[00:00:04] Speaker A: Welcome to the ABCA's podcast. I'm your host Ryan Brownlee.
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Next up on the ABCA podcast is ABCA Marines Division 3 Assistant Coach of the Year JD Hulse. Hulse coached nine seasons at Birmingham Southern, was also an alum for the Panthers. Hulse is currently an assistant at Valdosta State, moving over with Jan Weisberg after Birmingham Southern close this spring. The Panthers had a magical run to the World Series this year under dire circumstances. Hulse coached two years at Birmingham Southern, then headed to Louisiana Tech for two seasons and came back to coach the Panthers for the last seven years. In those seven seasons, the Panthers made the NCAA regionals six times and had two College World Series appearances. Let's welcome J.D. hulse to the podcast here. J.D. hulse, ABCA Division 3 Assistant Coach of the Year, but spent eight seasons at Birmingham Southern. Was an alum there, but now at Valdosta State with Jan. So thanks for jumping on with me.
[00:02:58] Speaker B: Absolutely, Ryan. Thank you.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: Congrats on the award, by the way.
[00:03:01] Speaker B: Thank you. Really great honor.
[00:03:03] Speaker A: You know, it's a roller coaster of a spring for you all.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: Yeah, that was something I never thought I'D ever have to experience. So it was definitely gut check when, you know, we did get the news.
But it sure was one kind of a story, too.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: How much of the spring, then when that happens, is you guys focusing on playing but then also trying to find guys homes?
[00:03:28] Speaker B: Yeah, that was the interesting juggling act where when we received the news, Jan did a really great job of explaining to our guys, like, look, this is going to be a continuous conversation with all of you on an individual level, trying to comfort them, knowing, like, guys, it's still March, you know, that's when we received the news is actually on our spring break.
It's like, we will find you places, tell, you know, we're going to have individual meetings. In those meetings, tell me, you know, schools you're interested in, you know, and where you think you might have a realistic shot. And then maybe if there is a dream school, you know, we can try and be honest with you and see if we can make that happen or not.
So that way they knew, like, we're still in their corner, we're going to give them some comfort knowing, like, it is going to happen. We have things rolling. It may not happen instantly. It's still probably realistically going to happen after the season is over.
So that way that they didn't feel like they had to panic mid season, like, trying to make all that happen at once while still playing, you know, and trying to compete at the highest level.
So hats off to the players for really trying to, you know, keep things in their own separate categories, you know, where it's like, yep, today I'm not even going to worry about that. I'm going to focus on practice today or we have a game today. Like, that's my focus today.
And yeah, they just did a really, really good job of juggling them together. But again, I think that comes back to Jan, like, trying to keep everything prioritized for the guys.
[00:05:01] Speaker A: Do you feel like it brought everybody closer together?
[00:05:04] Speaker B: No doubt, no doubt. I mean, how often do you experience something like that? But, you know, like, wow. But everybody is in the same boat as me in this room, you know, because there's always been players who like, yep, this is probably going to be my last year, or, you know, I just don't have that passion anymore. So I think I'm going to hang them up after that. It's like. But that's not everybody in the room, you know, and to this extent, it's like, yeah, guys get cut, you know, sometimes, and it's a tough feeling, but it's at the end of the season, you know, this is one of those things where it's like, no, this is happening mid season, we're getting cut, but we still have to finish our season. You know, I've got to find somewhere else to play, but thankfully there's 37 other guys around me that are right there in the same boat. So it's easy to go talk to somebody on that team because it's like, yeah, they're going through the same exact experience, you know, And I think, yeah, just naturally that's going to draw you closer together.
[00:06:01] Speaker A: Is this team similar. Was this team similar than the 2019 team that also made the World Series?
[00:06:06] Speaker B: I would say, in terms of the talent level, yes, absolutely. And when I say that, Janet and I have always told, you know, a lot of our teams, like the two teams that made it to the World Series from a talent perspective, on paper, not the most talented teams we've had, but what they did have was a very unique gel to them. Like, they meshed really well together.
