Building Excellence with Bailey Miles

#215: Paul Mills is the head men's basketball coach at Wichita State University. Prior to his tenure at Wichita State, Mills served as the head coach at Oral Roberts University from 2017 to 2023. Under his leadership, the Golden Eagles achieved significant success, including a historic Sweet 16 appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a 15-seed, making them just the second team in history to reach that stage from such a low seed. In the 2022–23 season, Mills guided ORU to a 30–5 record, an undefeated 18–0 run through the Summit League, and a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. His coaching prowess earned him recognition as a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award and the NABC’s Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor.  Before his time at Oral Roberts, Mills spent 14 years at Baylor University, initially as a coordinator of operations from 2003 to 2009 and then as an assistant coach from 2009 to 2017. During his tenure, Baylor made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Elite Eight and four Sweet 16 berths.  Mills began his coaching career at the high school level, leading his teams to multiple district championships. He also served as the director of basketball operations at Rice University for one year. Mills is a 1996 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2020. On the show Coach Mills shares his story of growing up, playing basketball, overcoming a career ending injury, getting into coaching, impact, stewardship, service, hard work, deeds over words, sustaining success, faith, and much more.  Enjoy the show!  https://x.com/coachmills?lang=en [https://x.com/coachmills?lang=en]  https://www.instagram.com/goshockersmbb/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/goshockersmbb/?hl=en]

#214: Doug McNamee serves as the President of Field & Stream, where he is leading the revitalization of the iconic outdoor brand. Since assuming the role he has overseen the return of Field & Stream’s print magazine, the launch of the 1871 Club membership program, and the development of strategic partnerships with cultural figures such as Eric Church and Morgan Wallen. Under his leadership, Field & Stream is being positioned as a modern platform that merges storytelling, commerce, and conservation, aiming to reconnect with a multigenerational audience of outdoor enthusiasts. Prior to joining Field & Stream, Doug was President of Magnolia, the lifestyle and media brand founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines, where he played a key role in its national expansion. He and his wife were actually featured in the very first episode of Fixer Upper.  Before Magnolia he was the senior associate athletic director at Baylor University running the Bear Foundation and various other responsibilities. He served as a GA with the Baylor men’s baseball program and was a student manager with the men’s basketball team.  On the show Doug shares his story, getting into athleitcs, perspective on culture, the importance of listening, humility, confidence, vulnerability, family, faith, and much more.  For more on Doug check him out on social as well as fieldandstream.com [http://fieldandstream.com]  Enjoy the show

#213: Casey Woods is the Offensive Coordinator for SMU Football. He just recently helped lead SMU to the College Football Playoff.  A veteran coach with a strong pedigree in both player development and strategic play-calling, Woods has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most explosive offenses in college football.  Prior to joining SMU, Woods coached at powerhouse programs including Auburn winning a national championship, Missouri, UAB, Arkansas State, and Tennessee where he worked alongside some of the best coaches in the game and contributed to multiple high-performing teams. His journey through the coaching ranks reflects a deep understanding of the game, from recruiting and player evaluation to game-day execution. A former wide receiver at the University of Tennessee, Woods blends firsthand experience with a keen football intellect. Beyond the X’s and O’s, Casey Woods is known for his leadership, communication, and the trust he builds with his players. His presence on the SMU sideline marks more than just a strategic advantage—it reflects a commitment to mentorship, culture, and winning the right way. On the show he shares his story, the influence of his parents, importance of core values, power of genuine relationships, leadership, care, faith, family, and much more.  Be sure to follow Coach Woods on X @CoachCaseyWoods Enjoy the show!

#212: Mike O’Connell serves as the associate lead pastor at Love Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He is also an entrepreneur, speaker and leadership coach.  Mike’s story has been marked by overcoming obstacles. After a near fatal football injury in 2004, he turned down multiple football scholarship offers to walk on at Iowa. One week after the decision he was denied admission because he wasn’t in the top 50% of his graduating class, even with a 3.3 GPA. While meeting with the provost regarding the situation, he was told statistics indicated he would fail out in his first semester if they granted him admission. Knowing failure wasn’t an option, he made the bold decision to walk on at Iowa State. With all the odds against him, he survived three coaching changes and went on to earn a scholarship, become a team captain and earn all Big 12 academic honors. After one season of professional football Mike decided to lay down his dream of playing in the NFL. He moved from Los Angeles, California to Omaha, Nebraska with no job or place to live. Mike went on to work for Stryker as a medical device representative for two and half years before leaving corporate America to pursue his calling as a pastor. Mike hosts the Backstage with Mike O’Connell podcast, as well as the Lead Different Experience.  For more on Mike check him out on social, as well as lovechurch.org [http://lovechurch.org]  and his website at mikeoconnell.com [http://mikeoconnell.com]  Enjoy the show!

#211: Eric Musselman is the head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) men's basketball team, having taken the helm in April 2024. Prior to joining USC, he spent five seasons at the University of Arkansas, compiling a 111–59 record and leading the Razorbacks to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Elite Eight runs. Musselman also served as head coach at Nevada from 2016 to 2019, where he guided the Wolf Pack to three Mountain West Conference titles and three NCAA Tournament berths. His coaching career spans over 30 years and includes stints in both the NBA and international basketball. Coach Musselman played college basketball at the University of San Diego, where he earned All-Academic honors and helped the Toreros reach two NCAA Tournaments. He is the son of Bill Musselman, a former NBA head coach, making them the first father-son duo to both serve as NBA head coaches. Eric Musselman's coaching journey began in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he became the youngest head coach in league history at age 24. He later transitioned to the NBA, coaching the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and also served as an assistant with several NBA teams. His international experience includes coaching the national teams of the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the United States. On the show he shares his story, thoughts on leadership, continues learning, resilience, energy, adapting, consistency, building excellence, and much more.  For more info on Coach Muss check out his social media @ericpmusselman, as well as the USC men’s basketball program at usctrojans.com [http://usctrojans.com]  Enjoy the show!