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Adapting to a New Basketball Coaching Staff & Program · A Quick Timeout

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  Welcome back to the next installment of The Next Move presented
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  by QuickTimeout and
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  SPEAKER_01: Coach Portal,
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  a platform built by coaches for coaches designed to simplify
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  the job search process
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  SPEAKER_01: and provide coaches at all levels the job opportunities they deserve.
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  SPEAKER_01: Whether you're a coach moving to a new team or you're staying put,
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  SPEAKER_01: While new faces are joining the existing staff,
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  SPEAKER_01: especially in the current climate of college basketball,
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  SPEAKER_01: navigating those transitions effectively is crucial for success.
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  SPEAKER_01: And someone familiar with all of this is Coach Ashton Hopp,
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  SPEAKER_01: Director of Operations for Arkansas State Men's Basketball.
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  SPEAKER_01: Coach, welcome to the show.
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  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
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  Super excited to just share about what I've learned and just be
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  with you today.
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  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, coming off a week of camp.
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  SPEAKER_01: And so she's still bringing it the energy.
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  SPEAKER_01: I can already tell this is going to be a good one.
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  SPEAKER_01: We were talking beforehand,
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  you guys really staff as a group have been only together for a
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  few months there.
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  SPEAKER_01: What are some of the first steps that you take in regards to as a group,
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  SPEAKER_01: kind of establishing rapport,
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  establishing trust and feeling everything out so that you can
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  get really just hit
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  SPEAKER_01: the ground running as fast as you can?
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was definitely a unique situation, right?
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  SPEAKER_00: So actually, my husband and I lost in the Sweet 16 on that Friday.
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  SPEAKER_00: Coach Panone lost in the Elite Eight that Saturday,
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  SPEAKER_00: and we heard that he got the job on,
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  SPEAKER_00: I think it was Saturday or Sunday.
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  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, my husband and I both worked at Ole Miss together.
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  SPEAKER_00: So we had kind of, you know, what you said, stay put.
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  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of wisdom in that,
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  SPEAKER_00: but sometimes,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: it's time for you to leave a place,
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  SPEAKER_00: right?
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  SPEAKER_00: And we knew that.
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  SPEAKER_00: And when we heard Coach Panone got the job,
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  SPEAKER_00: Zachary was like, we're all in.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're going to work for him.
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  SPEAKER_00: He had been really sure that he wanted to get back on the men's side.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, OK, let's do it.
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  SPEAKER_00: So coach gets hired.
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  SPEAKER_00: We drive up to Jonesboro.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zachary walks in the gym.
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  SPEAKER_00: Coach had already brought Max
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  SPEAKER_00: Thorpe with him from Alabama.
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  He already had Hayden Sowers,
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  who he had hired,
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  that was a head JUCO coach.
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  And Zachary just walks in the building and he's like,
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  hey,
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  I want to work for you.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: he stayed with him the whole week,
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  SPEAKER_00: kind of like testing it out,
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  SPEAKER_00: seeing how it would go.
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  SPEAKER_00: He offered him the job the same day he offers him the job.
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  SPEAKER_00: I get hired and we just like start hitting the ground running.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it was,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  there's not a lot of time right from the day Zachary and I got
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  hired officially.
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  SPEAKER_00: We had an official visit three days later,
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  SPEAKER_00: and then we had 25 more official visits that whole month.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: So there wasn't a lot of time for like, do I trust you or not?
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  SPEAKER_00: It's like, no, we all decided we wanted to work here.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're going to trust each other and do the work.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so I think some of the first steps is just really knowing like,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: what does Coach Panone want?
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  SPEAKER_00: So,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: like as more people were getting hired,
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  SPEAKER_00: like Coach Fair and Coach Goods and Coach Cooper and then our GAs,
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  SPEAKER_00: Evan and Mike,
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  SPEAKER_00: and then Coach Richardson is,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: what does Coach Panolan want?
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  SPEAKER_00: And we have to execute that together.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so that was a lot of it.
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  SPEAKER_00: I think those are the major first steps.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's a lot of just like trusting the work prior, right?
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  SPEAKER_00: We don't know each other,
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  SPEAKER_00: but now we're all here working 16,
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  SPEAKER_00: 17 hours a day from April 6th till,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: May 17th when we got our last player.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so it's just like,
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  SPEAKER_00: figuring it out as you go.
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  SPEAKER_00: But luckily,
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  Coach Pannone and what I'll get to share too with some other
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  questions is he
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  SPEAKER_00: brought in super high level character people.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I haven't questioned one day that any staff member,
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  SPEAKER_00: any manager,
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  SPEAKER_00: any GA,
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  any player is not going to do the work because Coach Pannone
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  wouldn't have hired
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  SPEAKER_00: him,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know.
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  So I think that's the main thing is really just trusting that
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  and just being able
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  SPEAKER_00: to work with people with all different backgrounds from the jump.
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  SPEAKER_01: You alluded to the team culture aspect of it.