And then, yeah, obviously, I mean, the 24 team, it's like, well, you're going to mesh pretty well together in dire circumstances. You know, it was kind of forced upon them, but obviously it worked out for the better because we knew we had talented guys. We just didn't know, like, compared to our 22 team, our 23 team, we thought on paper those were our best teams that we had. And yet they fell just short. Both years of making the World Series, then all of a sudden it's like, we lose a lot of those guys to graduation and we're like, we know we have talent on this 24 team, but they've never really had to do it themselves. You know, they've had guys ahead of them that have been doing it.
So it was. We just really didn't know what to expect in 2024. So it was kind of a really fun end result in that regard too, where it's like at the end of the season, you're like, wow, I never thought we would be here with this team compared to the other two teams that we had.
[00:07:24] Speaker A: How do you try to create that every year with your. With your players? Because that's got to be a player led thing. I mean, coaches try to maybe reiterate that to players. Like, you got to hang out with each other, you got to do this, but how do you get the players to actually do that?
[00:07:37] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it starts in the recruiting process. Honestly. Like, I love to find talent, but I also like to find Driven people and motivated people, disciplined people, knowing that, yeah, not every day is going to be easy and fun. It's like, no, there are days where you may not be feeling great. You may have some finals coming up or a big test or something where it's like, I got to do well in the classroom as well, but I also need to perform at the highest level on the baseball field. Like, some guys just say, like, I'll hit tomorrow, or, you know, I'll wait till the end of the break, you know, to start hitting again. As opposed. Like, no, our guys understand, like, we have created a culture. Like, there is a high expectation level, and that is to get to the World Series and try to win a national championship every single year. And we kind of give them, like, hey, here's what our successful teams have done in the past. And thankfully, we have, you know, some upperclassmen who have experienced that as well. And it just kind of gets passed down from one class to the next. It's like, the young guys watch what these upperclassmen do to prepare themselves to play at the highest level. My upperclassmen take it seriously. Like, these guys, both who are in here for their first year, it's like they're watching everything you do, and you need to pull them in and invite them and welcome them and bring them under your wing and. And show them this is the way. Like, we never had separation of, like, yeah, we have our upperclassmen, and then we have our freshmen, and, you know, they're kind of their own deals. It's like, no, they're all together.
The only thing that truly separates them is their age, you know, so they just understood, like, yeah, it's a tough road, and there's a lot of hard things that you got to do on a daily basis. It's not always easy and fun, but do you want the big result or not? You know? And most of our guys just bought in and understood, like, that's the program we're coming into. There's high expectation, and that requires a lot of hard work. But I'm also a person who's willing to do that.
[00:09:35] Speaker A: How is your staff able to separate in the spring? Because obviously, you're trying to find players places, but then it's like, okay, I'm not gonna have a job after the spring. So how are you guys able to separate that?
[00:09:44] Speaker B: Yeah, you know, there. There was a while where, you know, when you first hear the news, those are going through your head. It's like, man, like, because. Because Jan and I, we lived on Campus too. So it's like, man, like, it's not like I can go down the street and maybe find a job at Sanford or uab. And it's like, I still have a house in Birmingham. It's like, no, I literally live on the campus. So to leave my house as well, same thing with Jan.
And I was like, God. And then like, that means, yeah, I'm gonna have to find another job. Is it going to be out of the state? And it's like, I was kind of bitter at the time because it's like, if I can, I'm not giving another tax dollar to this state, what they just did to us. So it's like, but if that happens, that means, well, I got to move my family, my wife has to potentially find another job. Like, you know, all the real world adult situations are starting to come into play.
Not just like, oh, how do we practice today? You know, so, yeah, there was, there was a time there where it was like, man, I really don't know what to do. But then it also came to a point where it's like, well, you don't have to do anything yet. You know, you can think about it, but you don't have to actually act on anything yet. I, I know that most jobs don't open up until the end of the season anyway, and it's March, you know, so it's like, I have some time to try and come to grips with some of this and, you know, go through my own little grieving process of like, I'm losing my school, you know, what do I do with my family? I have some time. So once I came to that realization, it was like, yeah, okay, I can still just kind of focus on these guys and make sure that they're taken care of first.
[00:11:24] Speaker A: And you played for Jan, correct?
[00:11:26] Speaker B: I did.
[00:11:27] Speaker A: I was in his spoke years. How's his coaching evolved?
