In this week's coaching conversation, Ibaraki Robots head coach Chris Holm joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on shifting team culture.

Chris Holm is a professional basketball coach with a diverse coaching background spanning collegiate and international levels. He is currently the head coach of the Ibaraki Robots in Japan’s B.League, a position he assumed in June 2024 after serving as the team’s assistant coach for two seasons. His leadership reflects years of tactical growth and adaptability, building on prior success across both coaching and player development roles.

Before joining Ibaraki, Holm spent nearly four seasons with the Kyoto Hannaryz from 2020 to 2024 as an assistant coach, helping guide the team through competitive B.League campaigns. He previously served as an assistant coach at The George Washington University from 2015 to 2019, contributing to the team’s development in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Between coaching stints, Holm also worked in the private sector as a Territory Account Executive with Toast, Inc., further broadening his leadership experience.

In this week's coaching conversation, University of Tennessee at Chattonooga head coach Dan Earl joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on his see, share, shoot and compete philosophy.

Since taking over as head coach of the Chattanooga Mocs in 2022, Earl has transformed the team into a force in the Southern Conference. His tenure has been marked by sustained progress, culminating in a standout 2024-25 season in which Chattanooga secured a 29-9 overall record and a 15-3 conference record to claim the Southern Conference regular-season championship.

His guidance propelled the Mocs to an impressive run in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), where they emerged as champions after an overtime victory against UC Irvine. His coaching excellence was recognized as he earned his second Southern Conference Coach of the Year award in 2025.

Earl began his head coaching journey at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 2015, where he led the program for seven seasons. Though faced with challenges, he guided VMI to notable success, including a 12-11 record in the 2020-21 season that earned him Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors. His leadership culminated in a postseason berth when VMI reached the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2022.

Before becoming a head coach, Earl gained valuable experience as an assistant coach at Penn State from 2006 to 2011, followed by a stint as associate head coach at Navy from 2011 to 2015. His years in assistant roles helped shape his coaching philosophy, emphasizing player development, tactical execution, and resilience.

With two Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards to his name and a proven track record of success, Dan Earl continues to solidify his reputation as a top-tier leader in college basketball.

In this week's coaching conversation, Baylor head coach Nicki Collen joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on navigating elite coaching from the WNBA to Baylor.

Nicki Collen has built an impressive coaching career across both the WNBA and NCAA, establishing herself as a dynamic leader in women's basketball. Currently serving as the head coach at Baylor University, Collen has guided the program with a strong tactical approach, compiling a 102–36 (.739) record in her tenure. Under her leadership, Baylor secured a Big 12 regular season championship in 2022, continuing the program’s tradition of excellence.

Before transitioning to the college ranks, Collen made her mark in the WNBA, serving as the head coach of the Atlanta Dream from 2018 to 2020. In her first season, she led the Dream to a 23–11 record, earning WNBA Coach of the Year honors in 2018. Her ability to develop talent and implement a competitive system was evident throughout her time in the league, where she compiled a 38–52 (.422) overall record.

Collen’s coaching journey began as an assistant coach at Colorado State (2001–2003), Ball State (2003), Louisville (2003–2005), Arkansas (2011–2014), and Florida Gulf Coast (2014–2015). She then transitioned to the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun (2015–2017) as an assistant coach, helping the team improve from a 14–20 record in 2016 to 21–13 in 2017.

In this week's coaching conversation, Grambling State head coach Patrick Crarey shares insights on Relationships then Championships.

Crarey comes to Grambling State after spending one season as the head coach at Florida A&M. Crarey reignited the FAMU men's basketball program, exceeding expectations and guiding the Rattlers to the SWAC Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2022. He led the Rattlers to a 13-16 overall record and a 10-8 mark in conference play. He also coached Sterling Young, who was named the SWAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year.

Prior to coaching at FAMU, he served as head coach at St. Thomas University for three years, posting a 61-27 record with two consecutive NAIA Tournament appearances and three straight winning seasons.

Crarey led the Bobcats to a 22-9, 10-4 record in 2023-24 and were the Sun Conference Regular Season Champions. The Bobcats made it to the NAIA Tournament 2nd Round and finished the season ranked 21st in the nation. The Bobcats regular season success led to Crarey being named the Sun Conference Coach of the Year.

His coaching journey has taken him from assistant roles at La Sierra University to head coaching stints at Washington Adventist University, St. Thomas University, and Florida A&M. Crarey’s track record of success includes multiple championships and accolades, including the 2014 USCAA Men's Division I National Championship, conference titles, and six NAIA National Tournament appearances. He has guided six teams to 20-plus win seasons, earning Coach of the Year honors in both the ICAA and Sun Conference.

Coming off one of the most successful campaigns in program history, Gayle Fulks is entering her ninth season at the helm of the Davidson College women’s basketball program.

Fulks has guided the Wildcats to 123 wins and two postseason appearances, including the 2025 WBIT. In addition to ranking second on Davidson’s all-time wins list, Fulks has coached 15 all-conference performers, while leading her club to a number of record-setting performances along the way.

Along with 18 conference games for the first time in A-10 play, the 2024-25 campaign yet again featured one of the nation’s toughest non-conference slates. The Wildcats rose to the challenge posting 19 victories, their most under Fulks, and a program-best 13 league wins en route to a third-place finish, their highest since joining the league in 2014.

