Hilltopper Nation

Presented by Don Franklin Auto | Hosts Randy Lee, Tyler Eaton and Brett Williams open this week's show by discussing WKU Volleyball head coach Travis Hudson's induction into the WKU Hall of Distinguished Alumni before switching gears to talk WKU Football, WKU Men's and Women's Golf and WKU Cross Country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

WKU Cross Country freshman runner Rory O’Connor discusses her recruitment to WKU after not competing in the sport in high school, why she chose distance running over soccer, what ultimately sold her on attending WKU, getting used to college in a pandemic, her relationship with her teammates, her early success in Cross Country’s first events of the season – including a top-10 finish in her first co...

Presented by Don Franklin Auto | In this week's show, hosts Randy Lee, Tyler Eaton and Brett Williams recap WKU Football's rivalry win at Middle Tennessee, preview the Tops' Homecoming matchup with Marshall, talk through Men's and Women's Golf seasons and touch on WKU Cross Country's second meet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:...

WKU graduate senior quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome discusses the Hilltoppers’ first win Saturday at Middle Tennessee, players stepping up on the offensive side of the ball in that victory, what he’s learned so far as part of the Hilltopper offense, being one of three quarterbacks in the country with at least six passing TDs and no interceptions, his influences in the NFL, his decision to leave Maryla...

Presented by Don Franklin Auto | In this week's show, hosts Randy Lee, Tyler Eaton and Brett Williams preview WKU Football at Middle Tennessee, mention the excitement of volleyball’s season opener and talk about the new normal of stadium and arena environments on game day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n...

WKU Coordinator of Football Academic Development Imari Hazelwood discusses how she transitioned from an academic role with the university to working in athletics, how working on her doctorate influences her work with student-athletes, the challenges of working with such a large program, the most rewarding parts of her job, navigating through the pandemic and changes in learning methods, how her id...

Presented by Don Franklin Auto | In this week's show, hosts Randy Lee, Tyler Eaton and Brett Williams talk WKU Football bye week adjustments, recap Lady Topper Golf’s hot start to the season as well as touching on the excitement of volleyball’s season opener and Brooks LeCompte’s impact on the cross country programs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pri...

WKU Head Cross Country/Assistant Track & Field Coach Brooks LeCompte discusses his arrival to The Hill in January, the learning curve as a first-time head coach, his first WKU recruiting class, his recruiting style, the team's training program over the summer, having the team back on campus, the excitement of the team competing in their first cross country meet of the 2020 season and the...

Presented by Don Franklin Auto | In this week’s show, hosts Randy Lee, Tyler Eaton and Brett Williams recap WKU Football’s season-opening game at Louisville, look ahead to this week’s home opener vs. Liberty, discuss the latest news on the start of the college basketball season, and touch on what’s upcoming for WKU Golf and Cross Country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...

WKU Women’s Golf redshirt senior Teri Doss discusses what made her return to her home state as a graduate transfer from Mississippi State, the relationships she had with the Lady Topper program before transferring, what it was like to transfer during a pandemic, WKU last week winning the first Division I college golf tournament in the country since COVID-19 began, her third-place individual finish...

Presented by Don Franklin Auto | In their inaugural show, hosts Tyler Eaton, Randy Lee and Brett Williams discuss the opening week of WKU Athletics for the 2020-21 season, including Lady Topper Golf's victory in the USA Intercollegiate, WKU Football's upcoming opener at Louisville and Hilltopper Golf's first event this weekend at Louisiana Tech. Former Hilltopper Football great Brandon Doughty joi...

WKU Associate Athletic Director Matt Morrison discusses the planning and approval process that went into Hilltopper Football’s 20 percent capacity for Houchens-Smith Stadium, what that capacity means for fans and students, the gameday changes expected in and around the stadium, how the reseating process will work for season ticket holders, the financial implications of lower capacity and attendanc...

