Clippers Gelling, Stopping Luka, and Giannis’s Dominance. Plus: Trent Dilfer on the Challenges of Coaching at a Smaller School, and Ohtani’s Contract and Yamamoto Rumors With Jeff Passan.
The challenges of balancing game preparation and recruiting as a head coach at a smaller school like UAB.
The importance of embracing the opportunities and playing time at a Group of Five program to showcase skills and attract professional attention.
The authentic leadership and success of Dion Sanders at Jackson State, despite the jealousy and criticism surrounding his coaching style.
Deep dives
UAB head coach reflects on first year and balancing game planning with in-season recruiting
The head coach of UAB, Trent Daufer, discusses his first year as head coach and the challenges of balancing game planning with in-season recruiting. He emphasizes the importance of growth and learning in his role and acknowledges the surprise of balancing game preparation and recruiting. Daufer shares his approach to recruiting, which involves being brutally honest with potential recruits about their skills and areas for improvement. He highlights the need for a tactical plan to develop players and create a sense of love and appreciation within the team. Daufer also discusses the challenge of building a program at the Group of Five level and the differences in player talent and development at the line of scrimmage.
The ups and downs of coaching UAB and the importance of embracing the 'leftover' mentality
Daufer explains the challenges of coaching at UAB and the unique mentality that comes with being part of a Group of Five program. He discusses the difficulties of recruiting players who may have initially aimed to play for bigger schools, emphasizing the need for players to embrace their 'leftover' status and use it to their advantage. Daufer highlights the importance of playing time and the opportunity to showcase skills in front of scouts as a path to professional football. He also touches on the differences at the line of scrimmage and the need for a balanced combination of power and twitch in players.
Daufer's thoughts on Dion Sanders and the story of Jackson State
Daufer expresses his support for Dion Sanders and the success he has brought to Jackson State. He acknowledges the jealousy and criticism that often surrounds Sanders, but commends him for his authenticity and ability to connect with players and parents. Daufer predicts that Sanders will continue to win and develop successful players at Jackson State. He also reflects on the challenges of being a head coach and the need to balance coaching football with other responsibilities in the role.
Solo Travel in Montana
The listener is planning his first solo trip to Montana, specifically to visit Yellowstone National Park. He will be flying into Bozeman and staying in West Yellowstone for three nights, where he plans to go on snowmobile and snowshoe tours. He also has a free day in Bozeman to explore the area. He is looking for advice on solo travel and any recommendations for things to do in the area.
Expressing Feelings in Relationships
The listener is not an emotionally expressive person and has never said 'I love you' to anyone, including family members. He believes words are overused and undervalued. Despite this, he has been dating his girlfriend for over three years and has never expressed his feelings verbally. His girlfriend wishes he would be more verbally expressive. He wonders if it would be disingenuous to say 'I love you' even if he doesn't feel comfortable saying it, or if not saying it would be manipulative. He seeks advice on how to navigate this situation in a genuine and meaningful way.
Russillo opens the show by revealing his takeaways from Thursday’s NBA action (1:00). Then, he’s joined by UAB head coach Trent Dilfer to discuss the challenges of recruiting, competing with bigger programs, and how the Patriots move past this season (23:00). Next, Ryen welcomes in Jeff Passan to make sense of Ohtani’s deal, discuss the Dodgers' acquisition of Tyler Glasnow, and share the latest on Yoshinobu Yamamoto (62:00). Finally, Kyle joins the show to answer some listener-submitted Life Advice questions (91:00).
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Host: Ryen Russillo
Guests: Trent Dilfer and Jeff Passan
Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, and Mike Wargon