Davidson’s 13 wins in Atlantic 10 play weren’t the only standard set last season. The Wildcats proved to be one of the most efficient and productive teams from the outside making a school-record 241 highlighted by eight games with at least 10 made 3-pointers. They also ranked among national leaders in 3-pointer differential (5th), 3-point defense (1st) and assists per game against (1st). In conference play, no team was better in blocks, points allowed, field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense.

Before arriving at Davidson, Fulks gained valuable experience as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University, where she worked under Jen Hoover for five seasons, helping to shape the program and refine her coaching philosophy. Prior to her tenure at Wake Forest, she spent a season at UNC Greensboro, contributing to player development and game planning. Her coaching journey began at Longwood University, where she was on staff from 2007 to 2011.

Fulks’ basketball roots extend beyond the collegiate level. She started her career with the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2007, serving as the Assistant Video Coordinator.

In this week's coaching conversation, George Mason head coach Tony Skinn shares insights on defensive identity and competitive spirit.

A key starter on the 2006 George Mason Final Four team and one of the best all-around guards in program history, Skinn returned to his alma mater after nearly a decade of work as a collegiate assistant coach.

The 2025 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Skinn has put together arguably the best start to a coaching career in school history. He set new program bests for overall wins (47), league wins (24), overall winning percentage (.691) and league winning percentage (.667) for a Patriot coach over his first two campaigns. What's more, Skinn's 66.7 A-10 winning percentage is first amongst active league coaches over their first two seasons in the conference.

This season, Skinn guided the Patriots to the best season in the program's A-10 history. The Patriots earned a share of their first-ever A-10 regular season title, tallied the program's first NIT victory since 2004 and notched a school record-tying 27 overall victories. The Green & Gold set a new school record for Atlantic 10 league victories (15) and started league play 12-1 for the first time in the program's 59-year history. The Patriots locked up a double bye in the A-10 Tournament for the first time and reached a conference title game for the first time since 2009.

George Mason tallied a school-record 18 home victories in 2024-25. The Patriots also swept their A-10 home schedule (9-0) for the first time ever and won five-straight A-10 road games for the first time in program annals. The team's 11-game win streak from Jan. 8-Feb. 18 was the second longest in the nation at the time and was just the fourth 10+ game winning streak in school history.

Prior to becoming the head coach of his alma mater, Skinn guided three different programs to the NCAA Tournament as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Maryland, Ohio State, and Seton Hall.

In this week's coaching conversation, American University head coach Duane Simpkins shares insights on reflecting on a championship season.

Simpkins has made a significant impact as the head coach of American, leading the program to new heights in the Patriot League. Over his tenure, he has compiled an impressive 38–29. In just his second year, Simpkins led the Eagles to a historic season, winning the 2024-25 Patriot League Championship and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. American finished 22-13 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League, matching the program’s all-time record for league wins in a season.

Simpkins joined American after eight seasons on the coaching staff at George Mason, where he helped guide the Patriots to multiple program bests within the Atlantic 10, including an 11-win A-10 campaign and a 20-13 overall finish in 2022-23.

His coaching career also includes stints at UNC Greensboro, Towson, and on the high school level at St. Albans, Sidwell Friends, and Bishop O’Connell. In 2020, he was named one of the country’s Top 50 Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistants by Silverwaves Media and has been invited to numerous national leadership and coaching development programs.

A DMV basketball legend, Simpkins earned McDonald’s High School All-America honors at DeMatha Catholic under Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten. He was a three-time All-ACC Honorable Mention selection at the University of Maryland and helped lead the Terrapins to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 runs.

In this week's coaching conversation, South Florida head coach Jose Fernandez joins the Basketball Podcast.to share insights on zone offense, relationships and practice.

Fernandez has carved out a 25-year head coaching career at South Florida with multiple accolades. He is the program’s all-time winningest coach, has claimed American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors twice in 2018 and 2021, and has led the Bulls to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and secured four Conference Championships, including two Conference Tournament Championships (2020-21 & 2024-25) and two Regular Season Titles (2020-21 & 2022-23). Fernandez's influence extends beyond his program, as he is set to become the WBCA President from 2025-27. His coaching has produced nine WNBA Draft Picks and Signees, and twenty-four of his former players are competing professionally worldwide.

Fernandez has also demonstrated success against top-tier competition, with twenty wins against top 25-ranked teams. He has also achieved considerable consistency, with fourteen straight nineteen-win seasons and twelve twenty-win seasons. During the 2024-25 season, he recorded his 485th career victory. Under his leadership, South Florida won the 2008-09 WNIT Championship, defeating the Kansas Jayhawks.

Throughout his career, Fernandez has recruited and coached over forty all-conference players, two Associated Press Honorable Mention All-Americans, three members of the USF Athletics Hall of Fame, two AAC Players of the Year, two AAC Newcomers of the Year, four AAC Freshmen of the Year, one AAC Defensive Player of the Year, one AAC Most Improved Player, and seven WNBA draft picks. His contributions to the sport were further recognized with his induction into the Sports Club of Tampa Bay's Hall of Fame on June 8, 2022.

This year Fernandez will return to USA Basketball for his second assistant coaching stint with USA Basketball as an assistant for the 2025 Women's U19 National Team. He previously served in the role for the 2024 Women's U18 National Team and was also a court coach at the 2018 USA Women’s U18 National Team Trials.