[00:11:31] Speaker B: You know, there's a lot that's been really constant and I think that's why you've seen constant results. You know, it's like, wow, he just wins every single year. There's been some slight adaptations. You know, a lot of, you know, the new technology in the game is probably the biggest thing. Whereas, like, when I was playing, I mean, shoot, we didn't even have cameras watch, you know, to film us or anything. And now like, you, you have all these high definition cameras at every angle you can think of and they can slow everything down for you. And so I would say that's probably the biggest thing that he's adjusted to is like, he's trying to make sure that we stay up to date with the technology, at least the stuff that we can afford, and at least be able to read it. Maybe not fully interpret it, but be able to read all the data that we're collecting and be able to help it with our players.
But from like the on field stuff, there's not a whole lot that has changed. I would say when I was a player, he was still, you know, it's first year at Birmingham Southern, it's his first team, it's all freshmen. We can't compete in the postseason because we made the transition from D1 to D3. And it was more of like, okay, well, I'm going to ride these guys and get them ready for the spring. Despite them all being freshmen, like, we are still going to be competitive year one. So there were some tougher practices, some longer practices, but it wasn't like he was in your face and, you know, cussing you out or anything like that. It was still same Jan as he is today.
It was just more of like, well, what are they going to do?
Like, not let us compete for postseason? You know? So it's like, so, yeah, we are going to practice today. We're going to do this and we're going to make sure that you guys are ready.
But yeah, he's been pretty constant, though. Nothing's really changed drastically on the field.
[00:13:29] Speaker A: And then you coached two years there before you went to Louisiana Tech.
[00:13:32] Speaker B: Correct, correct, correct.
[00:13:34] Speaker A: What going to Louisiana Tech do for you?
[00:13:38] Speaker B: I mean, it gave me that Division one experience, you know, and being as a young coach, I still like to consider myself somewhat young, but as a fresh coach, I was like, yeah, okay, now I get to get that little D1 kick and see what it's all about. And I thought there were a lot of really cool things. Got to be with some really great coaches and meet some new people and see just how different it really is. Some things were great, some things I didn't enjoy, but I think that's where anywhere you're going to experience that.
And I felt like, wow, this is a really, really competitive nature and I love that part of it.
So, yeah, it was really cool to be there for two years and get to change that program. I really like to believe that, like, yeah, our coaching staff, Lane has done a great job there and he's maintained them, like staying competitive every single year. But I like to believe, like, well, but our coaching staff kind of kick started that because we inherited a team that went 15 and 40 two years later, we're 42 and 20 and we're losing Mississippi State at their field in a regional final.
[00:14:47] Speaker A: Well, I mean, what do you. What do you. What do you think the biggest turnaround was that? Was it getting better players? What was it building culture? What was it with the.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: I think it's, you know, in today's age, it's like, you got to have something to sell these guys. And thankfully, it's like we. We knew we had a great place and once we got the word that, like one, it's a new coaching staff and most people are kind of like excited about that. And I'm like, oh, yeah, like there's going to be some big changes at that school just because, well, there's a new coaching staff. So I think that attracted some pretty, you know, good players. And then once we got the news that we were getting turf for our second year, I think that was definitely a big piece of it. Knowing, like, oh, wow. And they're making big upgrades to their facilities, you know, and it's a state school, you know, we made it very affordable at the time. There wasn't nil or anything like that. So it was basically, how can you make this as affordable as possible and be competitive?
And yeah, I think we just had a nice little combination of we can make it very affordable for the student athlete. We had, you know, new facilities on top of a really energetic, competitive coaching staff.
So, yeah, I think just finding the right talent and that was the turnaround. And using Greg Goff's style of play and coaching, it's like, yeah, kind of all worked together and it got a story.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: We did a great environment too. From a fan base, correct?
[00:16:15] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah, it was. I mean, it helps to win. It does. So I would say that first year it's like we did have a good fan base, but it was almost kind of a fair weather fan type fan base. But once they kind of started to see like this program is turning around, you could see like slowly but surely it didn't matter if it was a midweek, you know, and we're not playing anybody great or if we got, you know, Arkansas coming in or LSU coming in or anything. Like, it's going to be pretty packed almost every single day.
[00:16:47] Speaker A: What were some things about. You were camp coordinator and then did ops also, which is probably something you maybe hadn't done a whole lot of at Birmingham Southern. But how was that?
