Significant Coaching with Matt Rogers

This week I’m joined by John Baines , head men’s basketball coach at Elmhurst University , one of the premier Division III basketball programs in the country. During his time leading the Bluejays, Coach Baines has built a nationally respected program in the CCIW , leading Elmhurst to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, conference championships, and a run to the 2022 NCAA Division III National Ch...

In Part II of my conversation with Traci Murphy , Vice President for Athletics at NCAA Division II Daemen University , we dive deep into the college recruiting process and how athletic departments evaluate prospective student-athletes. Understanding the college recruiting process can be difficult for families navigating it for the first time. Parents and athletes often focus on scholarships, playi...

🎙  Learning Leadership the Right Way with Traci Murphy  What does it take to lead a thriving college athletics department? In this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers sits down with Traci Murphy , Vice President for Athletics at NCAA Division II Daemen University and the current President of the Division II Athletic Directors Association within NACDA. With more than three dec...

 Division II Recruiting Reality | Katelyn Smith | Part II In Part 2 of this Significant Recruiting conversation, Adams State University Athletic Director Katelyn Smith breaks down the realities of recruiting at the NCAA Division II level. This episode covers: How the transfer portal is changing roster opportunities Why high school athletes are now competing with college transfers What NIL actually...

🎙 Katelyn Smith on Leadership, Culture, and Why Division II Works (Part 1)  What does real leadership look like at the NCAA Division II level? In Part 1 of this Significant Coaching conversation, Adams State University Athletic Director Katelyn Smith shares her journey from assistant coach to AD—and the mindset that has helped her build a culture where more than 500 student-athletes and their coac...

🎙️  The JUCO Reset: How Junior College Helps You Rebuild and Move Forward  Sometimes the recruiting journey doesn’t go the way you planned. The good news? Junior college can be the reset that changes everything. In Part 2 of my conversation with Dawson Dickson , Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Great Bay Community College (NH), we talk about how the JUCO pathway gives student-athletes the opportunit...

🎙️ Building Culture Fast: Why Dawson Dickson Is a Rising Star in College Basketball Coaching  What does it take to build a winning culture when your roster changes every year? This week, I sit down with Dawson Dickson , Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Great Bay Community College (NH) , to talk about leadership at the junior college level and why he’s quickly becoming one of the rising young coaches...

 The Truth About Division II Recruiting: Fit, Growth, and Learning Through Failure 🏀🎯  In Part 2 of this conversation, Matt Rogers sits down with Bill Cleary , Head Women’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division II St. Thomas Aquinas College , to talk about the reality of college recruiting and athlete development. This episode focuses on two critical truths families need to understand: 🏀 NCAA Divis...

 “Bet on You” – Building Confidence and Player Ownership with Bill Cleary (Part 1)  In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Matt Rogers sits down with Bill Cleary , Assistant Athletic Director and Head Women’s Basketball Coach at St. Thomas Aquinas College , for a powerful and honest discussion about coaching women and developing true confidence in today’s athletes. Bill shares what he’s learned...

🏐 What Division I Volleyball Recruiting Really Looks Like | Emily Kohan  In Part 2 of this conversation on the Significant Recruiting Podcast, Matt Rogers sits down with Emily Kohan , NCAA Division I Head Volleyball Coach at Colorado State University , to break down what the recruiting process actually looks like from a coach’s perspective. Coach Kohan pulls back the curtain on how Division I pro...

🏐 Emily Kohan on Building a Sustainable Division I Volleyball Program at Colorado State In this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers sits down with Emily Kohan , head coach of Colorado State Volleyball , to break down what it really takes to build and sustain a successful NCAA Division I program in today’s college athletics landscape. Four years into her tenure as head coach,...

 John Payan on the Recruiting Fit Truth About Division III Basketball | (Part 2)  In Part 2 of this Significant Coaching conversation , Matt Rogers continues his discussion with John Payan , Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Coe College , with a deep dive into what college basketball recruiting actually looks like from the coach’s seat. Payan breaks down how he builds his roster—starting with fit as...

🏀 John Payan on Mindset, Accountability, and Building a Program That Holds Under Pressure | Significant Coaching Podcast  In Part 1 of this Significant Coaching conversation , Matt Rogers sits down with John Payan , head men’s basketball coach at Coe College , for a deep, honest discussion about what it really takes to build a program that lasts. Payan shares lessons from his rise through the coa...

