August 7, 2023 • 31 mins
Tim Cates catches up with Oregon State women's volleyball coach Lindsey Behonick about taking over the Beavers program and her goals as a 1st time head coach. Lindsey was one of the top assistant coaches in the country while at Pittsburgh and before that at Concordia University Irvine. Lindsey was an All-American volleyball player at CUI before she got her MCAA from CUI and pursued a career in coaching.
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She was an All American as aplayer, then went on to become an
assistant coach at Pitt, which becamea powerhouse in women's volleyball. Now she's
in her first season as head coachat Oregon State. She is Lenzy Bahanick,
and she joins us now on episodesixty four of the Masters in Coaching
podcast. Let's Go Well, Welcomeinto episode sixty four the Masters in Coaching
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Podcast here on IR Radio YouTube.Wherever you may be watching and listening,
we appreciate it. Just hit thefollow button to make sure you subscribe as
well. We appreciate everybody who listensand watches. So excited to talk to
this week's guest. She is thewomen's volleyball coach at Oregon State at a
long time assistant at Pitt, whereshe helped build a program into a national
powerhouse. Four ACC championships, threeconsecutive NCAA Elite aids, back to back
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NCAA Final four appearances in twenty oneand twenty two. Before Pitt, she
was a coach at Concordia University,Irvine for two seasons, helping a combined
team go seventy five and two.When an NAI national Championship. She was
a three time All Conference at twotime NAI All American honor herself as a
player at Concordia University. She's alsoa graduate of the Masters and Coaching Athletics
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Administration program. In fourteen, shehas Lindsay Beahonick and she joins US now
coach. How are you. I'mdoing great. Thanks for having me absolutely
so. Here you are summertime.You got the job at Oregon State after
a long stand as assistant at Pittand here you are now in in control
of your own program. What hasit been like the last few months since
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she took over? Yeah, so, I'm I haven't even been here for
six months yet, which is crazy. I feel like I've been here for
a while, but for all likein all good ways, but really busy.
I had to build a roster forthis upcoming year, as well as
transitioning my family from the East Coastback to the West coast, hiring a
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staff, getting to know, youknow, my support staff in athletic department
that I am, and then justtrying to enjoy Corvallis because it's an awesome
place to live and raise a familyas well. What was the standard of
program when you took it over goinginto it, what did you know you
needed to do? Yeah, theyjust haven't had the success probably they were
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wanting in the last end of time. And so I got hired here to
bring the team back to making theNCAA tournament. And it doesn't just happen
overnight, as I know from myprevious experience at Pitt that it's just it's
a long process. But I knewthat I just had to help change the
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culture fast. And I think thetime that I had this winner in spring
term with the team, we've comeso far already with just kind of developing
a different way of training, adifferent mindset, being a little bit more
like a family, and going throughtough you know, we're being tough.
And so I think I also havea good group of athletes coming in that
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are graduate transfers and also some undergradtransfers that I think can help will help
shape this program as well. Youtalk about culture, and that word gets
thrown around a lot, especially insports, but as somebody who's taking over
a program and wanting to do ityour way and coming in and taking over
a program, maybe it's not comingoff the success they had hoped how do
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you establish culture so quickly? Isthere something you can do and what does
that foundation like that you have toimplement? Yeah, I think standards is
really important. I kind of lookmore at having high standards, low expectations,
or just not having my expectations ashigh, because I think that's where
maybe disappointment can come in. Butif we always have a standard and a
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common goal that we want to achieve, then you know, we're all we're
all moving in that direction. Ithink one of the biggest things, and
especially taking over a new program,is building relationships. I mean I only
knew the girls on the team byreading their bio or you know, checking
out social media, and then viceversa. They looked at my bio and
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probably found me on Instagram, youknow, and saw that I'm at least
like They're like, okay, she'sa mom. Hope they think I'm a
cool mom, you know, ButI just yeah. So I think it
was a lot of relationship building,which I had a big emphasis on that
in the early months that I washere. The roster. As you mentioned,
you know, you're not turning itover, but you're tweaking. What
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was that philosophy coming in here?And it's still six months on the job
and now you're still going into yourfirst full season in school year for that
matter. But what was that like, Is that something that you knew right
away? In order to maybe getsuccess, we got to go to the
portal and bring some transfers in andkeep what maybe a basin was already there.
What was the mindset initially and howlong did that process take for you
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to say, Okay, here's howI want my roster. If we don't
have it like I have it now, I need to go get some transfers.
Yeah, so it's always evolving.But I think the biggest thing for
me was, I organ State isa really special place, and you want
people that want to come here tonot just like play like for my staff
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and I and be a part of, you know, a competitive conference,
but people that want to also likebuy into the philosophy of what Oregan State
University is in the athletic department.And then so I feel like the returning
players totally embody that, and thenas well as the new athletes I brought
in. You've been on the jobsix months, you got your own program.
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Is this is this sort of whereyou'd hope to get finally is to
have your own program and kind ofput your stamp on that program. How
important was it for you coach tomaybe come back west because you're West coast
route. Yeah. So I thinkearly on in my career, like after
my undergraduate time at Concordia, Ididn't want to stop playing the sport,
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so I played in your up fora season and kind a chance to kind
of get my like my feet wetin college athletics working for Paula and John
Sprat at the time you see Irvineand then the opportunity I Concordia came about,
and I think I remember Dan Fishercalling me like during the interview process
and he's like, I want someonethat wants to be a coach, and
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I feel like I was just stilllike trying to figure out as every college
athlete does, their identity of likeokay, I'm no longer an athlete,
and I just kind of was likehe was like, do you want to
be a coach? And I'm like, and I literally I think remember being
on the phone pausing for like fiveminutes. No I'm exaggerating, but like
for a good cent of time I'mlike, yeah, I do, and
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so I think ever since then,I was like, Okay, I'm committed
to being a coach. And thengoing to Pittsburgh, I just I knew
I always wanted to be a headcoach, but I was never someone that
was like I need to do it, I need to do it, I
need to do it, because Iwas just I want to be present where
I am, like where my feetare, we are doing great things,
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you know. I like Dan hasbeen a great mentor and also like a
someone a part of my family.And then I had had opportunities in the
past the last couple of years tobe a head coach, but I also
just wanted to make sure it wasthe right fit. I have two little
kids, my husband is a soccercoach, and I just every kind of
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school that popped up, I justwas like, yeah, there just was
like it's just similar to recruiting athletestoo, you know, It's just like
it just didn't feel right. AndI just felt like at the time here
at Oregon State we've been Obviously thesuccess at pit had really helped me too,
but I just felt like this wasa place where I could be a
successful Power five coach and also bea mom and like those are like the
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two most and then also be likea great wife to my husband too,
And so I think just all thepieces aligned here. I have two cousins
that are Oregon State, the loansthat live in the Pacific Northwest. Still,
obviously I'm originally from southern California,so it's been great just to have
family take a quick flight up orjust me getting my kids together with my
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cousins. So I think I thinkit's been a nice like lifestyle changed too.
