Episode 38: Jerry Don Baker - Retired football coach - Valdosta High School, Valdosta, GA

353-63-5, 18 region championships, 10 state championships and 4 national championships…if I told you that would be your career record, I think most of us would take it. In today’s episode we have the pleasure of going down memory lane as we learn from the greatest motivator of people I have ever known. My father, Coach Jerry Don Baker of Valdosta High School in Valdosta, Ga. Moving from Texas as a small child he created a life in Valdosta where he still lives today surrounded by those he has influenced and motivated throughout the years. Settle in and let us introduce you to my dad…Coach Jerry Don Baker. 1:15- Introduction9:08- A Story of the Mystique of Valdosta Football13:12- Strategies to Find Success as an AD in a Small Town17:12- Leadership Lessons from Coach Bazemore & Coach Hyder22:03- Managing a Group of ‘Alpha’ Leaders25:36- Winning was a Tradition29:04- How a Vision Keeps You Ahead33:46- Paying Your Dues39:03- How an AD Should Treat His/Her Coaches41:19- Relationships & Loving Your People43:35- Integrity Required to Coach Your Own Children48:20- Keys to Focus on When Hiring Coaches50:55- Preparation!!!55:37- The Ghost Stories from Valdosta Football59:49- What are You Most Proud of from Years in Athletics?1:02:25- 2-Minute DrillAbout Hangin With The AD Podcast….Hangin with the AD is an interview style podcast where Don Baker, Cobb County School District Director of Athletics, partners with Josh Mathews, Pope High School (GA) Athletic Director, to discuss hot topics and lessons learned with leaders in the world of athletics.  These leaders include high school athletic directors at the district and local school levels; college athletic administrators; leaders in spaces that connect to athletics such as nutrition, wellness, recruiting, student-athlete recognition; current and former athletes; and others, who can help athletic administrators develop themselves and their programs for a better daily experience for their athletic communities.          We hope you enjoy the time we spend with these special guests.  Please leave us a review or rating to help us know how you were benefited from this podcast or how we can improve it.  Thank you for listening.  And until next time, thank you for spending your time, Hangin with the AD.           Don Baker, CMAA.... Director of Athletics for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. @CCSD_AD (twitter & instagram) Josh Mathews, CMAA...Athletics Director at Pope High School in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) @jwmathews14 (twitter & instagram)