Chop Talk: Recent Episodes
Chop Talk
Listen to Rob Mahala and Greg Fahey along with many featured guests "chop it up" about a variety of topics. Our guests are primarily people in the sports world who share their experiences and give advice to others.
Guest: Ivan Thomas is the Associate Head Coach for Georgetown Men's Basketball. Coach Thomas started as a High School / AAU Coach where he won multiple state titles before breaking into the business at Providence College. After spending 9 years there he made the move back home to Georgetown a few months ago. His journey is different which makes this episode a great listen. Enjoy!
Guest: Sean Hoehn is a stand out basketball player who now plays professionally in Kosovo. He also graduated from Sacred Heart University where he earned first team all conference honors. Sean shares his journey on how he got to where he is now.
Here are some of his career highlights
College
- Named to the All-NEC First Team
- Named to NABC All-District First Team
- 185 made career three-pointers places him fifth all-time in program's Div. I history
- Ended SHU career with 1,366 points, which ranks 23rd all-time in program-history
- Led the Pioneers and was third in the NEC in scoring with 17.9 ppg
High School
- Morris County Player of the Year
- First Team All-Conference, League, and Area as Junior and Senior
- Second Team All-State Group 3 as Junior and Senior
Guest: Danny O'Connor is the Director of Player Development for Delaware Men's Basketball. Before graduating from Indiana University, Danny worked numerous camps. One of those camps was Hoop Group where we met. After graduating he got on at UDEL and has been a part of their growth ever since. Enjoy!
Guest: Cole Dewey is the Head Coach of the Men's Basketball program at Garden City Community College in Kansas. Cole is a young star in college basketball and has worked his way to being one of the younger head coaches in the basketball world. I look forward to following his journey as he returns to Garden City.
Coach Dewey's Resume:
-Head coach Garden City
-Head Coach Otero
-Assistant Coach Indian Hills
-Assistant Coach South Plains
-Assistant Coach Garden City
-GA Campbell University
Guest: Justin Delaney. If you haven't check out NJ Hoop Recruit on Instagram, you need to know. Justin has grown the brand from a small 3,000 follower account to over 100k now. I remember when I was at St. Benedict's he was grinding and going to games everywhere. Five years later he has one of the strongest brands in basketball and THE strongest in NJ.
Breakdown:
Background
- 3:15 - What is NJ Hoop Recruit?
- 12:30 - Contacting media guys
- 15:30 - Building a BRAND
- 20:50 - Creating momentum
- 31:45 - How would you keep NJ kids home?
- 40:01 - Grad Transfers
Guest: Luke St. Lifer is the Director of Basketball Operations for Bryant University Men's Basketball. Luke started his career out as a student manager before working his way to Bryant and then LeMoyne.
Breakdown:
- Background
- 3:55 - Landing a job at Bryant
- 6:30 - Subject line
- 12:55 - What have you learned?
- 15:00 - Staff Dynamic
- 20:01 - Being on the road
- 22:17 - Working your way back to Bryant
- 25:00 - Connect with kids
- 30:20 - Staying organized
- 36:30 - DOBO life
Guest: Connor Clark works for a company called The Gazelle Group where he helps put on different types of events. A lot of those events are college basketball tournaments including the most recent one, Bubbleville. In this episode we talk about what went into setting up a bubble at Mohegan Sun and the challenges for college teams to play.
Breakdown
- Background
- 3:30 - Securing a job in sports
- 7:20 - Gazelle Group
- 9:45 - Bubbleville
- 13:45 - Operations of running a bubble
- 20:00 - Biggest challenge in the bubble
- 25:30 - Most organized teams
- 29:00 - Bench noise
- 35:25 - Will the NCAA tournament allow fans?
Guest: March Mitchell is the Head Women's Basketball Coach at St. Peter's University. I met Coach Mitch at FDU Florham where we both worked together. During his time at FDU Florham he had tremendous success including a D3 National Championship. He is the winningest coach I've ever been around and I appreciate him sharing his journey on Chop Talk.
Guest: Justin Krompier is a New Jersey based adventure and lifestyle photographer. Justin has traveled all around the country taking photos and has a great story. I've known Justin since high school where we played lacrosse together. Check out his photos on Instagram or his website.
https://www.justinkrompier.com/
Instagram: @just_passinthrough
Breakdown:
- Background
- 3:00 - Figuring out what he wanted to do
- 10:35 - In that moment
- 13:00 - Working at UPS
- 19:15 - Leaving the comfortable job
- 25:20 - Believe in someone
- 31:50 - Living in a van
- 36:00 - The failure is not trying
- 40:30 - Just try
Guest: Adam Virgile is a sports scientist who is working on his PHD at The University of Vermont. He also worked with the New York Rangers for 4 years before making the move to UVM. This conversation was not only very informative but it opened my eyes to some things coaches don't think about.
