Inside the Den: Recent Episodes
Lees-McRae Athletics
This episode is with Steve Hardin, a veteran coach on staff at Lees-McRae. Coach Hardin leads the men's basketball team, which recently wrapped up their season at the conference tournament. He shares insight into how the season unfolded, and discusses the value of this year's senior leadership. Plus, we dive into his FIRE system, and how he has evolved as a coach over the years. Coach Hardin's bio: https://lmcbobcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/steve-hardin/355Team Website: https://lmcbobcats.com/sports/mens-basketball
This episode is with Coach Lauren Havill, the new head coach of women volleyball at Lees-McRae. Lauren arrived to Banner Elk in the summer of 2023, but not without some scares on her trip to the mountains! She shares some great stories about her coaching development, and what her personal goals are as well as the team. WVB are on the rise!Team Website: https://lmcbobcats.com/sports/womens-volleyball
In our second episode of 2024 we talk with Josh Bumgarner, the head coach of women softball for Lees-McRae Athletics. Coach Josh is in his first season at Lees-McRae after being a high school coach in softball and football for 18 years. He shares the story of his coaching development, his passion for sports, and what led to him landing in Banner Elk. Sit back and enjoy!Softball website: https://lmcbobcats.com/sports/softball Coach Josh bio: https://lmcbobcats.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/josh-bumgarner/339
The Inside the Den podcast is back in 2024! In our first episode we sit down with Coach Matthew Wisniewski, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Lees-McRae Athletics. Coach Matt shares his story about arriving at LMC, his love for soccer, and finding what makes athletes tick. Sit back and enjoy!
Check out this special edition of Inside The Den where we spoke with Kevin Phillips, our Vice President for Enrollment Management! Kevin breaks down his journey from student-athlete, to basketball coach, to leading an admissions department and more.
A rising tide lifts all boats. Ley Fletcher joined Inside The Den to discuss the growth of the Lees-McRae track and field program and what has led to increased success in recent months.
Keith Jennings, Head Women's Basketball Coach, sat down with us on Inside The Den and discussed the current season, team camaraderie and what it takes to be a winner.
On the latest episode of Inside The Den, get to know new Head Men's Volleyball Coach, Pono Yin. We discussed his journey to Lees-McRae and how he has adjusted to being a first time head coach.
On this episode of Inside The Den, Host Tim Hall chats with members of the Lees-McRae staff about their holiday plans and traditions.
Lees-McRae men's soccer had a rebound season in 2021, securing nine wins and the four seed in the conference tournament. Shane Calvert, Head Men's Soccer Coach, joined Inside The Den to discuss how the Bobcats plan to build off their breakout campaign.
Sean Weddell, Head Men's and Women's Swimming Coach, joined the show and updated us on the 2021-22 season and on how the program continues to set and achieve new goals.
On the latest edition of Inside The Den, Steve Hardin, Head Men's Basketball Coach, reflects on a decade of coaching at LMC and the unique challenges and opportunities that lay before his team.
Cally Morrill, Head Women's Soccer Coach, sat down with Tim Hall to discuss the success of the fall season and the growth of the program.
On our latest episode of Inside The Den, Head Men's and Women's Volleyball Coach, Caitlin Bullock, breaks down how the Bobcats have been preparing for competition. We discuss both the men's and women's program, what to expect, and how the culture has shifted inside the program.
Keith Jennings, Head Women's Basketball Coach, joined Inside The Den this week to discuss the great start to the 2021 season that he and his program are experiencing!
On this episode of Inside The Den we spoke with Head Men's Basketball Coach, Steve Hardin about his program and their hot start in 2021!
On this episode of Inside The Den, Marla Gentile, Director of Counseling Services talks with the Lees-McRae cycling program about creating balance in our lives through mental and physical wellness.
Steve Hardin, Head Men's Basketball Coach, joined Inside The Den to discuss the upcoming season for his program and what they hope to accomplish this year.
Listen to a special Thanksgiving edition of Inside The Den as members of the athletics staff describe what they are thankful for during this holiday season. You can also watch the full conversation by going to our YouTube channel.
Keith Jennings, Head Women's Basketball Coach, joined Inside The Den to discuss the upcoming season for his program and what challenges they face with a compressed schedule.
Listen to this special episode of Inside The Den where we discuss the annual Lees-McRae Staff Association Food Drive to support Feeding Avery Families.
Listen as Sean Weddell, Head Men's and Women's Swimming Coach, describes what a return to competition has looked like for his program. Coach Weddell also discusses the growth of Lees-McRae swimming and previews the upcoming meets for the Bobcats.
On this episode of Inside The Den, we spoke to Head Men's Soccer Coach, Shane Calvert. Coach Calvert discussed what the Fall semester has been like for his team and how they are preparing for competition in the Spring. #BEmore
Check out our latest episode of Inside The Den where we spoke with the head coaches from Lees-McRae climbing and skiing and snowboarding! Find out what it takes to compete in some of the most extreme sports on our campus.
Check out the latest episode of Inside The Den as the Head Coaches of the Lees-McRae soccer and lacrosse programs reflect on what it means to have a turf playing surface coming to Tate Field.
