Ep. 14, Josh Pastner - "Thank the Good Lord for Dr. James Naismith"

Send a textFrom the banks of the Ohio River in Glen Dale, West Virginia, to some of the biggest stages in college basketball, this week’s guest has built a career fueled by belief, energy, and an unshakable love for the game. Josh Pastner reflects on the influence of his parents, the move to basketball-crazed Texas, and the bold confidence of a fifth grader who created his own “scouting report” and declared he’d one day be a head coach. He takes us inside the formative years spent learning from legends like Lute Olson and John Calipari, the leap to becoming a head coach at 31, and the balance between confidence, faith, and authenticity. From leading programs at University of Memphis and Georgia Tech to life on television with ESPN and a return to the sideline at UNLV, Pastner shares what the pandemic taught him, why joy is a daily choice, and what basketball has meant — and still means — to the man behind the smile.