Well. I talk a little bitabout volleyball in general, and the
the thinking is, I guess maybeI'm wrong, is that West Coast volleyball
is ahead of everybody else and that'skind of where the best volleyball players originate
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from. Is that the case?Because I asked that because the three girls
I have going through high school,their friends played volleyball, club volleyball.
They're going to Indianapolis, They're goingto tournaments and doing the whole circuit.
And what the vibe I get andwhat they say is, you know,
all the parents are like, well, the West Coast is where it's at.
It's where you need to be outhere on club and everything. Is
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that the case that West Coast volleyballis ahead of everybody else, or is
it even now? I think it'sthe success across the country. I just
from my time just being on theEast Coast to Midwest to being back on
the West Coast, is that there'sgreat volleyball everywhere now. And I think
that's what's driving this competitive nature inthe club, high school, realm and
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into college. Is I'm I'm everyone'spulling athletes from from all over the country
because volleyball players are good. Howdid you get into volleyball? Coach?
Well, what was it that setyou on that course to want to play
at the college level and to takeyou to this the career on now?
But why volleyball? Yeah? Itried soccer. I think I just wanted
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to sit in a goal rather thanlike run. My husband would last every
time. Here's that. Yeah,my dad was a baseball player, so
I really tried to get me intosoftball. Wasn't really into that. And
my mom and my aunt would playvolleyball at the local y m c A.
And you know, they had likea kind of coach or someone that
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ran it that had sometime you know, with the like USA volleyball and helping
with the Olympics, and so itwas just me just going to the YMCA
and playing volleyball, and I didn'tI kind of just had a different path.
And it's obviously times to have changedand evolved with the way like club's
going, but I didn't play clubuntil my freshman year in high school.
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So but I knew I just wantedto stick with volleyball. I my recruiting
was not the normal either, andI just kind of when Paula got hired
at Concordia the first time around,I was like, okay, to play
for an Olympian who just came outout of like USC. I'm like,
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I'm like, yeah, I wantto play for her, Like it was
like and then the school like Concordiawas just a cherry on the top,
Like I just like I knew,I was like Wow, to play like
for someone like her, i'mlike,I'd be like honored. So that's just
kind of like the quick synopsis ofmy path. So yeah, I started
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out the y MCA. When youthink about maybe some of the coaches that
helped you along the way and kindof molded you into to who you are,
who are some of those people thathelped you out that that really come
to mind when you think about whoyou are as a coach. Now,
Yeah, Paula wis Off is definitelyone. I had an opportunity to work
first sin of time for John Sprawwho's now at UCLA and with the men's
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national team. Obviously, Dan Fisher, who I started out with at Concordia
and then at PITT has been longstanding like great mentor to me. I
also just think through my time atPITT just some of the assistants that kind
of had flown like came through withDan and I have really made it impact,
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like Craig Dyer who's now at NotreDame, and then the current assistant
that's there that I've is like abrother to me, Kelen Patrone. But
and then our other assistant at thetime at Concordia, Trevor Johnson who's at
Liberty. Those are probably like mymy core people. But I it's been
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cool too as now a head coachthat I'm just like getting little nuggets from
other people too, and just buildingdifferent relationships with people and I'm like,
oh wow, okay, great,And so now I've been like calling and
picking up the phone talking to twodifferent people. So that's what I think
is just great about the sport isthat, like all coaches just want to
continue to learn and evolve that andthat's that's why I'm doing it as a
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head coach now. And those arelistening and watching, they're they're learning about
being a Division one head coach comingfrom and being an assistant to now head
coach. How different is it isthe life of an assistant coach? Are
always recruiting, maybe maybe not asmuch as a CEO is when you are
as a head coach in the faceof a program. Have you seen a
difference? Have you Are you stillgot that mindset when you were an assistant
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coach now as a head coach andis there a difference? Definitely a difference.
I still sometimes gravitate like I hadobviously as an assistant you have different
roles and responsibilities, and so Itend to gravitate a little bit towards like
the things that like, we're kindof like my little like babies at pit
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that like, I want to makesure they're really good here. But then
I also realize, Okay, I'mas a head coach, I have to
look at big picture too. Butthe biggest difference to me is just how
important little things are. I justrecall a lot like as an assistant,
I wouldn't always and I've talked toDan about this too, but I wouldn't
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always understand maybe why there was suchan emphasis on something in the program,
And then now being in the headcoach position, I'm like, oh my
god, it totally makes sense.It's like because it was like really meaningful
to Dan and so like, andnow I'm seeing like little things. Maybe
it's something different, but just likelittle things make the like big things great
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and so just not letting those likelittle like cultural things or things that involve
in the in the program, likethe operation day to day stuff like letting
those like little things slip, couldyou know, impact different ways, so
I think, And you also justhave to You're managing more people, which
is different, and you're you're takingon all the responsibility, and I just,
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yeah, it's it's definitely different,but it's not something that I haven't
I feel like I'm coming into thishead coaching position with an opportunity to not
only grow, but the fact thatI have learned a lot at my time
at PIT five years ago, MaybeI don't know if I would be as
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ready as I am today. MaybeI thought I was ready, but I
feel like I'm just I'm like,okay, I get it. You know
a little bit more. That's interestingand you're describing it's kind of having a
different lens on looking at something.You got to kind of wider lens looking
down on your program. Uh,you know, overseeing every little tibet as
you mentioned, as an assistant,is a lot of it recruiting For those
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again watching and listening and want toknow what the assistant kind of rule as
the divisional level, because we talkedto coaches at different levels from from high
school to an AI all went intodivisional one, and it's great to get
these different perspectives about what their rolesare because as you know, you get
down to maybe a division two threeNAI and the head coaches got more responsibilities
because you don't have as many assistantsor you don't have the budget to necessarily
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do the recruiting. But for foryou at Pitt, for for those ten
years, what was what is thatlike as an assistant the recruiting and the
day to day work. Yeah,so there was a recruiting coordinator. I
wasn't the recruiting coordinator, but Idid have my hand in recruiting for myself.