On this episode of Inside The Den, we spoke to Kendall Fuller and Gene Highfield, two of the newest additions to the coaching staff. Kendall is now the Head Softball Coach while Gene has taken the reigns of both the Lees-McRae tennis programs.
Check out this episode of Inside The Den where we go behind the scenes with Patrick Smith and Travis Stanley of our athletic communications team. You will learn more about them and what goes into telling the story of Bobcat coaches and student-athletes.
Ever since her arrival in Banner Elk in the early 80's, Rita Smith has been a cornerstone of the Lees-McRae Athletic Department. Listen as she describes her career as a Bobcat.
Jeff Merrill, Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Compliance, sat down with us to discuss his journey to Lees-McRae and give us a behind the scenes look at the life of a compliance officer within college athletics.
On this episode of Inside The Den, we spoke to members of the Bobcat Club and got their perspective on why they joined and how the club improves the student-athlete experience.
This week we are taking a short break from our usual content as we wrap things up on the 2019-2020 season.
Craig McPhail, Vice President for Athletics and Club Sports, joined Inside The Den this week to tell the story of how he arrived in Banner Elk. McPhail also shares how he first became familiar with the High Country and why he jumped at the chance for a career at Lees-McRae College.
Keith Jennings, Head Women's Basketball Coach, has seen and experienced a lot during both his playing and coaching career. On this episode of Inside The Den, we discuss his journey from ETSU to the NBA, to now coaching at Lees-McRae. Jennings shared his wisdom and the lessons that basketball has taught him.
Ley Fletcher, Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach, arrived in Banner Elk in 2008 and is currently the longest serving coach at Lees-McRae. On this episode we discuss his journey, why he has chosen to stay, and touch on recruiting and the recent changes within his program.
Craig McPhail, Vice President for Athletics and Club Sports, joined Inside The Den to give us his view on the past year as well as send-off our seniors and discuss how crisis has forced us all to grow.
On episode 12 of Inside The Den we continue our discussion from last week about recruiting by speaking with the head coaches from Lees-McRae softball, men's and women's volleyball, and cheerleading! The trio had a ton of insightful information about their programs and share their vision for where things are headed in the years to come.
It's a busy time of year, especially for our coaches who are on the recruiting trail. On this episode of Inside The Den, we sat down with three of our head coaches to discuss how the recruiting seasons are going and learn what excites them about the year to come.
On episode ten of Inside The Den, we sat down with Director of Counseling Services Marla Gentile to discuss health and wellness during these unique and challenging times.
On episode nine of Inside The Den, we spoke to two of our international student-athletes and got their perspective on a shortened season and how they are handling life, school, as well as dove into their personal background to find out how their journey led them to Banner Elk.
On this week's episode of Inside The Den, we sat down with seniors from four Spring sports to get their perspective on a season cut short and how they are adjusting to online classes, the new normal, and learn what's next for them.
Lees-McRae Athletics is committed to keeping you, the listener, up to date with the latest happenings from Banner Elk, even during these challenging times. We hope this program over the next several weeks can bring you clarity as well as insight on all the things Lees-McRae Athletics and and the campus community at large is doing to ensure our safety while continuing to raise the bar and achieve new heights.
Caitlin Bullock came to Lees-McRae as the Head Women's Volleyball Coach in 2018 after serving as an assistant coach at King University. Following her first year at the helm, Coach Bullock led the Bobcats to a five win improvement in 2019 and posted an impressive 8-1 record at home. Heading into year three, the Bobcats look to continue their winning ways under Coach Bullocks leadership.
On episode five of Inside The Den, we spoke to Head Swimming Coach Sean Weddell. Coach Weddell has overseen the development of the Lees-McRae swimming program, which is now in its second year of existence. Under his leadership, the program has taken great strides in these early years and continues to raise the bar for what is possible for swimming in Banner Elk.
On episode four of Inside The Den, we spoke to Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Dylan Caspar. Dylan came to Lees-McRae over the summer and has quickly become a terrific asset for the Bobcats. Under his leadership, student-athletes train to not only become stronger, but also smarter in the weight room and further understand why doing the little things are so important.
On episode three of Inside The Den, we sat down with Head Women's Basketball Coach Keith Jennings, Assistant Women's Basketball Coach Jaterra Hurst, and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Desean Motley to discuss the importance of Black History Month to them. We also asked who inspired their own lives and how they spread awareness amongst their own student-athletes.
On episode two, we spoke to Jaclin Poole, Head Softball Coach at Lees-McRae. Jaclin is in her fifth season with the Bobcats and talked about how early growing pains have lead to big rewards in recent months, including a Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship. She also discussed where she hopes the team is headed and why she believes the program is set up for longterm success.
In our first episode on Inside The Den, we sat down with Lees-McRae Head men's basketball coach Steve Hardin to discuss his journey to Banner Elk and what
it's taken to achieve success at "Dunk Mountain". Coach Hardin is currently in his eighth season serving as the head coach for the Bobcats and his team has
asperations of achieving goals never before seen at Lees-McRae.
Lees-McRae Athletics takes you Inside the Den with a short introduction by your host, Tim Hall. We will take everyone inside the den with stories from coaches, staff, and players about the behind the scene success of the athletic programs at Lees-McRae College. This is just a taste of what's to come, so stay tuned!
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