Ways To Win

To start, Coach Cal checks in from his new office at Arkansas and talks about how he’s building his staff, establishing a new culture — and what it means to transition from one phase to another. Then former star Kentucky guard and 12-year NBA vet Rex Chapman talks with Craig about how he overcame some of the rockiest periods in his personal and professional life. At the end of the day, whether in sports or in life, it’s all about the teammates you surround yourself with.

Championship-winning MLB manager and coach Joe Maddon sits down to chat with Craig. Joe helps a listener with some team-building advice. Then he lays out how he built a winning culture and a historic World Series run with the Cubs. Lastly, Joe explains the ingredients that make up great teams, why influencers make him laugh, and how his mom still holds him accountable.

As the WNBA season nears, ESPN/SEC basketball analyst and Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings joins the show. She dives into the “pressure” #1 draft pick Caitlin Clark is under, tips for making it through the league’s training camp gauntlet, and what she learned during her own leap to the pros. Tamika also shares some poignant lessons from her college coach, the luminary Pat Summitt.

March Madness is over (congrats to South Carolina and UConn!) and award-winning ESPN/NBC broadcaster LaChina Robinson stops by to debrief with Craig. She speaks on her experience watching the total solar eclipse in Cleveland, the qualities that make Dawn Staley a living legend, and storylines she’s got her eyes on with the WNBA season around the corner. LaChina also shares her mission to pave the way for the next generation of media talent through her non-profit, Rising Media Stars.

Craig catches up with Coach Cal in Phoenix to react to Kentucky’s stunning knockout, what’s next for him and the team and how he’s approaching recruitment and roster construction in the new world of the transfer portal and NIL deals.

Head coach of the Connecticut Sun and ESPN analyst Stephanie White drops by to talk shop. She and Craig explore the women's tournament and its stars, the long-awaited rise of "WBB," and her preparation for the upcoming WNBA season. Also, Coach White reminisces on her journey to a national championship (and a Wade Trophy) at Purdue as a player, and of course, tells us who she's got winning the women's title.