[00:16:56] Speaker B: Yeah, that was. That was a little bit different. Now. Now, thankfully, Jan, you know, he. He does a really good job of making me Become a coach in all aspects. And that includes camps and stuff like that. So I did have a little bit of a taste of that with Jan. I just wasn't literally running the, the behind the scenes stuff in terms of registration and payments and all that stuff. So that part was a little bit new to me.
But I mean, that didn't take long to learn.
And then, yeah, just understanding, like, yeah, I'm actually going to like, run the camp. So this is what we're going to do from 9 to 10 and 10 to 11 until the camp is done. And I would go to Greg and he would basically just give me the like, hey, I want to change this to this. And it's like, okay, that's fine. But it was ultimately me having to run the camp and then, sure, like, Greg would be there and he would, you know, introduce everybody at the beginning of camp and he would make sure that the camp gets started and everything. But when it comes to the, you know, the ins and outs of how the camp is truly flowing, like, yeah, that was my responsibility.
So, yeah, that was definitely different. But it made me grow as a coach too. So I appreciate him doing that for me.
But, yeah, I think that's just one of those things that, yeah, as a coach, get used to having to do some camps here and there.
[00:18:19] Speaker A: Do you think it helps overall to go work with a different coaching staff than obviously, you're a player at Birmingham Southern, you coach there. Do you think it helps, Helps you grow to get around different people?
[00:18:29] Speaker B: No doubt, no doubt. I mean, I, I learned some things from Greg and it's, you know, it's one of those things where it's like, yeah, I learned some things that, oh, wow, that's. That's really good stuff. I want to use that too. And then there was some stuff where it's like, oh, wow, I see that. I, I don't want to use that, you know, but it's. Either way, it's good because it helps me grow as a coach where it's like, yeah, I do want to incorporate that, or no, I don't want to incorporate that. So it's almost like a, yeah, I definitely do want to do this, or I definitely don't want to do this, but either way, it's helping me kind of form who I am as a coach ultimately.
So, yeah, I was really thankful for, you know, the, the years that I was with him.
[00:19:03] Speaker A: What'd you take back then with you when you went back to Birmingham Southern? What'd you take with you from Louisiana Tech?
[00:19:07] Speaker B: To there, you know, it's interesting. So Birmingham Southern is a dynamic, and then Louisiana Tech is a different dynamic. In the fact of Birmingham Southern, it, like take away the division part of it, like division one three, like nuts. Like, Birmingham Southern is a private liberal arts school of about 1200 students. Right. And then you go to Louisiana Tech where it's a state public school, you know, and there's thousands of students there. And when I get Birmingham Southern, you get. You kind of have to go with that, where it's like, okay, well, I need to find talent. Either place I got to find talent. But at Birmingham Southern, I got to find a kid who's got really, really good grades. And the. Even with that, the parents still have to have some money. Otherwise they're not even getting in here whether I like them or not.
So, you know, the pool is a little bit different in terms of how you're finding your players.
But I did think like, well, but Greg was a little bit more that junior college mindset of, like, being tough, nitty gritty. We're not afraid to do the hard work, get our hands dirty, some blue collar stuff. And I was like, well, that's. That's some good stuff too. Like, some of these boys need to toughen up a little bit. Not to the point where you're hurting them or anything, but it's like, no, man. Like, mentally, like, I don't care if you don't like this. Like, you're going to do this today. Like, be a man and grow up, you know, so I'm not saying that Jan doesn't do that stuff or anything, but it's. It's a little bit more like, yeah, we are doing this.
I took a little bit of baserunning stuff, you know, from Greg, especially in terms of the offensive stuff.
Greg was. Was more. He was a pitcher, first of all, so he knew a lot more on the pitching side, but he liked to try and be a jack of all trades. Like, he'd work with the infielders, he'd still do some of the hitting stuff.
And there were a couple of drills here, and there was like, oh, like, that's a nice drill, Greg. I think I may use that. But from a philosophy standpoint, we were very similar from an offensive standpoint. So I wouldn't say I took away too many nuggets from an offensive type, but in terms of different drills and stuff like that, I definitely brought over and tried to incorporate them. You know, when I thought it was necessary to use at Birmingham Southern, did.
