Hoop Heads
by Hoop Heads Podcast Network
The Hoop Heads Podcast is co-hosted by Head Start Basketball Founder Mike Klinzing and Coach Jason Sunkle. The Hoop Heads Podcast covers a wide range of basketball topics relevant to coaches, players, and parents. Listen in for interviews with personalities from across the basketball landscape. Our line-up of podcast guests includes some of the top minds in the game across all levels, from grassroots to the NBA. They’ll share insights to help you grow as a coach, improve as a player, or enhance your experience of the game as a parent. You’ll gain new perspectives on what the best coaches are doing, how they do it, and why they do it. We hope to make you think and challenge you to consider your approach to the game of basketball.We’ll also attempt to entertain and inform as we share our thoughts on the NBA and college hoops. We are passionately committed to the Hoop Heads Podcast and growing the game of basketball.Visit our website www.hoopheadspod.com to check out every episode
Episodes
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Injuries Galore in the NBA's First Week - Episode 1316
On this episode Mike & Jason react to the first week of the NBA season and its wave of injuries. They ask whether the cause is AAU basketball, wear and tear, or just heavier media coverage. Then they go team by team through the big injuries: Orlando losing Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, Oklahoma...
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Mike Grey - Co-Founder of Bravara - Episode 1315
Mike Grey is the co-founder of Bravara, a youth sports league management tool that streamlines evaluations, team building, scheduling, communications, and player development. On this episode Mike and Mike discuss how technology can improve the youth sports experience for coaches, players…
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Dr. John Wiley Bryson - Author of the Book “Billy: Coach. Leader. Legend. Friend.” - Episode 1314
Dr. John Wiley Bryson is the author of the new book “Billy: Coach. Leader. Legend. Friend.” which tells the story of Billy Hicks, Kentucky’s winningest high school basketball coach. Billy is the powerful biography of a man whose impact stretched far beyond the scoreboard and into locker rooms,...
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NBA Tiers & Our Annual Wins/Losses Draft - Episode 1313
On this episode Mike & Jason sort the league into tiers and make their wins and losses picks across the standings. They discuss why Oklahoma City and San Antonio look like top contenders, while teams such as the Knicks, Cavaliers, Celtics, and Pistons face a more uncertain path to 50 plus wins.…
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Zack Odell - Founder of XCIV.ai - Episode 1312
Zack Odell is the Founder XCIV.ai A tool built for high school, middle school, and AAU coaches. Using XCIV coaches upload film, box scores, or play diagrams. XCIV.AI builds your scouting reports, game plans, and practice schedules. On this episode Mike & Zack discuss how XCIV.ai can help…
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Round Table 94 - What’s an idea you picked up outside of basketball that has influenced the way you coach? - Episode 1311
Welcome to the 94th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month....
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NBA Western Conference Over/Unders - Episode 1310
On this episode Mike & Jason discuss every Western Conference team’s over-under outlook, from title contenders to the bottom of the standings. They debate which teams could exceed expectations and which teams may fall short while breaking down how injuries, player development, roster depth, and...
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Jason Mays - Mental Performance Coach & Founder of Cognitecture - Episode 1309
Jason Mays is the Founder of Cognitecture, a mental performance coaching practice. Mays coached at the high school level at both Ashland Blazer and Montgomery County High Schools in Kentucky and made 5 state tournaments in 6 seasons as a head coach. Mays was previously an assistant coach and...
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Mark McGonigal - Columbia University Men's Basketball Assistant Coach - Episode 1308
Mark McGonigal is starting his second season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Columbia University. In McGonigal's first season Columbia went 16-12 under Head Coach Kevin Hovde and secured the program’s first winning campaign in 10 years. Prior to Columbia McGonigal served as an assistant...
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NBA Eastern Conference Over/Unders - Episode 1307
On this episode Mike & Jason discuss every Eastern Conference team’s over-under outlook, from title contenders to the bottom of the standings. Mike and Jason revisit last season’s predictions before debating which teams could exceed expectations and which may fall short. They examine roster...