I did a lot more. Ithink also Dan knew that I wanted,
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like I did have aspirations to bea head coach, so he did
a really good job like for meof, hey, you want to learn
a little bit more about budgeting orfundraising, like why didn't you join this
meeting with me, you know,or why didn't you join in on this
like conversation with an athlete so youcan understand how to maybe mold or go
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through those type of conversations. Andso my role I was like really heavily
involved in running the camps I did. I helped practice planning. I just
feel like that was like one areathat I absolutely loved was like the training
point and just the creative the creativejuices like flow. I'm not like an
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artsy creative person, but I justfeel like when it comes to practice planning,
and even now that I'm like doingit more on my own, I'm
just like wow, Like I justlike some of the girls on the team
are like Wow, that's creative.I'm like thanks, Like, you know,
like I don't. I don't identifyas someone that's like this creative,
out of the box person, butwhen it comes to like in the gym
stuff, I feel like that's myniche, which I'm like, Okay,
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that's why I'm like, that's whyI'm a coach is because like that's where
like my sweet spot is. Butyeah, I had a lot of roles
at PIT, which I think helpedme become a head coach. And I
think that's been like the like thegratitude part from my time at PIT is
that I've had to be an opsperson or a facility or like manage facilities,
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and so now I have an understandingand empathy and like how hard that
role can be, you know.So I just I just think over yeah,
my time there, I've had anopportunity to evolve also my assistant role
as the more I live, betterI got to as an assistant. Have
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you hired assistants he had at organState? I did, Yes, you're
in that process. Were did youhave in mind kind of coaches you were
looking for and did those coaches meetthose expectations? I guess I mean,
this is your chance to find thoseassistants that you were for for a long
time. How I guess what wasthat process like, Yeah, so probably
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someone that I probably should have mentionedthat's a mentor of mine too. It
is Jamie Morrison. He actually helpedPaula out at Concordia for a little stint
of time, and he's at TexasA and M now. But I remember
before he got into college coaching,and he was training with the or coaching
the Dutch national team, and hecame over and was talking to me,
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and I just was asking about howhe hired his staff with the national team,
and he told me, you needto make sure you find people that
like you trust and that like buyinto what you want. He's like,
even if maybe they're not the bestat certain area, he's like, the
trust, the caring, the likeloving part will outweigh what maybe the like
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the day to day task maybe thatsomeone isn't having. And I think maybe
I was that to Dan too earlyon because I could never coach Division one.
I coached two years at Nai ASchool Concordia, and I was a
grad student for part of the time. So I know he hired me because
he like because of like the loyaltyI had to him and knowing what like
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he wants and to help shape culture. And so I took from my experience
as well as like the stuff thatJamie kind of had told me. And
I feel like with Abby and Peterthat I hired, and I just hired
another assistant. Her name's Becca,I just feel like I got the best
of everything. Is just people thatlike know me and are like totally admitted
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to it, and then are alsojust really good humans that's really important in
coaching, and they like kind ofthey also are good at some of my
flaws, you know, like I'mnot always the best, or I'm not
great at technology, and I havesomeone that's good at technology, or you
know, I I have a someoneon my staff that has been a head
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coach that has gone through, youknow, some things maybe that I haven't
already as a head coach. SoI just feel like I got a good
balance of people and people that I'veactually known for a little bit of time
just over the course of my coachingcareer. And I'm just really grateful that
they wanted to be a part ofthis journey with me. That's some great
advice for those listening to watch,and you know, trust your assistant coaches
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and maybe not necessarily what they haveon the resume, you know they can
learn and but that trust is ahuge part when hiring assistance at that is
some great advice coach coming to thePAC twelve, It's it's a big conference
as far as volleyball, but Imean you come from the ACC, which
is a powerhouse as well. Whenyou look around the landscape of the PAC
twelve and women's volleyball, what arethe teams to stick out or is there
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a team you're striving striving to getyour program to be like in the conference
or what's your approach going into yourfirst season. Yeah, my approach going
into the first season is I wantto get wins in the non conference.
It just let the program unfortunately hasn'tcome off a winning season lately, and
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so I want to hope that andI want to like steer my program towards
making the NCAA tournament. And soI know we're gonna be coming up against
some strong Pac twelve opponents, andyou know, I've been used to in
the last couple of years playing somereally really tough teams and big moments,
and whether it's a winner loss,there's always areas to grow and so I
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know, I know it's a process. I'm looking forward to to competing in
there and just also just showing,like the other Pac twelve coaches, how
much like this program has changed andevolved already, and like maybe will will
surprise people in a good way.You hit on something the process and maybe
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taking some lumps early on, youknow, and at the same time,
you know the way you play willshow other coaches and other programs that hey,
this is a team we're not messingaround with and you know they're they're
on the rise. How do youhow do you navigate through that? Is
that something you're gonna have to figureout as the head coach for the first
time, maybe the ups and downsof even if it's early on in the
season or the middle part of theseason or a stretch you running during conference
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play. Have you thought about that? Is Is that going to be something
that's going to be tough to Gavinnavigate or do you kind of have an
idea of how you're going to getyour team through that as that head coach?