[00:21:27] Speaker A: You guys Bring any of your Birmingham Southern players with you to Valdosta?
[00:21:31] Speaker B: We did. We would have liked to bring more, but you know, just the nature of how it happened. It's like Jan got the job kind of late in the summer and guys were having to make decisions.
There were a lot of them who wanted to follow him. But just you started looking at the calendar and it's like, well, the clock's kind of running out of time here. We need to do something. So. But we did bring two, two pitchers.
Drake LaRoche and Hayden Satilly, both right handed pitchers.
So yeah, that was nice to at least bring a couple of our guys.
And there's. I'm kind of torn because I would have loved to bring some of our other guys. Some of them ended up going division one and you know, a couple guys we're going to have to compete against this year for, you know, in division two.
But I would. Even though I would have loved to have them here, I also think there's another side of me. It's like, no, but it's kind of good to have a kind of a fresh start where it's like now you don't have this potential division between, you know, the players that were here last year and now here's this new coaching staff. Oh, he's bringing in like half of his roster. It's like, I wonder who he's going to favor. Like just. We don't even have to flirt with that.
So it is kind of nice having a fresher start.
And even though we brought two guys, it's not 12, you know, so. And it's pitcher. So it's like you need a bunch of those anyways.
[00:22:51] Speaker A: And Valdosta has a good, good tradition as well.
[00:22:54] Speaker B: It does, yep. We're in Titletown is what I've been told.
So.
[00:23:00] Speaker A: Love it. Now, what are the difference between Valdosta State School 2, correct?
[00:23:04] Speaker B: It is. Yes, it is.
180 degree turn in terms of, you know, the price, first of all and how we can expand a little bit. So like at Birmingham Southern it was a private school and it was nice knowing like in state, out of state, you don't have to worry about that. It's a private school. It's, it's a set cost. Whether you live right down the street or if you live in another country, it's the same price.
But it was a steep price and I didn't have any scholarship money baseball wise to play with. So, you know, here it's like, yeah, it's a state school, doesn't cost a whole lot of money if you're in state and you have hope scholarship here.
The other thing is any state touching us will also be considered in state. So you don't even have to burn any of your out of state waivers for that.
So yeah, in terms of the bottom line number that these students are having to pay here compared to Birmingham Southern is drast drastically different.
So that, that part's been nice. On the fact of knowing like I also have scholarship money to play with.
[00:24:12] Speaker A: As well and going through exit interviews right now, how have those been?
[00:24:16] Speaker B: They've been great. They've been great.
You know, again my hat's off to Jan because like he's always transparent with our guys, you know, and, and I think a lot of it's more of just kind of a catch up and like, hey, here's kind of if we had to start today, here's what it would look like, you know. But I think because we talk to our guys a lot, like I don't think there's anything that's just earth shattering to them. It's almost more of like a, hey, this is the finality of the fall.
This is what we're going to work on, you know, when we get back. Here's kind of your plan for the in between time from now until then, you know, making sure that they're finishing strong in the classrooms. It sounds like for the most part guys are doing pretty well, which is good. And I think that's a big change we wanted to do as well because a lot of guys were struggling in the classroom when we got here. And it sounds like at least right now we'll see, I guess, you know, in a couple of weeks.
[00:25:09] Speaker A: But yeah, this generation, they're not always forthcoming with, with confrontation and yeah. So, you know, anybody down, so even if they're not doing well, they, they're not always forthcoming with that information.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: Yeah. So I guess we will see, you know, and probably 10 days or so, maybe a little bit longer on what our team GPA is going to be for the fall. But Our goal is 3, 2, 5 and from our midterm grades we were right there, which was great.
We'll see if it stays there.
[00:25:38] Speaker A: I think you have to set those expectations for your team as far as the team gpa.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, no doubt. And that was, I mean in Jan's first meeting with the team, like that was one of the things we covered was not just our baseball expectations, you know, and how we go about that, but it's like the classroom as well. Here is the standard, here's our goal. And I need everybody to try and reach this goal.
[00:26:00] Speaker A: What other things were you talking about them classroom wise that maybe they weren't getting from before?