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John Verduin - Founder of DYSports - Episode 1306
John Verduin is the Founder of DYSports, starting the business in 2018 while he was earning his MBA at Seattle University. DYSports specializes in hosting basketball tournaments designed for boys’ and girls’ youth teams in grades 3 - 11 who are developing their skills. DYSports events are ideal…
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Brandon Rhodes - Senior Vice President and General Manager of Emerging Sports at GameChanger - Episode 1305
Brandon Rhodes is the Senior Vice President and General Manger of Emerging Sports at GameChanger, a technology company that builds simple and powerful products for youth sports teams and their communities. On this episode Mike & Brandon discuss GameChanger’s growing role in youth basketball and…
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NBA Media Day Tidbits - Episode 1304
On this episode Mike & Jason discuss the Guardians’ playoff hopes, the Browns’ surprising 2–1 start, and the Cavs’ upcoming season. They then unpack NBA Media Day storylines, including Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers controversy, Brandon Ingram’s injury, and LeBron James’s comments about wanting to play...
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Xavier Silas - Virginia Military Institute Men's Basketball Associate Head Coach - Episode 1303
Xavier Silas is the Men’s Basketball Associate Head Coach and is in his 4th season at Virginia Military Institute. He has twice been named to the Silver Waves Media Mid Major Coaches watch list as a name to watch as a future head coach at the Division I level. Silas came to VMI after being an...
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Ken King - Author of the Book "Pyramid Scheme" - Episode 1302
Ken King is the author of the new book, Pyramid Scheme - How sport became an empire, why it is collapsing, and how we rebuild the game. Ken is the Executive Director of Calgary Minor Basketball, a non-profit of over 7000 athletes, 1500 coaches, and 300 officials. He is also the Principle/Founder…
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Kawhi Laughs All the Way to the Bank Plus Other Extension News & Notes - Episode 1301
On this episode Mike & Jason discuss Kawhi Leonard’s surprising $115 million extension with the Toronto Raptors and the fallout it leaves behind for the Clippers. They question whether Toronto can contend with Kawhi’s injury history and whether Los Angeles received enough in return for a...
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Michael Martinez - Overseas Pro Player & Bilingual Content Creator - Episode 1300
Michael Martinez is an overseas professional basketball player who currently competes internationally in Columbia. Michael has also built a bilingual following of 275K+ across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, posting training, game day, and everyday content in English and Spanish. On…
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Round Table 93 - What’s something about winning that you understand differently now than you did when you first became a coach? - Episode 1299
Welcome to the 93rd edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month....
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Ballmer, Expansion, League Pass, & The Best Players from Each State Rankings Continue - Episode 1298
On this episode Mike & Jason discuss a slow NBA news week, including potential league expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas and which Western Conference team might move east. They criticize the confusing and expensive ways fans must access local NBA games, arguing that a reasonably priced League...
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Bill Taylor - Author of the Book "Managing Sports Conflict" & Founder of the Sports Conflict Lab - Episode 1297
Bill Taylor is the author of the book, Managing Sports Conflict, and the founder of the Sports Conflict Lab which helps sports professionals navigate conflict, elevate leadership, and build cultures that win with integrity. Over a remarkable 28-year coaching career in track & field and cross...
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Nick Nichay - Dartmouth College Men's Basketball Assistant Coach - Episode 1296
Nick Nichay is entering his first season at Dartmouth College as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach under Brett McConnell. Nick previously served as the Head Coach at D3 Franklin & Marshall College for seven seasons where he led the Diplomats to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament in...
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Clippers Get Sunk, Kawhi Skates, Simmons to the Kings, & the Amen Extension - Episode 1295
On this episode Mike & Jason discuss the Clippers/Kawhi Fiasco from every angle, but Kawhi escaping any real punishment is the most shocking aspect of the entire situation. Next, they discuss Ben Simmons signing with the Kings and how far his star has fallen from his early years in the league....
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Andre Jackson - Director & Producer of the Documentary "Beyond Banners" - Episode 1294
Andre Jackson is the producer and director of the documentary Beyond Banners which follows sixty years of Gwynn Park High School basketball, a powerhouse public school program in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The doc begins as the story of one basketball program and grows into an examination…
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"The Triple Double" #26 with Rob Brost, Bolingbrook (Il) High School Boys' Basketball Head Coach - Episode 1293
The 26th edition of “The Triple Double” with Rob Brost, Bolingbrook (IL) High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach. Rob, Mike, & Jason hit on three basketball topics in each episode of “The Triple Double”. What is a tradition in your program that has nothing to do with basketball on the court, but…
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NBA Western Conference "Grade My Summer" - Episode 1292
On this episode Mike & Jason grade each Western Conference team's off-season moves and breakdown their current depth chart as the summer winds down. Connect with the Hoop Heads Podcast on social media! Twitter/x - @hoopheadspod Instagram - @HoopHeadsPod YouTube – Hoop Heads Podcast Facebook –…
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Rommel Corro - Head Coach of the ABA Champion Austin Bats
Rommel Corro is the Head Coach and General Manager of the Austin Bats of the American Basketball Association. He led the Bats to the ABA Championship in the 2025 - 2026 season. Corro was named the 4th head coach of the Austin Bats in 2018, taking over after the team reached the 2017–2018 ABA...