Yeah, I have an idea andI think a lot of it is
you know, some like team building, like our our practice planning that we
have like scenario type stuff. Ialso just think laying the foundation of like,
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hey, this is what the standardsare like, and like the girls
on the team know that the twothings they can controls attitude and effort,
And so I want to be ateam that goes hard all the time and
they can control that. And Iknow not everyone's always going to feel their
best every day, you know,but like can we just fake it as
best we can, like until webecome like the team that always gives or
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when we're not feeling our best.So I just yeah, I think the
team and I have, you know, in our first team meeting in the
preseason, will kind of outline thosethings and do a lot of just little
check ins throughout this season of hey, are how are we doing in this
area or maybe what do we needto do to steer more in this direction
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if we've slipped a little bit.So I think it's just always constantly like
having those conversations and letting the teamknow like kind of hey, this is
where we're at, and letting thembe a part of it and having some
autonomy in their personal game but alsolike autonomy in their training too. This
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may sound like a dumb question,but maybe for a young coach learning,
how important is that communication between youas a head coach, through your assistant
coaches to your team, Because basedon my experience, sometimes you can get
a program where maybe the head coachis a little detached, a figurehead more
and the assistant coach or run things. And especially in football when you got
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your position coaches and maybe you're notdeal with your head coach as much.
But in volleyball is certainly different.But that line of communication, how important
is it? It's really important,Especially for me. I might over communicate,
but in a good way, justso that the team understands more,
especially because we're all in this newsituation together. But I also I don't
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want it to feel new. Iwant to feel like, oh, we've
been a part of this group fora long time. So it's trying to
build to build it, like thecohesiveness fast, and I think just making
sure that we're always constantly communicating ordebriefing after practice or you know. I
mean, it's the way that thegym is set up is awesome, Like
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you're my office is literally really closeto the gym, and it's like up
no stairs or anything. And it'sjust been cool the amount of girls it
just come by just to say hi, when they're not even like required to
be here. So I think they'realready feeling the sense of like community here
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and it's been cool. I'm like, Wow, they actually like want to
be here, or they just comein to ask a question, like just
to make sure they're clear on something. So for me, communication is really
important. I think that's kind oflike something in regards to the little thing
that I think I like that Itouched upon for me is like communication is
big in our In my program,you mentioned when you were a young assistant
(26:08):
coach at GA at Concordia you weregoing through the graduate program. You graduated
from the Masters and Coaching Athletics Administrationprogram way back in twenty fourteen. What
was that like, Well, firstoff, why was it important for you
to get your master's degree? Isthat something you kind of figured if I
want to keep coaching and get toa certain level, I'm gonna need that
masters? And how was the programwhen you went through it? Yeah,
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So I'd always like kind of thoughtin the back of my mind I would
get a master's, like after Ifinished playing volleyball, like like professionally,
but I just was like I mightnot from the like financial situation to time
so like wherever I am in life, and I just think everything just kind
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of fell back into place of mebeing able to go back to Concordia and
then being an assistant there, andthen the icing on the cake was and
you can get a master's I'm likesweet and like it was why was a
part of like one of the firstclasses too, So I thought it was
just it was also a great timeto also be a part of something new.
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And I mean King forty has grownso much and you know, going
from Division two to adding a men'svolleyball to having this master's program. So
I'm proud of them and definitely gratefulfor for Tom White. In my time
at during the master's program, thedifferent coaches we talked to in different sports,
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you know, whether it's a baseballcoach or volleyball coach, water polo
coach, football coach, or anathlete director, they all kinds of say
the same thing, like, wow, I thought I knew about you know,
I know my sport, I knowwhat's going on, but it was
great to learn about other sports andto hear the philosophies kind of intertwined from
different sports as far as the coachingphilosophies, and and that they were able
(28:00):
to learn from other sports and coachesmore than they thought they were going to
learn for sure, And I Ithink that's why I wanted to do more
than in person classes when I wasthere. It also just fell in line
with practices that I had to coachand then go to go to my class
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courses. But I like that toobecause I got to just like listen to
other people and I was young,like and I was just literally like,
I haven't been in the profession forlong, So it was cool just to
have some you know, experienced coachesand just also hearing like a little bit
of maybe how they navigate working withtheir administration or support staff or just like
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little tidbits here and there. Becauseit wasn't just coaches that I had.
It was like there were a bunchof people in my in my classes that
had aspirations to also be like anadministrator athletic director. So it was just
cool to hear both sides and learnin that way. And then when I
moved to Pittsburgh, I went onlineand I didn't miss that sense of community.
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Well, coach, we appreciate yourtime, continued success to what you're
doing. You did big things atpitt and now taking it to Oregon State.
You're back on the West Coast andso excited to see what you're gonna
do with this program. I'm anLA guy, a West Coast guy,
a PAC twelve guy, so Ilove seeing that's on the West Coast and
the PAC twelve at every sport.So I couldn't be happier for you.
(29:33):
Thank you for sharing your story anda little bit of background, and for
those watching and listening getting some wisdomfrom you as well. So just thank
you so much for your time andtalking to people. Thanks so much for
having me and love to do itagain. Well there she goes. Lindsay
Bahanik, head coach at Oregon State, got the job back in December.
She's hit the ground running now,going into her first season at the Helm
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with the Beavers there in core Pallace. Congratulations to her and all her success.
She was a player at Concordia University, Irvine and All American there a
grad assistant as she was going throughthe Masters in coaching and athletics Administration program.