[00:26:07] Speaker B: You know, I, I honestly just don't think they're. I could be wrong. I mean, I haven't talked, I haven't talked with the former coaching staff, so I really don't know. But I would assume that there's a lot more online classes here, you know, and then, yeah, like, maybe they weren't attending as much and it's like, no guys most of the time in college nowadays if you just attend, like you're setting yourself up pretty well, doesn't mean you're going to get an A, but you're definitely probably not going to fail either. You know, and the amount of Fs that we saw on the, you know, the grades from last year and it's like, wow, they've almost been completely eliminated this semester.
So, yeah, attendance is definitely one of those things that we were like, yeah, just show up and you're gonna be in a good spot. And then, yeah, just making sure we don't have a mandated study hall or anything. But we do have a needs based study hall. So I think guys kind of understood like, well, I don't want to necessarily be that one guy who's like, I have to go to study hall, you guys can go out and have fun, but I have to go to study hall, you know. So I think that was kind of, you know, good for them to just at least be aware of. It's not a threat or anything. It's just more of like, hey, like this is real though. If you're struggling, you can't play in the spring then, you know, so it's like, it's a real thing.
And I think a lot of our guys were kind of right there on the, you know, they were walking that line of like, hey man, if you don't do well this semester, like you're, I don't care how good you did this fall, you can't play next spring. So I think having that the kind of backs against the wall too, it's kind of forced their hand to make their grades better. So it was kind of a combination of things to really make them perform better in the classroom this fall.
[00:27:51] Speaker A: And you're running strength and conditioning.
[00:27:54] Speaker B: I did when I was at Birmingham Southern. Thankfully we have Coach Dosher here who's a strength coach for Valdosta State and he runs all the sports here. So thankfully I kind of stay out of the way of that now, which is really nice.
[00:28:08] Speaker A: Is he doing anything different than what you were doing with the guys?
[00:28:11] Speaker B: I mean, I would say it's a little bit more structured in the fact of he's there for every single rep. Whereas when I was the strength conditioning coach, it's like, well, I would set the programs up and our programs are pretty similar. It's like. But at the same time, I might have to go off recruiting, so one of our other coaches is going to have to be at least there for our guys and make sure that, you know, the doors are unlocked, you know, and it gets locked up and everything like that. So there's more consistency of like, you know, he is going to be there every single time, which creates that structure of like, yeah, you can't miss because Dash is gonna know, you know, not saying that. Our coaches wouldn't tell me if anybody missed or anything like that, but he's kind of built that reputation too, of like, yeah, you don't miss, otherwise you're going to pay.
[00:29:07] Speaker A: But do you think it helps, though, as a coach if you do have to run? It kind of help you with practice planning, with on field practice planning, if you do have to run the strength and conditioning.
[00:29:15] Speaker B: I mean, it definitely. It forced me to be extremely organized and it also forced me to be extremely flexible too, because, yeah, it's easy to make sure. Like, hey, you know, if you work out at 6am every morning, practice doesn't come into play. So it's like you can practice whenever you want to, knowing that your lifts have been done, you know, but that's a perfect world. There's other sports, you know, and there's only so many weight rooms on campus. And it's like, yeah, so maybe you can't get that time. It's like, okay, well, sometimes we'd have to lift in the evenings or sometimes, like, you know, it'd be a Sunday evening. Make sure everybody gets back on campus. It's like, you got to show up for your lift or something like that. It's like, well, sometimes I would like to go, you know, I'd be on the road. And it's like, well, I didn't think we were going to lift today, but now I got to get back and, you know, make sure we've got a lift ready and all that. So, um, it's good because it teaches you more. And I knew I kind of wanted to potentially pursue that coming out of college. So I did make sure I was. I had at least Some kind of certification for the, the weight room.
So I felt like I could always do it if I needed to. But as I started really getting into coaching, I was like, man, I sure would like somebody to take this off my hands because, I mean, that's a big part of this game. I mean, it. Yeah, there's a lot of work that goes into that weight room, just like there is out on the field. It's like, wow, that's. That's a lot of hours on top of like, well, I, I still have a job, you know, that I need to do. And I could be recruiting right now or working on the field or heck, even spending time with my family, but I'm. I'm here. And again, it's not that I didn't want to be there. It's like. But I also know there's a lot of schools out there who pay a guy to do this, you know, and it's like they're still, the players are still getting their work in. They're getting, you know, a great program.