WKU Football redshirt senior offensive lineman Tyler Witt discusses how the Hilltoppers adapted to the new safety measures in place upon their return to campus because of COVID-19, adjusting to not being around his teammates during the pandemic, the personalities of WKU’s offensive line group, how that unit has benefited from years of experience together, the upside of going against WKU’s stout de...

WKU Women's Golf head coach Adam Gary discusses how COVID-19 has impacted his program, what it was like to have the spring 2020 season canceled while at WKU's own event in Florida, having senior Mary Joiner return for another year of eligibility with a NCAA waiver, what to expect from his newcomers and the rest of the squad, what's ahead for the program as one of the few sport programs that can co...

WKU Hilltopper Basketball head coach Rick Stansbury discusses what quarantine was like for him, why he’s not rushing his players’ return to activity on campus, how having an experienced team helps him trust them to do the right things in a pandemic, why he believes this year’s team is his most experienced and complete since arriving on The Hill, how Charles Bassey’s work ethic has put him ahead of...

WKU Softball alum and Team Canada member Larissa Franklin discusses her training for the sport's return to the Olympics and the postponement of the Tokyo Games to 2021, how she's handled the COVID-19 pandemic, her tongue-in-cheek Twitter quarantine "training" videos, why she chose to transfer to WKU for her final season, her memories from WKU's 2015 championship run, and what it would mean to be t...

WKU Athletics Sports Psychologist Joey Case discusses what led him to his role with WKU, his work as TOPCARE Coordinator and the implementation of the program, how mental health is being addressed in WKU Athletics through TOPCARE, how he’s worked with student-athletes through quarantine, the process of providing resources to student-athletes who receive a positive COVID-19 test, working with coach...

WKU Volleyball rising senior Kayland Jackson discusses how she and her teammates have navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, why the coaching staff stressed communication throughout quarantine, how the team has prepared despite losing its spring training, battling back from injuries in her college career, what the return to campus has been like, why she chose WKU, the team getting to host the NC...

WKU Medical Director and Head Team Physician Dr. Chaitu Malempati discusses his background in medicine, how he balances being an orthopedic surgeon for the Medical Center at Bowling Green with his work with the Hilltoppers, how he's handled being a surgeon during the COVID-19 pandemic, his role in WKU Athletics' COVID-19 response, and some of his favorite things about working with WKU. See Privacy...

WKU Baseball alum and current professional player Anderson Miller discusses the impact of the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season, how he's handled the pandemic, his intention to finish his degree at WKU, why he chose the Hilltoppers out of high school, how WKU prepared him for pro baseball, his experience of getting drafted, what it was like to play for the Lexington Legends in his h...

WKU Football Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Clayton White joins the podcast to discuss life in quarantine with his family, the conversations the team has had on social injustice and what he hopes to see come out of the Black Lives Matter movement, the value of the returning experience and coaching continuity on defense for the Hilltoppers, and how two elite basketball players – Michael Jo...

WKU Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning Hong Tran discusses keeping student-athletes in shape through a pandemic, the ins and outs of her job and responsibilities, the importance to her of coaching with high energy, working as a female in a male-dominated profession, the difference in working with men’s and women’s sports, and the challenges/rewards that come with being a go-to presenc...

WKU rising senior sprinter Dartez Hamlin discusses how the Track and Field team has been staying in touch and training during quarantine, his win in the 200-meter dash at the Conference USA Indoor Championships and his disappointment at the cancellation of the outdoor season, how junior college prepared him for Division I, what sold him on WKU, his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement, and...

Former WKU Football star and current Chicago Bears linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe discusses his perspective on the COVID-19 crisis as a pre-med student with two parents in the medical world, his desire to be a pediatrician after football, his journey from South Warren High School in Bowling Green to WKU to the NFL, how he’s preparing for next season during the pandemic, how the Bears have supported t...

Mike Gaddie, WKU’s Associate Athletic Director of Sports Medicine and Athletic Training, discusses the medical side of WKU Athletics’ campus restart plan. Gaddie discusses the local, regional and national collaboration that went into crafting the plan, the importance of adapting as information changes, the crucial piece of educating student-athlete and staff before their return, why it’s so key to...