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  And when you're building a brand new culture and also
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  integrating new people that
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  SPEAKER_01: don't know each other,
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  SPEAKER_01: but then also people that have been at other places,
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  how do you allow for the contributions of each while also
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  trying to create this one
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  SPEAKER_01: culture going forward?
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  Yeah,
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  I think that in order to establish the team culture while still
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  allowing grace.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  So it's like we have 37 new people that have all just been
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  brought into Jonesboro,
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  Arkansas.
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  SPEAKER_00: And there's no there's no time to be like,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: so we're going to take a few weeks to do this and a few weeks to do that.
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  SPEAKER_00: Like, no, we we started workouts May 27th.
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  SPEAKER_00: And we've been running from that since we got the players on campus.
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  And so I think it's really all about,
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  like I said,
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  knowing what coach wants.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: So his team culture,
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  SPEAKER_00: be a good person,
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  SPEAKER_00: do the right thing,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: have empathy,
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  SPEAKER_00: no bad days,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: All of these things we listed out at the team meeting,
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  SPEAKER_00: that's the standard and that's what we have to do.
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  But,
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  you know,
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  for me being someone,
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  you know,
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  that lives by faith,
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  right?
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  SPEAKER_00: Like Jesus met people where they are.
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  Coach Pannon is a phenomenal leader because he is continuing to
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  meet people where
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  SPEAKER_00: they're at while still calling them higher.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: So it's like, hey.
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  SPEAKER_00: Guess what?
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  SPEAKER_00: We just all learned what my team expectations and team rules are.
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  Every time,
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  you know,
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  maybe someone doesn't meet the standard,
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  let's go meet them,
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  tell them.
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  SPEAKER_00: And now the next time they're going to meet it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: So it's just from the jump communicating at an extremely high level.
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  SPEAKER_00: You never have to like wonder what he's thinking.
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  SPEAKER_00: He always communicates with us.
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  SPEAKER_00: And from that,
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  SPEAKER_00: then,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: me and the rest of the staff can,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: lead and help the players out,
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  SPEAKER_00: too.
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  So it's not just Coach Benone saying,
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  hey,
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  this is what we're going to do.
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  SPEAKER_00: No, this is what Arkansas State men's basketball does.
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  SPEAKER_00: And here's how we're going to do it together.
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  Can you think of any challenges or pitfalls maybe in regards to
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  adapting either to
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  SPEAKER_01: a new staff,
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  SPEAKER_01: maybe from like your perspective,
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  SPEAKER_01: or helping somebody else adapt?
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  SPEAKER_00: Some of the challenges I see from my perspective is we've all come from
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  SPEAKER_00: way different programs, right?
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  SPEAKER_00: We have,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: people coming from Power Five,
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  SPEAKER_00: from JUCO,
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  SPEAKER_00: from high school,
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  SPEAKER_00: from just being a walk-on to now being a GA.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know,
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  SPEAKER_00: we've brought in student managers that are freshmen in college that,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: have never been a part of college athletics.
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  SPEAKER_00: Then you add on the 15 players that come from
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  all different universities or were high schoolers or,
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  you know,
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  came internationally.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so there's so many different backgrounds, perspective, mindset.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so I think some of the challenges that,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: can arise are,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: like my way is the only way.
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  SPEAKER_00: So it's like,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: we've got to wipe what we have been,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: what we think is going to need to happen.
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  And we need to sit down and say,
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  OK,
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  hey,
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  this is what Coach Pannone wants.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is what Arkansas State men's basketball is going to be about.
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  How can we take our backgrounds and our experience and our
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  wisdom and bring that together?
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  SPEAKER_00: Because I think sometimes,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: I've been,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: I've been able to be a part of,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: really phenomenal programs.
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  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, before this, I was with Ole Miss with Coach Yo.
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  SPEAKER_00: Before Ole Miss, I was at Kansas with Coach Self.
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  SPEAKER_00: And,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: specifically,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: translating Kansas men's basketball to Arkansas State men's basketball,
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  SPEAKER_00: Coach Pannon is as high level as Coach Self is.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it's incredible to see that he is someone that can just –
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  SPEAKER_00: pull the potential out of someone and take it.
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  So I think we've been able to alleviate a lot of challenges and
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  pitfalls because
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  SPEAKER_00: he's been able to communicate at a high level and get that out of us.
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  Beyond the formal meetings that maybe you have with players and
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  either individually
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  SPEAKER_01: or as a group,
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  SPEAKER_01: are there any informal ways that you guys go about building cohesion and
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  understanding among the staff and then also helping the players
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  be a part of all of
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  SPEAKER_01: that?
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  SPEAKER_00: Yes, most definitely.
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  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, formal meetings are great.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know,
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  SPEAKER_00: we've had team meetings and staff meetings where we've expressed,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: this is,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: what we're about.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is what Coach Pannon is about.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is what is going to happen.
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  SPEAKER_00: But we've really just been, I think college basketball is a unique place.
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  Basketball is a unique place where you don't just like go in
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  nine to five and you
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  SPEAKER_00: leave and then you see your co-workers the next day,
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  SPEAKER_00: right?
