Episode 150 Brad Neffendorf - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

Many cities similar-sized to us have large universities and/or sports teams that bring the community together. We probably will never have either of those things BUT one thing we should all feel great about and come together around is the fact that LSUS just completed the greatest season in baseball history. You can find my full discussion with Head Coach Brad Neffendorf here (or wherever you get your podcasts by searching "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home").

 

Here are the questions I asked:

 

0:38 1. You recently completed the greatest season in baseball history. 59-0. LSUS Baseball’s first national championship and the first national championship at LSUS in any sport. Clearly you’re doing something very right.

 

Rather than rehash the season which I know you’ve done in countless interviews, I’d rather spend today just getting your thoughts and perspective on a few different things.

 

Let’s start here.

 

You were hired in early 2020. And when your hiring was announced, LSUS AD Lucas Morgan called you a “winner”. What does being a winner mean to you? Both for yourself and if you were using that word to describe one of your players?

 

7:35 2. You have coached countless pitchers who signed professional contracts. Why do pitchers flourish under your guidance?

 

16:07 3. You recently received the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award honoring the nation’s top coach from any level of college baseball. In speaking about the award, you said that Coach Bertman embodied everything a great leader and coach should represent. In your opinion, what makes someone a great leader and coach?

 

18:47 4. All of us face adversity at different times in our lives. In the final game, after going 58-0, your team went down early 4-Zero. Share some of your thought process in that moment, in hopes of helping all of us deal with adversity better when we inevitably face it. Also, what do your think your team’s process was at that time to push through the challenges and early difficulties in the championship game?

 

23:42 5. In speaking about this year’s team, you said that they became incredibly close, extremely quick. Talk to me about some of the factors you attribute to the team’s quick and strong process of bonding with one another.

 

31:22 6. You once said, “A lot of cities are built off something, but the athletic piece is what takes it over the top”. I know how important sports can be for a town’s identity, self-esteem, and just for bringing everyone together? How can we make LSUS sports and all the incredible things you are doing part of more of our community’s lives?