No Playbook: Real Recruiting Stories

Guest: Jackson Ross (Tennessee Football) If you’re a Tennessee football fan, I’ve had several current players on this show. Jabari Small, Jacob Warren, Squirrel White, just to name a few…but today, I’ve got one of the most interesting guys on the team joining me on the podcast.  Jackson Ross is Tennessee’s punter – first Freshman All SEC punter since Dustin Colquitt. Jackson spent the past few yea...

Guest: Taylor Hoag (Maryville High School - Longwood University) Taylor Hoag is an outstanding soccer player for Maryville High School, and she has committed to play at Longwood University starting next season. We talk about her experience with club soccer for FC Alliance, her senior season at Maryville, and her head coach's unique vocabulary.  This episode is sponsored by D1 Training and Rec...

Guest: Brady Lawson - Science Hill High School Basketball Brady Lawson is a basketball player who plays year-round in the tri-cities area in Tennessee. We talk about what it’s like trying to avoid burnout when you’re just going nonstop…we talk about the struggles of the whole recruiting process, and we talk about the new D1 Training facility that will be coming to Johnson City in the next couple o...

Guest: Jordan Gainey (Tennessee Vols Basketball) Joining me on the show today is Jordan Gainey who is new to the Tennessee Vols this season. He transferred from South Carolina Upstate where he was their leading scorer last season. Jordan’s dad is Coach Justin Gainey for the Vols.  So, of course we talk about what that’s like…playing for your dad. We talk about their recent trips to Italy and Honol...

Guest: Terrance Bivens (Chattanooga Prep) This episode is another first for the podcast. I typically interview pro, college, or high school athletes, but today I've got a middle schooler on the show.  Terrance Bivens is a 7th grade football player at Chattanooga Prep, but he mostly trains with high schoolers. Terrance works out at D1 Training to make himself better as an athlete. He has clear...

Guest: Carlos Lopez (Spanish Voice of Vamos Vols) My guest today is a bit of a trailblazer. He's making history this season as the first ever Spanish voice for the Tennessee Vols football team. He joins me on the show to talk about his story from the past year. How he went from recording soundbites for Tennessee football highlights to actually calling play-by-play in the booth for a game this...

Guest: Cayden Norris (Science Hill / Lady Vols Soccer) Cayden Norris is an outstanding goalkeeper who plays soccer for Science Hill High School and FC Alliance. She has committed to play at the next level at the University of Tennessee.  Speaking of the Science Hill area, we are about to open our new D1 Training facility up there. It will be a great opportunity for any athlete to come and train an...

Guest: Corbin Laisure (Sullivan East Football) If it’s your first time checking out the show, I’ve had on lots of pro athletes, college coaches and athletes…even stellar high school players with a bright future in sports. By the way, this coming up weekend, Georgia is coming to Knoxville to play Tennessee and we’re actually working with the Players’ Lounge to bring you a cool event. Several former...

Guest: Sade Lee (Pellissippi State Community College Soccer) Pellissippi State is a community college that is just RIGHT down the road from my office – and this is their first year with an athletic program. At D1, we’ve gotten to be a big part of that experience for them as we do all of the training for all of their teams.  One of those teams is the women’s soccer team, and it’s pretty great that...

Guests: Blake Burke (Tennessee Baseball) & Chris Albrecht (Wreaths Across America) So some semi-big news for the podcast…CityView magazine in Knoxville just released their Best of the Best issue and No Playbook was listed as one of the best three podcasts. Thank you to anybody that might have voted for that.  This coming up weekend, D1 will be running a baseball skills clinic at Dick’s House o...

Guests: Mackenzie Smith and Hannah Kohn - Chattanooga Mocs Athletes Big Chattanooga Mocs episode today. I’ve two phenomenal athletes from UTC that both have an incredibly bright future.  Mackenzie Smith is a senior soccer player and she’s actually coming to lead a youth soccer clinic with two of her teammates – Claire Palya and Zoey Mize – along with the Red Wolves Academy and Soccer Shots. That w...

Guest: Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee Basketball) Josiah-Jordan James has been a real difference-maker for Tennessee Basketball quite a while. He received an offer to play with the Vols when he was still in the 8th grade, so he's a name that fans have been aware of for almost a decade.  As he's about to tip off his fifth season with the Vols, he was cool enough to join me on the podcast....

