The Teacher Coach with T.K. Griffith and Scott Matthew Callaghan

Mike Bluey was raised in the tradition-rich area of western PA near Erie. After his high school playing career, a random phone call to Kennedy Catholic changed the trajectory of his career as legendary coach Joe Votino took him for the week and offered him a job as an assistant while still in college at YSU.  Instead of the military, he was headed to the hardwood and the bench.  Along the way, he met Mike Fuline and became a head c...

B.J. Sanderson grew up in the basketball rich community of the Triway Titans, wearing purple and dreaming big hoop dreams. Today, he is a titan in his own right as a much heralded coach at Norton High School. Sanderson led the Panthers to their first district championship in 31 years and was one step away from the school's first district championship since 1951.  Influenced by his father, his coaches Randy Montgomery and Keith...

Matt Goul has spent 20 years honing his craft of journalism, writing and storytelling so that he can capture moments of joys forever.  Now a cornerstone of the northeast Ohio sports scene with cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer, Goul's tremendous work ethic and grit started early. As a 240lb freshmen, Goul stuck with football after a freshmen basketball season that he cherished. He then served as the cameraman for both the boy...

Kelly Kennedy climbed the coaching ladder faster than her wildest dreams could ever imagine.  Going from a Division III assistant to the NCAA Div. 1 bench at power conference schools led to her lifelong dream of becoming a  head coach when Mike Thomas offered her a chance to become the University of Akron head coach. But, her dream soon became a nightmare when four years later she was fired by the new AD after the losses piled up. ...

The ultimate teacher in life is a Mom, a spouse, a friend and a coach's wife. Amy is all of these and more. She commands respect with her diligent attention to the details of life. Her pride and joy, without a doubt, are her kids: Allie, Austin, Abby and Andrew. She and her sister, Emily, share a special bond as well. In this episode, which will only be aired for a few days, Amy's cousins, sister, kids, husband [me], aunt...

Kevin Furtado may just be the most intriguing guest we've had on the podcast thus far. A 30-year veteran with well over 400 wins, Furtado grew up in California and attended summer basketball camp (as an 8-year-old via metro bus) with the inventor of the flex offense [Carrol Williams] at Santa Clara University. When they treated him like somebody, he fell in love with game. Fast-forward many years and Furtado has branded himsel...

Chris Hamilton and his parents drifted across more states than an Oklahoma tumbleweed, but his most recent landing spot at Nebraska Wesleyan with head coach Dale Wellman feels like home. With Wellman's acumen, humor and tutelage, Hamilton continues to soak in various lessons and wisdom as he perfects the craft of coaching.  The son of an Air Force clinical psychologist father and a Presbyterian  minister mother, Hamilton was s...

Dave Close, owner of over 500 wins on the sidelines of the high school basketball world, went from the driveways of Stow as a youth to the sideline of Stow High where he has spent a lifetime impacting lives.  Coaching his Stow teams to two Final Fours, national rankings and numerous regional appearance would seem to be his claim to fame. But, it's not.  A faith-filled, caring man, Close considered being a minister before his c...

Ralph Orsini, who has won more games on the grid iron sidelines at Hoban than any coach in school history, will rejoin the Knights this fall as an assistant with now head coach Tim Tyrrell. Ralph's coaching style was forged in Mingo Junction, OH--near Steubenville-- where a slew of teachers and coaches taught him the values he holds dear.  A college football career with great mentors at Youngstown State University persuaded hi...

Justin Todd's high school football coach looked to his right and saw then-college-sophomore Justin in the stands back at his alma mater, East Knox High, to watch the football game that night. The hall of fame coach called Justin Todd down to his side, asked him to stand with him on the sidelines that night while he coached, and sparked a lifelong passion for Justin Todd, known today as one of the best high school football coac...

Cody Calhoun was born and bred a Bulldog.  Forged in the Green, Ohio, youth basketball system that his father, Rick, spent a decade running for Coach Mark Kinsley, Cody learned the essentials of the basketball world.  Toughness, physicality and defense were the staples he was raised on, and leadership and relationships guided his upbringing as well as his current coaching philosophy. At Rootstown High School, Cody guided the Rovers...

Danny Young has devoted his life to the young men and women at Shaker Heights School District.  As a teacher, counselor, principal, assistant coach and head coach, Danny has always led with class, charisma and heart. This episode speaks to his history, his influences, his six regional appearances, and his views on shaping young men to become leaders in the turbulent societal time. Danny shares a few key ideas from his church pastor...

Tyler Bates was named the head coach of the Loudonville Girls Basketball program in the spring of 2013. Upon his hiring, Bates was the youngest head coach in the state of Ohio at only 22 years old. Under Bates’ guidance, the Redbirds finished with 20+ wins (2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019) in back-to-back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. The success of his teams has helped him earn coach of the year recognit...

Goncalo Marques, from Lisbon, Portugal, shares his incredible insights learned through his clinical psychology and sports psychology background.  Marques, a young man who will be working with club teams in the Portugal soccer world as a sports psychologist, believes that coaches must not paint the full picture for their athletes, but should instead provide a palette upon which the players can paint their own masterpiece.  He argues...

Dan Kiser has spent more time with legendary coaches than any "normal" high school coach we know.  From Don Meyer to Morgan Woooten and Howard Garfinkel, Bob Hurley, Dan Hughes, Steve Fisher, Bob Huggins, Steve Moore and Nate Oates, Dan Kiser has learned the game with the legends by working camps, sharing information and immersing himself in the sport.  A stellar high school career at Wadsworth in Ohio sparked a lifelong ...

Josh Jakacki was a well heralded basketball player in the northeast Ohio basketball scene in 1994 starring at Crestwood High School. He went on to have a hall-of-fame career at Hiram College where his mother had worked and he had lived. His coaching career--both at Kenston and at Crestwood-- has been built on toughness, honesty and collaboration.  Ever adapting to his teams' strengths, Josh coached both of his sons at Crestwoo...

Kevin Byrne has a much different resume than most high school coaches.  Raised in Stow and Silver Lake, OH, Byrne played Stow junior pro basketball, CYO hoops for Holy Family Parish, high school ball for Walsh Jesuit and college ball at Carnegie Mellon.  He even added European play to his resume before starting a college coaching journey that saw him win first-ever league championships at Carnegie Mellon and MIT--both as an assista...

Matthew Koch has demonstrated excellence across the spectrum of his professional life and coaching life.  As the hockey coach for the University of Akron club team, Koch recruits boys and teaches them how to become men through unique LIFE U program and his emphasis and responsibility and accountability.  Perceived as a task master on the surface, Koch actually teaches his teams to eventually coach themselves through internal leader...

Mike Moser has been a lifelong learner and lifelong educator.  As a teacher coach in the Wadsworth schools, Mike has had many roles on the sidelines.  He left to be the head coach at Medina Highland on the girls' side.  He had success, came back to Wadsworth to assist, and now finds himself in a rebuilding project at Wadsworth as the head boys' coach.  He has great optimism in the young group currently under his helm, and...