Breakdown
- Background
- 3:45 - How you got into sports science
- 5:45 - What data do you look to track?
- 11:12 - How can you track power?
- 18:35 - Assign them values
- 23:40 - Load management
- 30:02 - Info graphics
- 33:45 - Psych trumps all
- 40:36 - Goal
Guest: Nick Hopkins is a guard for the Siena College Men's Basketball team. He started his career at Belmont University before deciding to use his grad transfer year at Siena. While at Belmont Nick earned his degree and also played in the NCAA Tournament. Nick has some great habits that younger players can learn from.
Background
- 1:30 - NCAA Tournament
- 5:25 - Consistent work ethic
- 8:20 - Being on time
- 10:00 - Graduate transfer
- 15:00 - Bring a teammate to the gym
- 19:00 - Watch film
- 25:35 - What makes a program successful
- 29:30 - Advice to incoming freshman
Guest: Matt Gambino is a former college athlete who has a career in sales but also has a serious side hustle that involves sports cards. Over the last year sports cards have exploded, Matt and I have invested in cards and discuss how there is still time to make money. For all my basketball people that listen to this please use the knowledge you already have to make some extra cash.
Breakdown:
3:30 - Door to door sales
7:45 - How did you get into sports cards?
11:30 - How do you know how much a card is worth?
16:15 - What to look for when buying a card
19:20 - What can I do with $200 right now?
26:45- BUY KEVIN DURANT
28:30 - Difference in markets
31:40 - Sleeper cards
41:00 - Create relationships
Guest: Anthony Pelliccia is an admissions counselor at Siena College and also an alum. He is one of the most passionate people I have met and really dedicates himself to his craft. In this episode we dive into the similarities between coaching and admissions. We also look at some techniques he uses when recruiting on the road. Enjoy!
· Background
· Day to day in admissions – 1:45
· Strategies to engage students when recruiting - 5:35
· Representing a brand – 8:15
· Having confidence - 13:25
· Do your homework – 16:30
· What makes a good campus tour? – 17:50
· Pick your battles- 23:15
· Students following up – 26:45
· Coaches & Admissions – 32:30
· Help students – 35:30
· Goals – 41:50
Guest: Matt Goldsmith is the head coach at TCNJ for the Men's Basketball team. Since taking over the program Coach Goldsmith has brought TCNJ to the NCAA tournament and also won the NJAC. The program's mantra is "Be Uncommon" which we talk about in this episode. Matt continues to rise in the basketball world and I'm really excited for everyone to listen.
Breakdown
· Background
· 3:25 – What makes a powerhouse?
· 6:10 – Ready to become a young head coach
· 12:00 – Head coaching interview process
· 18:45 – Steering the program in the right direction
· 25:30 – Be Uncommon
· 31:45 – Connect with your players
· 34:35 – Recruiting at a high academic institution
· 38:00 – Hiring questions
· 41:05 – Process of hiring someone
· 45:25 – Outlast people
Guest: Bob Gallager is a former college basketball manager for St. Bonaventure Men's Basketball. After earning his undergrad and masters degree there he jumped into the prep school basketball world. He spent two years at Massanutten Military Academy before getting his job now at IMG. Bob is one of the hardest workers I know and continues to climb.
· Background
· 2:30 – Prep school route
· 6:22 – Interview process
· 8:00 – Typical prep school day
· 11:10 – Most valuable thing you learned
· 14:05- 150 D1 coaches
· 17:43 – Getting to IMG
· 25:02- What do good recruiters do?
· 29:30 – What players like
· 35:50 – Traits of high-level players
· 38:00- Work harder
Guest: Athan Katsantonis is a Graduate Assistant for Nebraska Men's Basketball. He is also the former Head Manager of the Syracuse Men's Basketball team. I met Athan when he was a 17 year old kid at a workout and it's been fun to watch him rise.
Breakdown
· Background
· 2:40 – Landing a manager job
· 6:32 – Working up to head manager
· 11:45 – Building relationships on staff
· 16:00 – Favorite part about the ACC
· 19:45 – What did you do to land GA spot?
· 29:05 – Don’t tell coaches what they want to hear
· 34:15 – What have you learned as a GA?