Guests: Kireese Willis & Georgia Dobson (East Hamilton High School ) Kireese Willis is an outstanding football player from East Hamilton High School in Ooltewah, TN. He's a real difference-maker on both sides of the ball, and has received several offers to play college football. We talk about his season so far at EHHS, his recruiting experience, and he shares an unforgettable sports memor...

Guests: Jay Person Jr. & Honor Huff Today, I’m talking with two athletes from UTC - The Chattanooga Mocs.  Jay Person Jr. is a football player from Cleveland Tennessee. He was the preseason SOCON defensive player of the year…he’s having a great season – and he’s got his sights set on a pro career after this season. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of Cole Strange and McClendon Curtis…two rece...

Guests: Cooper Cameron & McKalie Ball (Webb School of Knoxville) It's another episode where I highlight outstanding high school athletes from this area.  Today, I’ve got two stellar athletes from Webb School of Knoxville.  First up, Cooper Cameron is a football player who has officially committed to play college ball at Cornell. I think it’s my first interview with an Ivy Leaguer… I’ve al...

Guest: Brooks Savage - Head Basketball Coach ETSU Brooks Savage is a first-year head coach, and he's ready for the challenge. He's been an assistant coach for many years, and even spent his college years working tirelessly as a team manager for the Tennessee Vols.  He's spent time coaching in the SoCon, the SEC, and the ACC. He's now back in Johnson City and ready to lead his t...

Guest: Lady Vols Basketball Player - Tess Darby Tess is from a small town in west Tennessee, so she was really surprised when she first started getting recruited by the Lady Vols. We talk all about that, what’s it’s like having a younger sister on the team, and even a little about how she manages sorority life with being a D1 athlete.  I actually recorded this interview right at a year ago, but I...

Guest: VFL John Fulkerson It was great catching up with Fulky on this episode of the podcast. He was at Tennessee for six years, and he was a fan-favorite that whole time. He's now playing professionally in Belgium, so we talk a lot about that experience.  We also talk about his recent wedding, getting recruited by Rick Barnes, and what it was like growing up in the Tri-Cities.  This episode...

Guest: Tennessee Baseball Coach Tony Vitello Coach Vitello joins me on the podcast to talk about what a typical day looks like for him in the offseason, we give out some superlatives to past players, and we talk a little about who he is outside of baseball.  We talk about the lessons he's learned from his father, who is in the St. Louis Hall of Fame, what he hopes to see from new players when...

Guests: Gracie Waite & Pierce Palmer - Athletes at Hardin Valley Academy I really enjoy highlighting some of the stellar high school athletes in this East TN community…and there’s no high school closer to me right now than Hardin Valley Academy.  Gracie Waite is not only a standout athlete at Hardin Valley, but I’m learning she’s also Miss Congeniality around the school. Such a cool person – a...

Guest: Comedian Josh Pray Today on the podcast, I’ve got Josh Pray joining me. He’s a comedian who has a very  impressive social media following. He does a lot of general observational humor, but he also talks a lot about sports. He’s a super passionate Florida fan, and if you haven’t seen his videos…pause this and do it now!  Josh and I talk about comedy, his Mike Tomlin impression, and we actual...

Guests: Lady Vols Soccer Players Maria Nelson and Kayla Barr Today I’m talking with Maria Nelson who is a redshirt senior at UT. She’s from the Cleveland Ohio area, but has really gotten very involved in the Knoxville community while she’s been at Tennessee.  And Kayla Barr is also joining me today. Kayla played at Maryville High School and is actually their all time leading scorer. She’s a freshm...

Guest: Maryville High School Football Coach Derek Hunt Folks that listen to this show know that I graduated from Maryville High School, one of the best high school football programs in the country over the past 20+ years. So I really wanted to have the head coach on the podcast.  His name is Derek Hunt, and we have known each other for a long time. One of Derek’s best friends growing up is my brot...

Guest: Josh Mancuso You probably know Josh Mancuso as the guy who makes hilarious mascot videos. He's well-known all over the country as an outstanding comedic actor who knows and loves sports.  It was an absolute pleasure having him on the podcast! Listen as we talk about comedy, sports, Saved By the Bell, Seinfeld, and he even changes his stance on the whole Flat-Earth theory.  If you don&a...

Guest: Jack Alley - Farragut High School Football - Air Force Commit Moving on with this Farragut week on the podcast – I’ve got another stellar athlete from Farragut High School on the show today. If you missed the episode earlier this week, Junior basketball player Annie Priest was on the show.  But today, I’ve got football player Jack Alley. Jack has already committed to play football for Air F...