The Commissioner's Take on Recruiting: Fit, Expectations, and the Division II Reality | Bob Dranoff (Part 2)  In Part 2 of this conversation on the Significant Recruiting Podcast , Matt Rogers is joined by Dr. Bob Dranoff —long-time athletic director at Molloy University, former administrator at St. John’s University, and recently retired commissioner of the NCAA Division II East Coast Confer...

🎙️   From the Commissioner’s Chair: What NCAA Division II Leadership Really Looks Like | Bob Dranoff  What does it actually mean to lead an NCAA conference? In this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers sits down with Bob Dranoff, former Commissioner of the East Coast Conference, for a rare, behind-the-scenes look at leadership from the highest level of Division II athletics. B...

🎙️ 3-Peat Perspective: How Candace Moats Recruits for Championships That Last How do you win a three-peat —and keep doing it without burning out your culture, your players, or yourself? On Part 2 of this two-part series on the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers continues the conversation with Candace Moats , Head Volleyball Coach at Indiana Wesleyan University , AVCA Coach of the Year , an...

🎙️ 3x National Champions: How Candace Moats Builds Programs That Last What does it really take to build a championship program—and sustain it year after year? On this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers sits down with Candace Moats , Head Volleyball Coach at Indiana Wesleyan University , AVCA Coach of the Year , and leader of a program that has now won three consecutive NAIA...

🎓 Small Town Roots, Smart Recruiting Decisions Coach Sue Amendt on Fit, Perspective & Guiding the College Journey In Part 2 of this two-part conversation , the Significant Recruiting Podcast shifts the focus to college recruiting with Hall of Fame volleyball coach Sue Amendt —bringing together the rare and valuable perspective of a former college athlete , a longtime high school coach , and a...

🎙️ Built in a Small Town, Built to Last 🏐 Coach Sue Amendt on Coaching, Community & Raising Athletes the Right Way What does it look like to build a championship program—and a meaningful life—in a town of just 2,000 people? In this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast , host Matt Rogers sits down with longtime friend and Hall of Fame volleyball coach Sue Amendt , the legendary leader o...

🎙️ Division I Recruiting, Unfiltered with Coach Grant Leonard 🏀 In this Significant Recruiting Podcast episode, Matt Rogers is joined by Grant Leonard , Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Queens University of Charlotte , for Part 2 of their conversation—focused entirely on Division I college recruiting. Coach Leonard breaks down how recruiting has changed, what coaches are really watching when they e...

🎙️ Season 3, Episode 1: Coaching, Culture & Leadership with Coach Grant Leonard 🏀 To open Season 3 of the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers sits down with Grant Leonard , Head Men’s Basketball Coach at NCAA D1 Queens University of Charlotte . This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation and is focused entirely on coaching and leadership . Coach Leonard shares what it really takes to bui...

🎙️ The Significant Coaching Podcast Season 3 Significant Coaching and Recruiting Podcast returns for Season 3 with deeper conversations about coaching, leadership, and college recruiting. Hosted by former head college coach, athletic director, and national scout Matt Rogers , the show features honest interviews with athletes, coaches, and leaders making a real impact at the high school, college, a...

🥎🎓 Recruiting the Right Way | Coach Donnie Danklefsen (Trine Softball) — Significant Recruiting How do you end Season 2 of the Significant Coaching and Recruiting Podcast?  A great 2-part conversation with one of the best college softball coaches in he country!  That's how! In this episode of the Significant Recruiting Podcast , I’m joined by Donnie Danklefsen , Head Softball Coach at Trine...

🥎🏆 Building Champions the Right Way | Coach Donnie Danklefsen  What does it take to build a championship program—and sustain it for more than two decades? In this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast , Matt Rogers sits down with Donnie Danklefsen , Head Softball Coach at Trine University , a 2x NCAA National Champion and one of the most respected program builders in college athletics. In...

🎙️ Trust the Process: Recruiting, Patience & Perspective with Karrah Davis 🏐 In this episode of the Significant Recruiting Podcast , Matt Rogers continues his conversation with Karrah Davis , Head Volleyball Coach at the NCAA Division III University of Dubuque — one of the great young coaches in college volleyball today. Coach Davis brings a rare and valuable recruiting perspective shaped by...