Jake MacDonald is a lead instructor for a company called The Program. This company works with a variety of teams on building leadership, toughness, and more. Jake also served in the United States Marine Corps. In this episode we dive into his experiences in the Marines, how to become tougher, leadership, and more. Check out his book called The Program!
· 1:30 – The Program
· 3:30 – How do we become tougher?
· 11:00 – Being emotionally tough
· 13:30 – Planning a military mission
· 16:00- Back briefs
· 18:45 – Tom Crean Practice
· 20:00 – Calm breads calm
· 23:45 – Core Values
· 25:30 – Making decisions under pressure
· 31:30 – Habits
· 32:40 – What leaders do
· 34:05 – Adrenaline
· 38:50 – Firefight
· 42:15 – Characteristics of leaders
Guest: Ryan Pedon is an assistant coach for THE Ohio State Men's Basketball team. In this podcast Coach Pedon discusses topics such as positivity, being invaluable, work ethic, and his journey to Ohio State.
· Background
· Working in an administration role 2:40
· Networking – 8:30
· Be invaluable – 16:00
· Reputation – 22:50
· Blue collar work ethic – 30:45
· Making the most of your time – 34:55
· Hiring questions – 44:10
Guest: Rob Ferrara is a Senior Manager of VIP Development for DraftKings. Rob and I have known each other since college and he has had a great journey in the gaming world so far. Once graduating college he picked up his stuff and moved to Las Vegas to work in the gaming industry. In this episode Rob talks about the Vegas lifestyle, working with high end clients, his role now at Draft Kings, what he looks for when hiring people and more.
Breakdown:
Background
2:30 - How he got his job at MGM
5:45 - Staying in touch with your connections
8:35 - Moving across the country
11:40 - High level clients
14:00 - Ask questions
16:15 - Vegas events
20:00 - DraftKings
25:45 - Hiring people
30:45 - Stand out in interviews
33:10 - Future of sports betting
41:05 - Relationships
Guest: Dr. Atur Turakhia is an experienced leader, educator, and team builder. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a Bachelors in Molecular & Cell Biology, he obtained his medical degree at the University of California, Irvine. He currently serves his community as the Associate Medical Director for Children, Youth, & Prevention Behavioral Health Services within the County of Orange Health Care Agency. Atur has also worked with multiple professional athletes.
Breakdown:
· 1:15 Background
· 5:05 Culture
· 7:30 Courage to open up
· 12:00 Techniques to use
· 17:07 Proactive
· 24:50 Maturity
· 27:30 NBA Mindset
· 35:00 Routine
· 43:00 Getting in the zone
Guest: Matt Elkin is the Director of Basketball Operations at Ivy league power Yale University. Coach Elkin started as a student manager and has climbed his way up in the basketball since graduating. In this episode he talks about coaching prep school, moving across the country to LA, his time in AAU basketball, and much more. Enjoy!
Breakdown:
•1min - Background
•2min – Manager at Wisconsin
•5:20min – Coaching D3 in college
•9:15 min – Vermont Academy
•15min – Prep School Route
•18min – Working with kids
•21:30 – Lifestyle of working at a prep school
•26:50 – Process of moving to California
•35:40- West Coast Elite AAU
Guest: Kyle Young is a sophomore on the Siena Men's Basketball team. In this episode Kyle and I talk about his adjustment to college hoops, mindset during the pandemic lockdown, and investing as a college student. Enjoy!
Breakdown:
-Background
2:13- Adjustment to college
6:02- Pandemic Mindset
14:00- Control what you can control
18:00- Changing weights
21:02- Goals
24:40- Controlling your emotions
31:50- Continue to grow
33:20- Investing
Guest: Dwayne Killings is the Associate Head Coach at Marquette University for the Men's Basketball team. Coach Killings and I met about five years ago and he's always been willing to help the next generation. I appreciate him taking time to join the podcast!
Breakdown:
:30 - Background
4:00 - Connecting with people
9:30 - Learn from everyone
14:50 - Building trust
19:30 - First impression of Marquette
23:45 - Culture
30:10 - Show what your thing is
34:02 - Go visit schools
35:00 - Social media
37:09 - Interview questions
Guest: Drew Flanagan is a former Villanova Men's Basketball student manager. I met Drew while working camp at Lehigh University. Since graduating Drew has climbed the ladder in the fundraising world. He currently works as the Director of Business Development at George Washington University. Enjoy!
1:00 - Background
3:45 - Working camps
9:20 - His time at Stanford
13:20 - Be authentic
18:10 - Willing to do anything
20:15 - Attention to detail
25:20 - Relationships / Coaching HS
29:50 - Fundraising and recruiting
34:45 - Coaches in fundraising
40:00 - Using social media
47:15 - Advice on how to get a "real world" job
Guest: Josh King coaches for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg a professional team in Germany. He's our first overseas coach on Chop Talk and has taken a unique route to get to where he is today.
