Grant Leonard on Queens' March Madness Run, Buddy the Street Dog & Building a NCAA Contender

Queens Coach Grant Leonard on March Madness: A-Sun Title, Buddy the Street Dog & the Royals’ NCAA DebutOn the David Glenn Show, Queens University of Charlotte head coach Grant Leonard discusses the Royals’ transition from Division II to Division I and their first year of postseason eligibility culminating in an Atlantic Sun championship and an NCAA tournament berth. Leonard shares his basketball journey, the national exposure and admissions/fundraising impact for Queens (including over 1 billion social media hits), and comments on a planned merger with Elon University while keeping separate campuses and athletic departments. He explains team culture and retention, his holiday-themed sweater tradition, the “Buddy the street dog” symbol for winning 50-50 plays, and how coaching a TBT team helped his head-coaching readiness. Leonard breaks down Queens’ elite offense, highlights key players like Chris Ashby and Yoav Berman, addresses concerns about an SEC assistant approaching a player, and outlines Queens’ fast style and underdog mindset in March Madness.00:00 Show Open and Sponsor00:59 Queens March Madness Story02:34 Coach Leonard Journey03:11 March Madness Campus Impact03:59 Queens Elon Merger Explained04:55 Building the Queens Brand06:09 The Iconic Game Sweaters07:50 Buddy the Street Dog09:33 TBT Coaching Breakthrough12:07 Lessons From Losses13:26 Preseason Pick Pressure14:39 Keeping Players in Portal Era16:39 What Makes Their Offense Elite17:48 Offense For Each Other18:00 Lundy Coaching Lessons19:15 Sponsor Break20:25 Ethics Of Courtside Recruiting22:27 Chris Ashby Work Ethic24:26 Culture Keeps Players25:24 Developing Underrecruited Talent27:04 Sponsor Break28:18 Yoav Berman Calm Leader30:50 What Makes Queens Different31:56 March Madness Mindset33:52 Network Sign OffWelcome to the North Carolina Sports Network!Your home for all things sports in the Bold North State — from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, PGA TOUR, and NASCAR to the heart of ACC and college athletics.🎥 Stories. 🎙️ Podcasts. 📊 Analysis.Covering the legends, the rising stars, and everything in between.👇 Subscribe & follow:🌐 ncsportsnetwork.com🎧 Podcasts: Spotify, Apple & more📲 @TheNCSportsNet on all platforms#NCsports #BoldNorthState