Coaching Crossover

Coaching Crossover Ep 10: Matt Crocker and Jim Koerner

In Episode 10 of Coaching Crossover and the season finale, we speak with Jim Koerner, formally of USA Baseball and Matt Crocker, former technical director at USA Soccer. Matt Crocker is one of the leading technical directors in global soccer, recognized for his expertise in player development, coaching education, and long-term sporting strategy. In 2023, he was appointed Sporting Director of the United States Soccer Federation, where he oversaw the federation's sporting vision across all national teams and development pathways. Before joining U.S. Soccer, Crocker was the Director of Football Operations with Southampton F.C., helping shape one of the most respected youth development systems in Europe. Known for his modern approach to talent identification and development, Crocker has built a reputation as an innovative architect of high-performance soccer environments. Jim Koerner is a respected leader in amateur baseball development and coaching education, known for his long-standing impact within USA Baseball. With decades of experience in player development, scouting, and athlete evaluation, Koerner has played a key role in shaping national team programs and supporting the growth of elite amateur talent across the US. His work has included mentoring coaches, identifying emerging players, and helping build high-performance environments that prepare athletes for collegiate, professional, and international competition. As a manager, he led North Carolina Central University, the University of Buffalo and Marshall University. Listen as we get into long term player development strategies, the impact of over coaching and bio-banding and physical maturity in youth sports.

Coaching Crossover Ep 9: Kelly Inouye-Perez and Dean Kennedy

In Episode 9 of Coaching Crossover, we head to Southern California for an all-UCLA episode featuring women's softball head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez and football offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy. Kelly Inouye-Perez is a legend and ambassador for the game of women's softball. She is the only person to win an NCAA Softball Championship as both a player and a coach. As a catcher at UCLA, she won three national championships. Since 2007, Inouye-Perez has guided the Bruins to five appearances in the Women's College World Series, including two championships in 2010 and 2019. UCLA has reached the Division I Softball Tournament every year during her tenure. This season, she became the all-time winningest coach in the history of the program. Beyond wins and titles, Inouye-Perez is widely admired for her commitment to mentorship, academic success, and empowering student-athletes both on and off the field. Dean Kennedy is in his first season with the UCLA football program. He joined alongside head coach Bob Chesney and was hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this past offseason. Kennedy and Chesney have worked together at several stops, including James Madison, where Kennedy has served as offensive coordinator since 2023. Last season, his offense led the Dukes to their first appearance in the College Football Playoff and a perfect 8–0 conference record, just the 10th such season in Sun Belt history. His coaching approach emphasizes fundamentals, preparation, and accountability, helping student-athletes maximize their performance on the field while maintaining strong standards off it. Listen as we discuss the remarkable history of sport at UCLA, why effective communication is key to coaching and player development, and how to build trust between coaches and players alike.

Coaching Crossover Ep 8: Stubby Clapp and Ed Comeau

In episode 8 of Coaching Crossover we feature Ed Comeau, head coach of the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League and Stubby Clapp, first base coach for the St Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball. Ed Comeau is a Hamilton, Ontario native who started coaching with the Toronto Rock under legendary coach Les Bartley. He then went on to win the Les Bartley Coach Award in 2017. Comeau won four Champions Cups with the Rock and has captured two at the helm of the Storm and is one of only four coaches in NLL history with 100+ wins. He has also served as the General Manager of Canada's Men's Indoor Lacrosse Team and been head coach for the Gold Medal winning Canadian team at the 2015 World Indoor Lacross Championships. Comeau was most recently named to the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2024. Stubby Clapp played in the Major Leagues with the Cardinals and then went back into baseball as a coach, starting in A-Ball and working his way back to the Majors. He was 2017 and 2018 Manager of the Year with the Cardinals AAA team in Memphis and is a staple in Canadian baseball history, having represented Canada as a player in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2006 World Baseball Classic and, most famously, in the 1999 Pan-Am Games where his single with the bases loaded helped Canada beat a heavily-favoured US team. He also served as a base coach for Canada's World Baseball Classic team this past March. We discuss representing your country on a global level, the grind of a season for a coach and how each coach would like to see their sport improve.

Coaching Crossover Ep 7: Chantal Vallée and Graham Roxburgh

In episode 7 of Coaching Crossover we brought two old acquaintances back together from the U Sports world, which offers yet another case and point that coaching, no matter the sport, is a very small community. Chantal Vallée is one of the most accomplished figures in Canadian university basketball. Taking over the University of Windsor program in 2005, Vallée built the Lancers into a national powerhouse, leading them to five U Sports Women's Basketball Championship titles (2011-2016) and establishing one of the most dominant dynasties in Canadian collegiate sport. Known for her intense competitiveness, defensive-minded systems, and emphasis on culture and accountability, she has earned multiple Coach of the Year honors and widespread respect across the basketball community. Vallée was the recipient of the prestigious Athena Award in 2012 for contributions to her community and mentoring future women leaders and in 2013, she was presented with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee medal. Since taking over as head coach for Trinity Western in 1999, he has established the Spartans as one of the top programs in U Sports. He has guided the TWU to five U SPORTS national championships and eight Canada West gold medals. He was named U Sports Coach of the Year in 2011 and has been named Canada West Coach of the Year five times. Roxburgh has twice been the head coach for Canada's women's soccer team at the Summer Universiade, including 2009, where his team finished seventh, and in 2011, where his team finished fifth. Roxburgh also serves as the director of TeamUp, which works to "partner, collaborate and come alongside local organizations, and use sports either as a catalyst for the beginning of sustainable impact, or a component of a long-term community development strategy." Both coaches connected in the past through their philanthropy and in this conversation, we will talk about that work, what their recruitment trail looks like and holding onto a championship culture with roster turnover.

Coaching Crossover Ep 6: Clint Hurdle and Dave King

In episode 6 of Coaching Crossover we feature legends from the dugouts of Major League Baseball and behind the bench of Canada's hockey program. Clint Hurdle is a former Major League Baseball player and manager known for his leadership and player-development approach. A first overall pick in the 1975 MLB Draft, Hurdle played 10 seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets before transitioning into coaching. He gained national recognition as manager of the Colorado Rockies, leading the club to its first-ever World Series appearance in 2007. Hurdle later managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2011 to 2019, guiding the team to three consecutive playoff appearances and earning National League Manager of the Year Award honors in 2013. Hurdle has built a reputation as a respected leader and mentor throughout professional baseball. Dave King is one of Canada's most respected hockey coaches, with a career spanning more than four decades across international, collegiate, and professional levels. He first rose to prominence with University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men's Ice Hockey, leading the program to a national championship in 1983 before becoming head coach and general manager of Hockey Canada's men's national team program. King coached Canada at three Olympic Games, won a silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and led the country to gold at the 1982 World Junior Championships. At the professional level he served as head coach of the Calgary Flames and the inaugural coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. King has had a lasting impact on coaching development and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. Together we'll discuss a mutual respect for each other's sport, relying on instincts over data, and the challenge of in-game decision making.