1:00 - Background
3:00 - Getting bumped up
6:00 -Hoop Group
8:00 - Working in the real world
13:30 - Getting a job in sales
17:00 - Marshall vs UNH
18:24- Recruiting JUCO
20:45- Getting involved with a job in Europe
23:38- Environment in Europe
28:00- Understanding European Basketball
32:45- Adjust to Europe
37:00- Goals
38:40- What have you learned?
42:40- What players need to understand about overseas
52:00- Advice for breaking in
Guest: Coach Carm is the head coach at Siena College for the Men's Basketball team. Before coming to Siena he had stops at George Washington, Boston University, Providence, Fairfield, and Siena as an operations guy. He is also our FIRST D1 head coach to come on Chop Talk. Hope everyone enjoys!
2:25- Coaching in the community your grew up in
3:45- Getting your foot in your door
5:30- Pick the right fit
8:25- How do you find minutes to get on the floor?
10:45- Winning a MAAC Championship
12:45- What would you tell your college self?
15:25- Habits and Routine
20:40- Eating with your team
24:25- Challenges with COVID
27:10- How do you become a better coach each day?
29:40- Coaches 4 Change
35:40- FAMILY
40:25- Organize recruiting information
43:00- Weaponize your phonebook
Guest: Jared Czech is an Assistant Basketball Coach at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. Coach Czech has worked his way up from Graduate Assistant, Director of Operations, Hoop Group, and finally got his break as an assistant at Columbia. This episode is filled with tangible advice that people can go out and apply right now. Enjoy!
Breakdown:
1:00 - Background
4:00 - St. Patricks High School
7:00 - NJ High School Basketball
13:35- Process of landing GA job at University of Denver
14:38- GREAT ADVICE LISTEN
18:30- GO DO IT
20:40- Start early
23:35- NJIT
24:55- How do you prepare for an DOBO role?
28:05- Great advice on food orders
28:50- Check your bus routes *
32:00- Check your hotels 3-4x*
33:50- Working at the Hoop Group
43:33- Air Force Academy
Guest: Kevin Hoehn is a walk-on for the Villanova basketball team. Kevin was 14 years old when I met him coaching a local AAU program called NJ Thunder. In this episode he takes us through the process of walking on, Villanova culture, and most importantly his Mental Health Struggles.
Breakdown:
1:46 - Decision to not pursue D3/D2 opportunities
8:30 - Learning from the older guys
14:30 - COVID adjustments
16:00 - Mental Health Struggles
18:03 - Knowing when to say something
20:30 - Check on your people
24:00 - Stay in the moment
26:10 - Give your self battles to win
27:30 - Brain dump
29:45 - Be grateful
32:45 - Sleep routine
36:05 - Counselor
43:00 - What will you miss after graduation?
Guest: Jake Martino is a freshman at Texas Christian University (TCU) where he works with the football team in content creation. He is at every BIG12 game shooting video to create content on and off the field. Jake got his start through Siena athletics and really helped the basketball team in particular. He does a great job of breaking down what makes elite content and the process of making your videos stand out.
2:50- Background
6:00- Sent an email to break in
11:35- If you don't try you wont get there
12:50- Take every opportunity when starting out
15:10- Self Taught
18:30- Working for free
24:30- TCU Football BIG12
27:50- What makes ELITE content?
33:45 - What can you do to have your Instagram stand out?
38:50 - Follow up is important
41:00 - Never know where a connection will bring you
Guest: Matt Healing is the Head Men's Basketball Coach at D2 Pace University. In this episode we talk about working his way up the ladder, revitalizing a program, and more. Matt coached me in high school and it's been fun to watch his journey. Enjoy!
3:30- Jobs while coaching
6:03- D3 prepares you
9:45- Adjusting to DOBO
12:30- Volunteering is underrated
16:20- Getting involved @ Pace
19:10- What helped you get the Head Coach job
24:00- Interview Process
28:00- Rebuilding a program
31:05- Non-negotiables in recruits
34:00- Recruits communication
36:00- What’s too much?
38:30- Hiring assistant coaches
42:30- FAMILY
Guest: Nick LoPinto works for the Montag Group as a sports agent where he represents numerous sports broadcasters. Nick was also a former St. Johns student manager and worked as an Executive Assistant for Steve Lavin after college.