You heard her. She did itin the classroom when she was a
GA at Concordia. Then she becamean assistant at pitt and was still in
the program and was doing it online, so she could do it remotely,
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she could do it in person.She can do it the busy schedule as
an assistant coach at a Division onewomen's volleyball program. So can you find
the time? Find out if theprogram is right for you. At CUY
dot edu slash Coaching, there aremultiple start times throughout the year. If
you're a new student, they gota one thousand dollars scholarship. Find out
more about the Masters in Coaching andAthletics Administration Program whether you want to better
(30:41):
your education, better your career,or just take that next step. Cuy
dot edu slash Coaching. CUI dotedu slash Coaching. Thanks to Lennsy Thanks
to you for listening and watching That'sGonna Do It. Episode sixty four is
in the books. Share on theMaster in Coaching podcast. Until next time,
(31:02):
Tim Kate saying so long, everybody,
She was an All American as aplayer, then went on to become an
assistant coach at Pitt, which becamea powerhouse in women's volleyball. Now she's
in her first season as head coachat Oregon State. She is Lenzy Bahanick,
and she joins us now on episodesixty four of the Masters in Coaching
podcast. Let's Go Well, Welcomeinto episode sixty four the Masters in Coaching
(00:28):
Podcast here on IR Radio YouTube.Wherever you may be watching and listening,
we appreciate it. Just hit thefollow button to make sure you subscribe as
well. We appreciate everybody who listensand watches. So excited to talk to
this week's guest. She is thewomen's volleyball coach at Oregon State at a
long time assistant at Pitt, whereshe helped build a program into a national
powerhouse. Four ACC championships, threeconsecutive NCAA Elite aids, back to back
(00:50):
NCAA Final four appearances in twenty oneand twenty two. Before Pitt, she
was a coach at Concordia University,Irvine for two seasons, helping a combined
team go seventy five and two.When an NAI national Championship. She was
a three time All Conference at twotime NAI All American honor herself as a
player at Concordia University. She's alsoa graduate of the Masters and Coaching Athletics
(01:11):
Administration program. In fourteen, shehas Lindsay Beahonick and she joins US now
coach. How are you. I'mdoing great. Thanks for having me absolutely
so. Here you are summertime.You got the job at Oregon State after
a long stand as assistant at Pittand here you are now in in control
of your own program. What hasit been like the last few months since
(01:33):
she took over? Yeah, so, I'm I haven't even been here for
six months yet, which is crazy. I feel like I've been here for
a while, but for all likein all good ways, but really busy.
I had to build a roster forthis upcoming year, as well as
transitioning my family from the East Coastback to the West coast, hiring a
(01:55):
staff, getting to know, youknow, my support staff in athletic department
that I am, and then justtrying to enjoy Corvallis because it's an awesome
place to live and raise a familyas well. What was the standard of
program when you took it over goinginto it, what did you know you
needed to do? Yeah, theyjust haven't had the success probably they were
(02:16):
wanting in the last end of time. And so I got hired here to
bring the team back to making theNCAA tournament. And it doesn't just happen
overnight, as I know from myprevious experience at Pitt that it's just it's
a long process. But I knewthat I just had to help change the
(02:37):
culture fast. And I think thetime that I had this winner in spring
term with the team, we've comeso far already with just kind of developing
a different way of training, adifferent mindset, being a little bit more
like a family, and going throughtough you know, we're being tough.
And so I think I also havea good group of athletes coming in that
(03:02):
are graduate transfers and also some undergradtransfers that I think can help will help
shape this program as well. Youtalk about culture, and that word gets
thrown around a lot, especially insports, but as somebody who's taking over
a program and wanting to do ityour way and coming in and taking over
a program, maybe it's not comingoff the success they had hoped how do
(03:24):
you establish culture so quickly? Isthere something you can do and what does
that foundation like that you have toimplement? Yeah, I think standards is
really important. I kind of lookmore at having high standards, low expectations,
or just not having my expectations ashigh, because I think that's where
maybe disappointment can come in. Butif we always have a standard and a
(03:46):
common goal that we want to achieve, then you know, we're all we're
all moving in that direction. Ithink one of the biggest things, and
especially taking over a new program,is building relationships. I mean I only
knew the girls on the team byreading their bio or you know, checking
out social media, and then viceversa. They looked at my bio and
(04:08):
probably found me on Instagram, youknow, and saw that I'm at least
like They're like, okay, she'sa mom. Hope they think I'm a
cool mom, you know, ButI just yeah. So I think it
was a lot of relationship building,which I had a big emphasis on that
in the early months that I washere. The roster. As you mentioned,
you know, you're not turning itover, but you're tweaking. What
(04:30):
was that philosophy coming in here?And it's still six months on the job
and now you're still going into yourfirst full season in school year for that
matter. But what was that like, Is that something that you knew right
away? In order to maybe getsuccess, we got to go to the
portal and bring some transfers in andkeep what maybe a basin was already there.
What was the mindset initially and howlong did that process take for you
(04:51):
to say, Okay, here's howI want my roster. If we don't
have it like I have it now, I need to go get some transfers.
Yeah, so it's always evolving.But I think the biggest thing for
me was, I organ State isa really special place, and you want
people that want to come here tonot just like play like for my staff
(05:14):
and I and be a part of, you know, a competitive conference,
but people that want to also likebuy into the philosophy of what Oregan State
University is in the athletic department.And then so I feel like the returning
players totally embody that, and thenas well as the new athletes I brought
in. You've been on the jobsix months, you got your own program.
(05:38):
Is this is this sort of whereyou'd hope to get finally is to
have your own program and kind ofput your stamp on that program. How
important was it for you coach tomaybe come back west because you're West coast
route. Yeah. So I thinkearly on in my career, like after
my undergraduate time at Concordia, Ididn't want to stop playing the sport,
(05:58):
so I played in your up fora season and kind a chance to kind
of get my like my feet wetin college athletics working for Paula and John
Sprat at the time you see Irvineand then the opportunity I Concordia came about,
and I think I remember Dan Fishercalling me like during the interview process
and he's like, I want someonethat wants to be a coach, and
(06:21):
I feel like I was just stilllike trying to figure out as every college
athlete does, their identity of likeokay, I'm no longer an athlete,
and I just kind of was likehe was like, do you want to
be a coach? And I'm like, and I literally I think remember being
on the phone pausing for like fiveminutes. No I'm exaggerating, but like
for a good cent of time I'mlike, yeah, I do, and
(06:43):
so I think ever since then,I was like, Okay, I'm committed
to being a coach. And thengoing to Pittsburgh, I just I knew
I always wanted to be a headcoach, but I was never someone that
was like I need to do it, I need to do it, I
need to do it, because Iwas just I want to be present where
I am, like where my feetare, we are doing great things,
(07:04):
you know. I like Dan hasbeen a great mentor and also like a
someone a part of my family.And then I had had opportunities in the
past the last couple of years tobe a head coach, but I also
just wanted to make sure it wasthe right fit. I have two little
kids, my husband is a soccercoach, and I just every kind of
(07:26):
school that popped up, I justwas like, yeah, there just was
like it's just similar to recruiting athletestoo, you know, It's just like
it just didn't feel right. AndI just felt like at the time here
at Oregon State we've been Obviously thesuccess at pit had really helped me too,
but I just felt like this wasa place where I could be a
successful Power five coach and also bea mom and like those are like the
(07:50):
two most and then also be likea great wife to my husband too,
And so I think just all thepieces aligned here. I have two cousins
that are Oregon State, the loansthat live in the Pacific Northwest. Still,
obviously I'm originally from southern California,so it's been great just to have
family take a quick flight up orjust me getting my kids together with my
(08:15):
cousins. So I think I thinkit's been a nice like lifestyle changed too.