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Danny Servick - Founder of Pro One Basketball - Episode 1290
Danny Servick founded Pro One Sports in 2003 and built the company into one of the top global agencies in the business. Danny served as an NBA and FIBA agent, provided scouting services for top teams all over Europe, and helped players and coaches all over the world. Servick ran day-to-day...
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NBA Eastern Conference "Grade My Summer" - Episode 1289
On this episode Mike & Jason grade each Eastern Conference team's off-season moves and breakdown their current depth chart as the summer winds down. Visit our Sponsors! Give With Hoops Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built…
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Linda Martindale - Founder of Martindale Coaching - Episode 1288
Linda Martindale is the Founder of Martindale Coaching where she works with athletes on their mental fitness. Linda has been a head varsity basketball coach for both girls and boys, most recently as the boys’ varsity basketball head coach at Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Massachusetts. She is…
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CJ Armitage - Former Men's Basketball Assistant Coach at Simpson College - Episode 1287
CJ Armitage spent last season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Simpson College before stepping away from coaching to take a teaching position in Boulder, Colorado. Armitage previously served as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado during the 24-25 season following three…
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Round Table 92 - If every coach in the country had to copy one thing from your program, what would you want it to be? - Episode 1286
Welcome to the 92nd edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month....
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Calvin Booth - Former GM of the Denver Nuggets & Founder of Standard Front Office - Episode 1285
Calvin Booth is the Founder of Standard Front Office and the former General Manager of the Denver Nuggets where he helped build the 2023 NBA Championship Team. Standard Front Office is a real-time, expert-built evaluation of the college basketball player market that is delivered to every program…
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The Ramifications of Lebron Joining the Sixers Plus Opening Night & Christmas Day Schedule Reactions - Episode 1284
On this episode Mike & Jason are back after nearly a month to discuss LeBron's decision to join the Sixers. We look at how he fits in Philly: the great theoretical starting five, the injury risk, and the very questionable bench led by Dean Wade. Next up, a conversation about the teams that either...
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Will Marchino - University of Louisiana Monroe Women's Basketball Assistant Coach - Episode 1283
Will Marchino is entering his first season as a Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe. He spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Seward County Community College. He led the Saints to their second consecutive 20+-win season in 2025-26, recording a…
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Nick Friedman - Wake Forest University Men's Basketball Assistant Coach - Episode 1282
Nick Friedman is entering his second season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Wake Forest University. He previously served in numerous NBA and G-League coaching roles including four seasons as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets. Friedman has also worked with the Capital City...
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Matt Rogers - Founder & CEO of Significant Coaching & Recruiting - Episode 1281
Matt Rogers is the Founder and CEO of Significant Coaching & Recruiting, where he advises student-athletes and families, consults with college athletic programs, and speaks on recruiting, leadership, and personal development. Over a coaching career spanning more than 25 years, he has led men’s…
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Ari Miller - Founder of ASM Performance - Episode 1280
Ari Miller is the founder of ASM Performance and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant who helps athletes, coaches, executives, and organizations perform more consistently under pressure. Miller began his career as a college basketball coach, serving on staff at St. Michael’s College, Bryant...
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Round Table 91 - What's something you've completely stopped doing as a coach that you used to think was essential? - Episode 1279
Welcome to the 91st edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.…
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Top 4 Picks Shine in Summer League, Wemby & Trent, Jr. Contracts, & Kawhi in Limbo - Episode 1278
On this episode Mike & Jason talk about the rookie class performances in the NBA Summer League. Maleek Thomas of the Cavs has been lighting it up and the top 4 of Dybansta, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson have all shown why they were thought of as potential franchise players. Mike continues to…
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Malin & Lucas Morrison - Owners of the Red Rose Thunder Professional Basketball Team - Episode 1277
Malin and Lucas Morrison are the mother-and-son ownership team behind Red Rose Thunder, a professional basketball organization based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They purchased the franchise in 2020 and have built it into a respected program that has competed in professional and pro-am leagues…
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Ednaija "Nay" Lassiter - The Governor's Academy (MA) Girls Basketball Head Coach & CEO of Heavy Hearted Convos - Episode 1276
Ednaija “Nay” Lassiter is the Girls’ Basketball Head Coach at Governors Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts. In addition to her coaching role, Nay is the founder and CEO of Heavy Hearted Convos, a non-profit organization dedicated to mental wellness and fostering open discussions about emotionally...
