head coach at one of the academically elite institutions of higher learning in the entire country, in Kenyon College. Dan discusses his opportunity to both play for and work with legendary coaches like Gale Daugherty & Joe Campoli at ONU, Tates Locke at Miami University and Mike Beitzel at Hanover College. Dan's journey has been a remarkable one and the challenges of building a program at Kenyon College are somewhat unique in Division III basketball. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Priest of Kenyon College.
Episode 63 - Kole Vivian - Head Coach Marietta College Women
From his time as an assistant with the women's program at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Kole Vivian got used to winning. In coming to Marietta College, first as an assistant, and ultimately as the head coach, winning was not a guarantee. Vivian joined a program that had experienced minimal success at best in its history. During his time as an assistant, the Pioneers began to make strides, but the real change in the fortunes of the program have come since Coach Vivian was promoted to he head coaching position in 2016. Competing for conference championships has become expected and in 2018 the Pioneers won the OAC tournament title and earned a trip to the Division III national tournament. Please enjoy my conversation with Kole Vivian of Marietta College Women's Basketball.
Episode 62 - Toby Carrigan - Head Coach - Mount St. Joseph University (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Episode 61 - Dave Hirschy - Varsity Assistant Basketball Coach - Willard High School
If you are a high school basketball coach in northwest Ohio it is likely that you know Dave Hirschy. If you are a person, coach or otherwise, who enjoys being around engaging, genuine, sincere, passionate, energetic people, then you should get to know Dave Hirschy. I hope this podcast helps accomplish that. Dave and I met nearly 30 years ago working basketball camp at Ohio Northern University. We share a passion for the game of basketball, and ONU as a college alma mater. What we also share is a fairly odyssey-like journey in coaching, and like many people, our stories have some less than pleasant life events that have shaped us in our own unique way. In today's episode Dave Hirschy shares the story of his coaching journey and he is candid about how life can sometimes happen in a way that makes the game we are passionate about into something that is almost unimportant. I recorded this podcast with Dave because he is my friend. I hope you'll listen because Dave is a terrific person, with a great story, who also happens to be one of the biggest hoops junkies on planet Earth! Please enjoy my conversation with Coach Dave Hirschy of Willard High School (Willard, Ohio).
Episode 60 - Zach Fleer - Co-Founder - 270Hoops.com
My guest today is Zach Fleer. Zach is the co-founder of 270Hoops.com, a website dedicated to coversing high school basketball in central Ohio, and particularly in the city of Columbus. The "coverage" includes game reporting to be sure, but also includes scouting and exposure to college coaches and college programs particularly for high school players that may otherwise be overlooked. During the restricted summer of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zach was able to coordinate and live stream "open runs", or competitive events that allowed players to play and college coaches to watch (live and on-line), and propelled a number of young men unto the recruiting scene during a time when opportunities were severely limited in Ohio. Please enjoy today's episode as Zach Fleer of 270Hoops.com shares the story of his organization's humble beginnings and explosive growth in the is age of social media.
Episode 59 - Mike Fuline - Head Basketball Coach - University of Mount Union
Episode 58 - Eric Flannery - Head Basketball Coach - St. Edward High School (Lakewood, Ohio)
Eric Flannery began his high school coaching journey as an assistant at his alma mater, St. Edward High School, while he was still a college student, and he was named the head coach shortly after his graduation from Cleveland State University. In his 24 years as the head coach at Ed's, the Eagles have won well over 400 games and captured State Championships in 1998 and 2014. Coach Flan has also been involved in USA Basketball for the last decade and has been a part of the "resurgence" in US dominance on the international scene. His coaching success has been remarkable and his basketball coaching journey is fascinating. Please enjoy my visit with Eric Flannery of Lakewood St. Edward High School.
Episode 57 - Clay Tucker - Former Lima Perry and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Standout
Episode 56 - Don Showalter - USA Basketball - Director of Coach Development
Episode 55 - Carl Kremer - Head Coach Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
When Carl Kremer was hired to be a teacher and assistant coach at Moeller High School in 1984, the program was not a basketball powerhouse. Things are just a bit different now. Coach Kremer took over as the head coach in January of 1990. Since then the Crusaders have won over 600 games and 5 Division I state championships in Ohio. For the most part those are just numbers, what they represent is a basketball program that has been constructed on very specific core values, and that has been led by as steady and humble of a head coach as any program could be. And Coach Kremer would want it said that the numbers also reflect a nearly continuous stream of remarkably talented and committed young men. A journey that began with a college student at Eastern Kentucky University, who was heavily involved in student government and local politics has resulted in one of the most storied basketball traditions that the state of Ohio has ever seen. Please enjoy my visit with Carl Kremer of Moeller High School.