Well. I talk a little bitabout volleyball in general, and the
the thinking is, I guess maybeI'm wrong, is that West Coast volleyball
is ahead of everybody else and that'skind of where the best volleyball players originate
(08:35):
from. Is that the case?Because I asked that because the three girls
I have going through high school,their friends played volleyball, club volleyball.
They're going to Indianapolis, They're goingto tournaments and doing the whole circuit.
And what the vibe I get andwhat they say is, you know,
all the parents are like, well, the West Coast is where it's at.
It's where you need to be outhere on club and everything. Is
(08:56):
that the case that West Coast volleyballis ahead of everybody else, or is
it even now? I think it'sthe success across the country. I just
from my time just being on theEast Coast to Midwest to being back on
the West Coast, is that there'sgreat volleyball everywhere now. And I think
that's what's driving this competitive nature inthe club, high school, realm and
(09:20):
into college. Is I'm I'm everyone'spulling athletes from from all over the country
because volleyball players are good. Howdid you get into volleyball? Coach?
Well, what was it that setyou on that course to want to play
at the college level and to takeyou to this the career on now?
But why volleyball? Yeah? Itried soccer. I think I just wanted
(09:45):
to sit in a goal rather thanlike run. My husband would last every
time. Here's that. Yeah,my dad was a baseball player, so
I really tried to get me intosoftball. Wasn't really into that. And
my mom and my aunt would playvolleyball at the local y m c A.
And you know, they had likea kind of coach or someone that
(10:09):
ran it that had sometime you know, with the like USA volleyball and helping
with the Olympics, and so itwas just me just going to the YMCA
and playing volleyball, and I didn'tI kind of just had a different path.
And it's obviously times to have changedand evolved with the way like club's
going, but I didn't play clubuntil my freshman year in high school.
(10:31):
So but I knew I just wantedto stick with volleyball. I my recruiting
was not the normal either, andI just kind of when Paula got hired
at Concordia the first time around,I was like, okay, to play
for an Olympian who just came outout of like USC. I'm like,
(10:52):
I'm like, yeah, I wantto play for her, Like it was
like and then the school like Concordiawas just a cherry on the top,
Like I just like I knew,I was like Wow, to play like
for someone like her, i'mlike,I'd be like honored. So that's just
kind of like the quick synopsis ofmy path. So yeah, I started
(11:13):
out the y MCA. When youthink about maybe some of the coaches that
helped you along the way and kindof molded you into to who you are,
who are some of those people thathelped you out that that really come
to mind when you think about whoyou are as a coach. Now,
Yeah, Paula wis Off is definitelyone. I had an opportunity to work
first sin of time for John Sprawwho's now at UCLA and with the men's
(11:35):
national team. Obviously, Dan Fisher, who I started out with at Concordia
and then at PITT has been longstanding like great mentor to me. I
also just think through my time atPITT just some of the assistants that kind
of had flown like came through withDan and I have really made it impact,
(12:00):
like Craig Dyer who's now at NotreDame, and then the current assistant
that's there that I've is like abrother to me, Kelen Patrone. But
and then our other assistant at thetime at Concordia, Trevor Johnson who's at
Liberty. Those are probably like mymy core people. But I it's been
(12:22):
cool too as now a head coachthat I'm just like getting little nuggets from
other people too, and just buildingdifferent relationships with people and I'm like,
oh wow, okay, great,And so now I've been like calling and
picking up the phone talking to twodifferent people. So that's what I think
is just great about the sport isthat, like all coaches just want to
continue to learn and evolve that andthat's that's why I'm doing it as a
(12:43):
head coach now. And those arelistening and watching, they're they're learning about
being a Division one head coach comingfrom and being an assistant to now head
coach. How different is it isthe life of an assistant coach? Are
always recruiting, maybe maybe not asmuch as a CEO is when you are
as a head coach in the faceof a program. Have you seen a
difference? Have you Are you stillgot that mindset when you were an assistant
(13:07):
coach now as a head coach andis there a difference? Definitely a difference.
I still sometimes gravitate like I hadobviously as an assistant you have different
roles and responsibilities, and so Itend to gravitate a little bit towards like
the things that like, we're kindof like my little like babies at pit
(13:28):
that like, I want to makesure they're really good here. But then
I also realize, Okay, I'mas a head coach, I have to
look at big picture too. Butthe biggest difference to me is just how
important little things are. I justrecall a lot like as an assistant,
I wouldn't always and I've talked toDan about this too, but I wouldn't
(13:50):
always understand maybe why there was suchan emphasis on something in the program,
And then now being in the headcoach position, I'm like, oh my
god, it totally makes sense.It's like because it was like really meaningful
to Dan and so like, andnow I'm seeing like little things. Maybe
it's something different, but just likelittle things make the like big things great
(14:13):
and so just not letting those likelittle like cultural things or things that involve
in the in the program, likethe operation day to day stuff like letting
those like little things slip, couldyou know, impact different ways, so
I think, And you also justhave to You're managing more people, which
is different, and you're you're takingon all the responsibility, and I just,
(14:37):
yeah, it's it's definitely different,but it's not something that I haven't
I feel like I'm coming into thishead coaching position with an opportunity to not
only grow, but the fact thatI have learned a lot at my time
at PIT five years ago, MaybeI don't know if I would be as
(14:58):
ready as I am today. MaybeI thought I was ready, but I
feel like I'm just I'm like,okay, I get it. You know
a little bit more. That's interestingand you're describing it's kind of having a
different lens on looking at something.You got to kind of wider lens looking
down on your program. Uh,you know, overseeing every little tibet as
you mentioned, as an assistant,is a lot of it recruiting For those
(15:24):
again watching and listening and want toknow what the assistant kind of rule as
the divisional level, because we talkedto coaches at different levels from from high
school to an AI all went intodivisional one, and it's great to get
these different perspectives about what their rolesare because as you know, you get
down to maybe a division two threeNAI and the head coaches got more responsibilities
because you don't have as many assistantsor you don't have the budget to necessarily
(15:45):
do the recruiting. But for foryou at Pitt, for for those ten
years, what was what is thatlike as an assistant the recruiting and the
day to day work. Yeah,so there was a recruiting coordinator. I
wasn't the recruiting coordinator, but Idid have my hand in recruiting for myself.