Breakdown
1:30 – Manager Experience
6:00 – Building Relationships with you coaches
10:40 – Things you learned as a manager that helps you now
16:30 – Networking while working with Steve Lavin & Fox Sports
20:30 – Mowing lawns in between
21:30 – How he got into Montag Group
23:40 – Clients Nick works with
26:00 – Typical tasks that an Agent does
31:45 – How to stay organized
36:50 – Things to work on for an aspiring agent
41:10 – Relationships
43:45 – Following up with people is huge
48:40 – What do the best people you know do consistently
Breakdown
2:00 – Choosing Temple University
5:00 – Taking defense seriously
8:50 – What makes a good defender?
10:45 – Looking for tendencies
18:40 – Work Ethic
22:50 – Rankings don’t matter
24:20 – Who do you model your game after?
28:45 – Time is so important
30:30 – Family
33:34 – Advice for the youth
38:30 – What’s a good day?
Guest: Nate Pierre-Louis
Resume
-All-State Selection (Roselle Catholic)
-American Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team
-Co-Most Improved AAC
-Second on the team in Scoring 10.9PPG
-First on the team in rebounding 8.5 (5th AAC)
Breakdown:
1:00 - Hoop Group / Working camps
6:05 - Relationships
10:30 - Getting the job at St. Rose College
20:29 - D2 recruiting challenges
24:23 - How to contact a college coach via email
29:10 - Try this email HACK
34:00 - Recruits communication with coaches
37:15 - 2020/2021 Season
41:10 - Career goals
Guest: Mike Murray
Resume
-Assistant Coach St. Rose College
-Hoop Group Camp Director
-Queens College Assistant Coach
-Played at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn
Guest: Bobby Whyte. Bobby is the owner of HyPower Performance, a company that helps develop athletes. HyPower offers both basketball and strength programs that allow athletes to develop. Whyte has worked with a variety of athletes ranging from D1 to D3 the NBA and more.
Breakdown:
2:20 - Coaching in China
10:00 - I'm Possible Training
16:00 - Training athletes
22:30 - Building a business / Network
35:30 - What makes a good trainer?
41:05 - What do the best athletes have in common?
45:00 - What's important to you? 5,6,7 game.
Resume:
-Certifications on mobility including both Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and Functional Movement Systems (FMS).
- Head Strength Coach for the Guangxi Rhinos (China).
- Camp director for Israel basketball
- Strength and conditioning coach for Hudson Catholic Basketball
-I'm Possible certified
Guest: Andrew Ford: University of Florida Men's Basketball Graduate Assistant
In this episode of Chop Talk Andrew talks about his transition from Providence College to University of Florida. Ford gives some key advice and also shares some of his experiences that he has had with USA Basketball.
Resume:
-Providence College Basketball: Head Manager
-Team USA Basketball: Head Manager. Gold Medal.
-University of Florida Basketball: Graduate Assistant
Jordan King is a local product of Albany NY and Siena Men's Basketball player. In this episode King talks about different topics including playing on the "B" team in AAU and how it helped him develop into the player he is today. Jordan also talks about coming to Siena and earning his scholarship by putting in the work.
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AJ Mott is the head strength coach at Division 2 Western Colorado University. He joins Chop Talk to discuss moving across the country for his new job, betting on yourself, and much more. Coach Mott has had stops at UNC, South Carolina, FDU Florham, and now Western Colorado. Enjoy!
Welcome back to a new season of Chop Talk. We have joined with us MAAC player of the year Jalen Pickett. In this episode, he talks about his journey to where he is today. Pickett goes into depth about choosing the right fit when being recruited and what can separate you from the pack. Rob Mahala and Greg Fahey are back with some new and fresh content. Be sure to stay tuned in for a fun season of Chop Talk.
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We are back at it again with another hot new episode of Chop Talk. Rob Mahala, Ben Diamond, and Greg Fahey, with special guest Danny Cohen, go into depth of Danny's life of being a Division I men's basketball manager. Danny gives some great insight of the skills and tools he uses to be successful in everything he does. He also touches on the importance of friendship and a strong support staff to help him continue to be the best he can be. Listen to find out the foundation that a college basketball program is built upon.
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The first episode of Chop Talk is finally here. Co-Hosts Rob Mahala and Ben Diamond, along with Greg Fahey and guest Conner Fenlon, go into depth on Conner's story of being a walk-on for Siena College's Men's Basketball team from '08 to '12. Rob Mahala and Ben Diamond share their experiences so far with being a walk-on on the current Men's Basketball team at Siena College. Listen to find out what it takes to be a Division 1 athlete from a different perspective.
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Twitter: @_ChopTalk