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Mitchells Inks a Cavs' Extension...Is LeBron Next? - Episode 1275
On this episode Mike & Jason debate the merits of Donovan Mitchell's $273 Million - 4 year extension with the Cavs before diving into the possibility of LeBron joining the Cavs. They also discuss Detroit's curious off-season, the Wizards reacquiring Kris Middleton, the summer league debuts of Cam...
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Larry Shyatt - Retired Former Men's Basketball Head Coach at Wyoming & Clemson - Episode 1274
Larry Shyatt is a longtime college basketball coach who spent the final three years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He spent time as a head coach at both Clemson and Wyoming, making the 2015 NCAA Tournament with the Cowboys. Shyatt was an assistant at Utah, Cleveland State…
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Denny McDonnell - Simpson College Men's Basketball Assistant Coach & Founder of 4vLegacy Basketball Training - Episode 1273
Denny McDonnell is entering his third season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at D3 Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. McDonnell's extensive coaching career includes serving as the boy's assistant coach at North High School in Des Moines, Iowa and the girls' basketball coach at Valley High...
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NBA Free Agency & LeBron's Next Move - Episode 1272
On this episode Mike breaks down the LaMelo Ball, Kawhi Leonard, and Ja Morant trades before diving into LeBron's decision to leave the Lakers. It appears this was in the making for a while given how quickly the Lakers pivoted to trading for Walker Kessler and signing Grimes, Mamu, and Sexton.…
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Terry Awls - Glass City Wranglers General Manager & Director of Basketball and Recruiting for Hopson Elite AAU Basketball - Episode 1271
Terry Awls is the General Manager of the Glass City Wranglers, an affiliate professional basketball franchise of the Basketball Super League. Awls also serves as the Director of Basketball & Recruiting for Hopson Elite, an AAU Program based in Toledo, Ohio. Terry previously served on the Lourdes...
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Matthew Malc - Yeshiva of Flatbush (NY) Boy's Basketball Head Coach - Episode 1270
Matthew Malc is the Boys' Varsity Basketball Head Coach at Yeshiva of Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Ranney Panthers, a top-ranked New Jersey high school team that was also ranked #4 in the nation. Matthew has coached over forty Division 1...
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Giannis to the Heat & NBA Draft Reactions - Episode 1269
On this episode Mike and Jason share their thoughts on the Giannis trade from the perspective of both the Bucks and Heat. Next they look at the main storylines from the draft including the top 4 picks going as predicted, the Clippers taking Keaton Wagler at 5, New Mavs Coach Dusty May grabbing...
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RJ Bell - Duquesne University Women's Basketball Assistant Coach - Episode 1268
RJ Bell is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach and sixth season on staff for the Duquesne University Women's Basketball Team. After a two-year stint as a graduate student, Bell was promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2023-24 season. In his first season as offensive coordinator,...
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Round Table 90 - What's the most valuable coaching lesson you've learned from someone who wasn't a basketball coach? - Episode 1267
Welcome to the 90th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.…
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About this show
The Hoop Heads Podcast is co-hosted by Head Start Basketball Founder Mike Klinzing and Coach Jason Sunkle. The Hoop Heads Podcast covers a wide range of basketball topics relevant to coaches, players, and parents. Listen in for interviews with personalities from across the basketball landscape. Our line-up of podcast guests includes some of the top minds in the game across all levels, from grassroots to the NBA. They’ll share insights to help you grow as a coach, improve as a player, or enhance your experience of the game as a parent. You’ll gain new perspectives on what the best coaches are doing, how they do it, and why they do it. We hope to make you think and challenge you to consider your approach to the game of basketball.We’ll also attempt to entertain and inform as we share our thoughts on the NBA and college hoops. We are passionately committed to the Hoop Heads Podcast and growing the game of basketball.Visit our website www.hoopheadspod.com to check out every episode
Hosted by
Hoop Heads Podcast Network
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