I did a lot more. Ithink also Dan knew that I wanted,
(16:08):
like I did have aspirations to bea head coach, so he did
a really good job like for meof, hey, you want to learn
a little bit more about budgeting orfundraising, like why didn't you join this
meeting with me, you know,or why didn't you join in on this
like conversation with an athlete so youcan understand how to maybe mold or go
(16:30):
through those type of conversations. Andso my role I was like really heavily
involved in running the camps I did. I helped practice planning. I just
feel like that was like one areathat I absolutely loved was like the training
point and just the creative the creativejuices like flow. I'm not like an
(16:52):
artsy creative person, but I justfeel like when it comes to practice planning,
and even now that I'm like doingit more on my own, I'm
just like wow, Like I justlike some of the girls on the team
are like Wow, that's creative.I'm like thanks, Like, you know,
like I don't. I don't identifyas someone that's like this creative,
out of the box person, butwhen it comes to like in the gym
stuff, I feel like that's myniche, which I'm like, Okay,
(17:15):
that's why I'm like, that's whyI'm a coach is because like that's where
like my sweet spot is. Butyeah, I had a lot of roles
at PIT, which I think helpedme become a head coach. And I
think that's been like the like thegratitude part from my time at PIT is
that I've had to be an opsperson or a facility or like manage facilities,
(17:40):
and so now I have an understandingand empathy and like how hard that
role can be, you know.So I just I just think over yeah,
my time there, I've had anopportunity to evolve also my assistant role
as the more I live, betterI got to as an assistant. Have
(18:00):
you hired assistants he had at organState? I did, Yes, you're
in that process. Were did youhave in mind kind of coaches you were
looking for and did those coaches meetthose expectations? I guess I mean,
this is your chance to find thoseassistants that you were for for a long
time. How I guess what wasthat process like, Yeah, so probably
(18:22):
someone that I probably should have mentionedthat's a mentor of mine too. It
is Jamie Morrison. He actually helpedPaula out at Concordia for a little stint
of time, and he's at TexasA and M now. But I remember
before he got into college coaching,and he was training with the or coaching
the Dutch national team, and hecame over and was talking to me,
(18:44):
and I just was asking about howhe hired his staff with the national team,
and he told me, you needto make sure you find people that
like you trust and that like buyinto what you want. He's like,
even if maybe they're not the bestat certain area, he's like, the
trust, the caring, the likeloving part will outweigh what maybe the like
(19:07):
the day to day task maybe thatsomeone isn't having. And I think maybe
I was that to Dan too earlyon because I could never coach Division one.
I coached two years at Nai ASchool Concordia, and I was a
grad student for part of the time. So I know he hired me because
he like because of like the loyaltyI had to him and knowing what like
(19:33):
he wants and to help shape culture. And so I took from my experience
as well as like the stuff thatJamie kind of had told me. And
I feel like with Abby and Peterthat I hired, and I just hired
another assistant. Her name's Becca,I just feel like I got the best
of everything. Is just people thatlike know me and are like totally admitted
(20:00):
to it, and then are alsojust really good humans that's really important in
coaching, and they like kind ofthey also are good at some of my
flaws, you know, like I'mnot always the best, or I'm not
great at technology, and I havesomeone that's good at technology, or you
know, I I have a someoneon my staff that has been a head
(20:22):
coach that has gone through, youknow, some things maybe that I haven't
already as a head coach. SoI just feel like I got a good
balance of people and people that I'veactually known for a little bit of time
just over the course of my coachingcareer. And I'm just really grateful that
they wanted to be a part ofthis journey with me. That's some great
advice for those listening to watch,and you know, trust your assistant coaches
(20:45):
and maybe not necessarily what they haveon the resume, you know they can
learn and but that trust is ahuge part when hiring assistance at that is
some great advice coach coming to thePAC twelve, It's it's a big conference
as far as volleyball, but Imean you come from the ACC, which
is a powerhouse as well. Whenyou look around the landscape of the PAC
twelve and women's volleyball, what arethe teams to stick out or is there
(21:07):
a team you're striving striving to getyour program to be like in the conference
or what's your approach going into yourfirst season. Yeah, my approach going
into the first season is I wantto get wins in the non conference.
It just let the program unfortunately hasn'tcome off a winning season lately, and
(21:29):
so I want to hope that andI want to like steer my program towards
making the NCAA tournament. And soI know we're gonna be coming up against
some strong Pac twelve opponents, andyou know, I've been used to in
the last couple of years playing somereally really tough teams and big moments,
and whether it's a winner loss,there's always areas to grow and so I
(21:56):
know, I know it's a process. I'm looking forward to to competing in
there and just also just showing,like the other Pac twelve coaches, how
much like this program has changed andevolved already, and like maybe will will
surprise people in a good way.You hit on something the process and maybe
(22:17):
taking some lumps early on, youknow, and at the same time,
you know the way you play willshow other coaches and other programs that hey,
this is a team we're not messingaround with and you know they're they're
on the rise. How do youhow do you navigate through that? Is
that something you're gonna have to figureout as the head coach for the first
time, maybe the ups and downsof even if it's early on in the
season or the middle part of theseason or a stretch you running during conference
(22:38):
play. Have you thought about that? Is Is that going to be something
that's going to be tough to Gavinnavigate or do you kind of have an
idea of how you're going to getyour team through that as that head coach?