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  SPEAKER_00: Like, no, we're
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  hanging out afterwards you know like the coaches wives got
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  together last weekend to
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  you know hang out and you know after we you know get done with
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  practice you know
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  the coaches are like hey who wants to go get some 90 wings you
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  know at the social
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  or hey who wants to go grab a bite and just talk about work you
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  know I've been
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  around people prior in my work experience that like they
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  couldn't talk about
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  SPEAKER_00: anything outside of work but we've been really able to like
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  come together as a staff because like everybody cares about
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  everyone as a person,
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  right?
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  SPEAKER_00: Like basketball is what we do and we do it at a high level together,
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  SPEAKER_00: but really being able to build cohesion is like,
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  SPEAKER_00: no,
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  like I care about you as a person and who you are and I really
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  want to build a
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  SPEAKER_00: genuine relationship with you.
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  And so it's been really cool that,
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  you know,
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  like we were talking about earlier,
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  SPEAKER_00: We've been here three months on July 6th,
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  SPEAKER_00: and you would think we've worked together a lot longer.
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  And I think that's because of Coach Panone being proactive and
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  being like,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: we're going to hang out.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're going to discuss.
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  SPEAKER_00: When I'm standing by him every day, he's like, how are you doing?
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  SPEAKER_00: What's new?
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  SPEAKER_00: How are you liking Jonesboro?
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  SPEAKER_00: And he does it with everyone.
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  SPEAKER_00: Hey,
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  SPEAKER_00: what are some things that you need?
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  SPEAKER_00: You know, like he's asking me what I need.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, coach, we're here to ask you what you need.
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  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to worry about that, you know?
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  So I think that's been pretty cool,
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  just getting quality time outside of work.
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  And then also having not like formal meetings about this is how
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  things are going to
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  SPEAKER_00: get done,
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  SPEAKER_00: but he's really big on everybody being an expert in their role.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so he
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  SPEAKER_00: is constantly asking us, hey, how do you think we should do this?
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  SPEAKER_00: How could we get the answer to this?
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  And when you allow people to be brought into the process of
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  decision making,
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  SPEAKER_00: people feel important and feel valued and want to give you your all.
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  That's how we've been able to really build a beautiful cohesion
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  here so far.
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  What's one piece of advice that you would give to a coach who's
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  kind of navigating,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  either a staff change or maybe they're a part of a staff where
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  they've had an
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  SPEAKER_01: influx of a lot of new people?
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  SPEAKER_00: I mean, change is just always going to happen in our life, right?
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  Like if you think you're not going to get fired or you're going
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  to be somewhere
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  SPEAKER_00: forever,
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  SPEAKER_00: that's just not true,
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  SPEAKER_00: right?
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  Like whether you decide to leave or you decide to stay and then
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  other people leave
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  SPEAKER_00: or,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: maybe your staff does get fired or,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: whatever that looks like,
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  SPEAKER_00: we don't really get to decide that.
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  SPEAKER_00: But what we do get to decide is like,
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  SPEAKER_00: hey,
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  how am I going to continue to add value and contribute and like
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  bring people into
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  SPEAKER_00: the process?
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  SPEAKER_00: I think
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  SPEAKER_00: one piece of advice would be not to sell out.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I think in the day and age of college athletics,
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  SPEAKER_00: players and coaches are,
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  SPEAKER_00: are leaving a lot more.
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  SPEAKER_00: And,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: there's so much newness every year,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: there could be a new staff at the same school,
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  SPEAKER_00: like five or six times in the same year or the,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: in that five,
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  SPEAKER_00: six year period.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I think I would just share that, like, don't sell out.
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  SPEAKER_00: If these are your values and these are what you're about and
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  SPEAKER_00: and the and you don't want to like settle on that, like don't.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  So don't stay at a place just because it's comfortable if it
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  doesn't align with who
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  SPEAKER_00: you are as a person and what you want to be about.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then at the same time,
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  SPEAKER_00: I think I would also say,
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  SPEAKER_00: like,
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  if you're someone that has been on a staff and then three or
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  four new people come
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  SPEAKER_00: in,
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  SPEAKER_00: don't be territorial.
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  SPEAKER_00: Right.
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  SPEAKER_00: Don't be like, hey, I'm going to do this and this is how we do it.
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  And you don't get to add any value or contribution,
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  because I think sometimes people
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  SPEAKER_00: They get nervous about newness, right?
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  SPEAKER_00: But there's nothing to be nervous about.
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  These people have been brought in to help you continue to
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  achieve the mission that
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  SPEAKER_00: your head coach and your program want to do.
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  SPEAKER_01: Awesome stuff.
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  Appreciate you coming on the show and best of luck there at
• 11:39
  Arkansas State.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 11:41
  If you're looking to make your next move,
• 11:43
  let me encourage you to check out coachportal.com.
• 11:46
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  SPEAKER_01: new opportunities.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks to all of you who click in each week.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: We'll talk to you again next time on A Quick Time Out.