Ep. 332 Dustin Kerns, Appalachian State Mountaineers

In this week’s episode, Brendan Suhr is joined by Dustin Kerns, head coach of the Appalachian State Mountaineers.Kerns reflects on his coaching journey from graduate assistant to Division I head coach, sharing lessons learned from mentors such as Larry Shyatt and Mike Young. He discusses the importance of mastering the “invisible” parts of coaching, building relationships across an institution, and why aspiring coaches must focus on excelling where they are rather than constantly chasing the next opportunity. Kerns also provides an overview of how he rebuilt programs at both Presbyterian and Appalachian State by changing the psychology of winning before focusing on tactics. He shares strategies for establishing accountability, creating alignment throughout your program, and building a culture centered on discipline, selflessness, and team-first habits. The conversation dives into Appalachian State’s defensive identity, rebounding philosophy, player development, and the challenges of maintaining consistency in the transfer portal era. All that and more on Episode 332 of the Coaching U Podcast presented by Noah Basketball.Noah Basketball is trusted by 28 NBA teams, over 200 NCAA programs, and over 1,000 high school programs to capture and analyze key shooting metrics to help your players perfect their shot and reach their max potential.Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠noahbasketball.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🚨 Coaching U Live 2026 is just over 1 month away and this year's speakers are incredible! We're almost out of VIP tickets... Register now to save your seat!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE to learn more⁠⁠⁠⁠🏀 Cant Make it to Las Vegas? Work on Your Game Anytime with Coaching U+Now is your chance to watch every speaker, every session, and learn every strategy shared by accessing our entire library of coaching clinic videos anytime, anywhere, on any device!Watch NOW: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠coachingulive.com/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Not a member? Save 20% off your membership to Coaching U+ by using promo code PODCAST20 at checkout