Episode 54 - Santino Davis - Assistant Basketball Coach - Central State University
Santino Davis was a standout player at St. Charles Preparatory Academy in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from The Ohio State University and began a career in the business world before being bitten by the coaching bug. After serving as an assistant coach on the staff at St. Charles, Davis made the decision to go all in on coaching as a career. Leaving behind his corporate career, he became an assistant coach at Ohio Dominican University where he spent 6 years before joining the staff at Central State. Coach Davis has spent the last 13 years working in college coaching and as an athletic administrator. ,He has had a challenging, difficult rewarding and certainly unique journey through the coaching profession. Please enjoy my visit with Santino Davis of Central State University.
Episode 53 - Roger McEldowney - Head Basketball Coach - Arcanum High School (Arcanum, Ohio)
Not many coaches have ever had their very first head coaching opportunity slip through their fingers because budget cuts result in the elimination of their teaching position. It happened to Roger McEldowney at Arcanum High School in the early 1990's. Very few high school coaches are ever fortunate enough to win a state title. Roger McEldowney did, with the girls at Jackson Center High School in 1995. An even smaller number are able to lead both a girls program and a boys program to the final game of the season. Roger McEldowney was able to do that when he led Versailles High School to the title game in 2004. It is perhaps equally rare that a coach would have the opportunity to guide his alma mater to that championships game. Did I mention that Roger McEldowney graduated from Versailles High School in 1983? He also served as the Principal at Versailles when his brother Scott led the Tigers to the only other final four appearance in school history. To cap off his remarkable journey in coaching, McEldowney was hired to be the head coach at Arcanum High School in the summer of 2019, coming full circle more than 25 years after losing his first head coaching opportunity because of the aforementioned budget cuts! Coach McEldowney shares his full story and more with me today. Please enjoy my visit with Roger McEldowney of Arcanum High School.
Episode 52 - Jeremy Best - Former Head Coach - Crestview High School (Convoy, Ohio)
When I met Jeremy Best he was a smooth shooting lefty who played for Guy Neal at what was then Bluffton College. Now Jeremy is the former head coach of Crestview High School in Convoy, Ohio. In between those seasons of his life he spent time as the head coach at Hilltop High School and and Delta High School, both in northwest Ohio. After an early career that saw him spend just 2 seasons coaching junior high basketball before becoming a head coach at 24 years of age, Coach Best experienced real struggle at both Hilltop and Delta, before landing at Crestview. A full 17 years, 3 trips to the state tournament and 2 state titles later, Coach Best decided to step down in 2019. After his 1st year out of basketball in more than a quarter century, he was willing to sit down with me and reflect on his remarkable journey. Please enjoy my conversation with Jeremy Best.
Episode 51 - Greg Mauk - Head Basketball Coach - Bath High School Girls (Lima, Ohio)
The Bath High School girls basketball program began in 1971, and is nearing 900 wins in program history. All of those wins have been accomplished by two head coaches... Two! Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame member Gretchen Prichard led the program from 1971 to 1998 with a record of 460-116 during her 28 seasons. When Greg Mauk became head coach in 1998 the often unspoken sentiment surrounding the program was, "If he wins, he will be doing so because of the program that had been created. And if he loses... well, it's all on him." Fortunately for Greg Mauk, he has won, and won, and won some more. With more than 400 wins and four trips to the state final four during his 22-year tenure, it is safe to say that the Wildkitten program has thrived under his leadership. Coach Mauk is a unique leader from a family of leaders, his late sister Vicki coached Elida High School to a girls state championship in 1997, and his cousin Mike Mauk led the Kenton High School football program to state titles in 2001 and 2002. Coach Mauk shares the story of his journey into coaching, from football to basketball, from boys to girls. Please enjoy my conversation with Greg Mauk of Bath High School