Yeah, I have an idea andI think a lot of it is
you know, some like team building, like our our practice planning that we
have like scenario type stuff. Ialso just think laying the foundation of like,
(23:03):
hey, this is what the standardsare like, and like the girls
on the team know that the twothings they can controls attitude and effort,
And so I want to be ateam that goes hard all the time and
they can control that. And Iknow not everyone's always going to feel their
best every day, you know,but like can we just fake it as
best we can, like until webecome like the team that always gives or
(23:30):
when we're not feeling our best.So I just yeah, I think the
team and I have, you know, in our first team meeting in the
preseason, will kind of outline thosethings and do a lot of just little
check ins throughout this season of hey, are how are we doing in this
area or maybe what do we needto do to steer more in this direction
(23:52):
if we've slipped a little bit.So I think it's just always constantly like
having those conversations and letting the teamknow like kind of hey, this is
where we're at, and letting thembe a part of it and having some
autonomy in their personal game but alsolike autonomy in their training too. This
(24:14):
may sound like a dumb question,but maybe for a young coach learning,
how important is that communication between youas a head coach, through your assistant
coaches to your team, Because basedon my experience, sometimes you can get
a program where maybe the head coachis a little detached, a figurehead more
and the assistant coach or run things. And especially in football when you got
(24:36):
your position coaches and maybe you're notdeal with your head coach as much.
But in volleyball is certainly different.But that line of communication, how important
is it? It's really important,Especially for me. I might over communicate,
but in a good way, justso that the team understands more,
especially because we're all in this newsituation together. But I also I don't
(25:00):
want it to feel new. Iwant to feel like, oh, we've
been a part of this group fora long time. So it's trying to
build to build it, like thecohesiveness fast, and I think just making
sure that we're always constantly communicating ordebriefing after practice or you know. I
mean, it's the way that thegym is set up is awesome, Like
(25:23):
you're my office is literally really closeto the gym, and it's like up
no stairs or anything. And it'sjust been cool the amount of girls it
just come by just to say hi, when they're not even like required to
be here. So I think they'realready feeling the sense of like community here
(25:44):
and it's been cool. I'm like, Wow, they actually like want to
be here, or they just comein to ask a question, like just
to make sure they're clear on something. So for me, communication is really
important. I think that's kind oflike something in regards to the little thing
that I think I like that Itouched upon for me is like communication is
big in our In my program,you mentioned when you were a young assistant
(26:08):
coach at GA at Concordia you weregoing through the graduate program. You graduated
from the Masters and Coaching Athletics Administrationprogram way back in twenty fourteen. What
was that like, Well, firstoff, why was it important for you
to get your master's degree? Isthat something you kind of figured if I
want to keep coaching and get toa certain level, I'm gonna need that
masters? And how was the programwhen you went through it? Yeah,
(26:30):
So I'd always like kind of thoughtin the back of my mind I would
get a master's, like after Ifinished playing volleyball, like like professionally,
but I just was like I mightnot from the like financial situation to time
so like wherever I am in life, and I just think everything just kind
(26:52):
of fell back into place of mebeing able to go back to Concordia and
then being an assistant there, andthen the icing on the cake was and
you can get a master's I'm likesweet and like it was why was a
part of like one of the firstclasses too, So I thought it was
just it was also a great timeto also be a part of something new.
(27:15):
And I mean King forty has grownso much and you know, going
from Division two to adding a men'svolleyball to having this master's program. So
I'm proud of them and definitely gratefulfor for Tom White. In my time
at during the master's program, thedifferent coaches we talked to in different sports,
(27:37):
you know, whether it's a baseballcoach or volleyball coach, water polo
coach, football coach, or anathlete director, they all kinds of say
the same thing, like, wow, I thought I knew about you know,
I know my sport, I knowwhat's going on, but it was
great to learn about other sports andto hear the philosophies kind of intertwined from
different sports as far as the coachingphilosophies, and and that they were able
(28:00):
to learn from other sports and coachesmore than they thought they were going to
learn for sure, And I Ithink that's why I wanted to do more
than in person classes when I wasthere. It also just fell in line
with practices that I had to coachand then go to go to my class
(28:22):
courses. But I like that toobecause I got to just like listen to
other people and I was young,like and I was just literally like,
I haven't been in the profession forlong, So it was cool just to
have some you know, experienced coachesand just also hearing like a little bit
of maybe how they navigate working withtheir administration or support staff or just like
(28:45):
little tidbits here and there. Becauseit wasn't just coaches that I had.
It was like there were a bunchof people in my in my classes that
had aspirations to also be like anadministrator athletic director. So it was just
cool to hear both sides and learnin that way. And then when I
moved to Pittsburgh, I went onlineand I didn't miss that sense of community.
(29:11):
Well, coach, we appreciate yourtime, continued success to what you're
doing. You did big things atpitt and now taking it to Oregon State.
You're back on the West Coast andso excited to see what you're gonna
do with this program. I'm anLA guy, a West Coast guy,
a PAC twelve guy, so Ilove seeing that's on the West Coast and
the PAC twelve at every sport.So I couldn't be happier for you.
(29:33):
Thank you for sharing your story anda little bit of background, and for
those watching and listening getting some wisdomfrom you as well. So just thank
you so much for your time andtalking to people. Thanks so much for
having me and love to do itagain. Well there she goes. Lindsay
Bahanik, head coach at Oregon State, got the job back in December.
She's hit the ground running now,going into her first season at the Helm
(29:56):
with the Beavers there in core Pallace. Congratulations to her and all her success.
She was a player at Concordia University, Irvine and All American there a
grad assistant as she was going throughthe Masters in coaching and athletics Administration program.
You heard her. She did itin the classroom when she was a
GA at Concordia. Then she becamean assistant at pitt and was still in
the program and was doing it online, so she could do it remotely,
(30:19):
she could do it in person.She can do it the busy schedule as
an assistant coach at a Division onewomen's volleyball program. So can you find
the time? Find out if theprogram is right for you. At CUY
dot edu slash Coaching, there aremultiple start times throughout the year. If
you're a new student, they gota one thousand dollars scholarship. Find out
more about the Masters in Coaching andAthletics Administration Program whether you want to better
(30:41):
your education, better your career,or just take that next step. Cuy
dot edu slash Coaching. CUI dotedu slash Coaching. Thanks to Lennsy Thanks
to you for listening and watching That'sGonna Do It. Episode sixty four is
in the books. Share on theMaster in Coaching podcast. Until next time,
(31:02):
Tim Kate saying so long, everybody,
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