We can be involved in terms of forming the program for the guys on how they're going to lift, but I don't necessarily have to physically be there every single time. So that part's been nice.
[00:31:17] Speaker A: So what did you know you're going to get into coaching then when you're, when you're playing?
[00:31:22] Speaker B: I always knew that, you know, worst case scenario, and I don't like using that particular term, but I always liked coaching. I was always a student of the game. I always wanted to learn more.
I wanted, I wanted to try the real world experience, you know, just getting a normal desk job or something like that too, just to feel it out. So that's what I did. When I graduated, I actually went back home, started working for my dad for a little bit just to see what his job is all about, because he does really well. And for a time, I kind of enjoyed it. But then it got to the point where it's like, man, but I'm doing the same thing every single day. And, you know, I was. For me, I was like, man, like, I'm. I'm starting to get that itch again to, like, get on the field and work with guys. And so then I was like, yeah, I think I want to be a coach. It didn't take too long for me to realize, like, yeah, that's actually what I want to pursue.
[00:32:14] Speaker A: What's your dad's profession?
[00:32:16] Speaker B: So he deals with.
It's called Community Loans of America. So it's basically guy Needs some money, you can go give him your car title, he'll loan you some money and then you got to pay him back.
And he's the COO of the corporation and it's a nationwide company too, so he's doing just fine.
[00:32:42] Speaker A: What do you feel like the biggest thing to connecting with this generation of players is?
[00:32:47] Speaker B: Oh, that's a good question.
I mean, I think you have to just kind of stay up to date with like what those guys are interested in.
And I do say, like Jan says it too. It's like the one thing we love about coaching is it, it makes us feel like we're staying young, you know, because we're surrounded by 18 to 22, 23 year old guys every single day.
So I think just by naturally just hanging around them, it's like, well, you're going to talk to them, you know, just to help, you know, create some relationships, heck, even to pass some time sometimes, you know, and you just kind of get the feel of what their interests are. And then it's like, oh, I've never heard of that. Like, let me go take a look at that. And all of a sudden it's like, oh, that is pretty. Like, wow, that's funny. I can see why they thought that was funny, you know, or, oh, wow, that's a nice show. Like, I never even would have thought about watching this show or something like that. So it's, it's just trying to stay up to date with what they're interested in. For sure.
[00:33:45] Speaker A: I think you see it in the music preferences more than anything. Yeah, yeah.
That's one where music library is very diverse and people like, how do you know all these songs? I'm like, well, I coach for 22 years, so you're around 18 to 23 year olds. You're going to pick up new music because of them.
[00:34:01] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I will say that's probably the one thing that I probably have stayed away from not saying, like, oh, you can't play that.
But I'm also like, I hear the music and it's like, yeah, this isn't necessarily for my ear, but I don't hate it to the point where it's like, we got to turn that off, guys. We got to switch it to something else.
[00:34:18] Speaker A: We would have to address content sometimes with guys, especially when it was directed towards females. I'm like, hey, that's a, that's a no. Because I know you like it and all that. I'm like, but that's a no, not for public consumption. What you're yeah, for sure.
[00:34:30] Speaker B: Like, if we have music on the field, there are restrictions of, like, you can't have any derogative language or anything like that, you know? But when it comes to, you know, individual work and it's like they're just hitting in the cages in our indoor, it's like nobody's hearing it except for them, you know, and if I'm around working and, like, that's what they want to listen to. Like, I'm not going to tell them you can't listen to that.
[00:34:52] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure.
And you're working with the outfielders also?
[00:34:57] Speaker B: Yes, yes, with the outfielders.
[00:34:59] Speaker A: Where are you starting with them? I mean, for you, you get fresh eyes. You're going to a new program this fall, and so you kind of. That's the cool thing with going to a new place is you get some fresh eyes. And they also probably hear some things that they haven't heard. Or maybe it's the same, but it's. The terminology is different. So where were you starting with those guys in the outfield when you got them?
[00:35:18] Speaker B: Well, I just wanted to see him track balls, first of all.
So I wanted to see how their feet worked and how they ran routes and how aggressively they ran them.
And then, sure, I wanted to see some arm strength. I'm a big believer in, like, arm strength is great in the outfield, but I've never told Jan, like, we can't play this guy. He can't throw it from the outfield. Like, that's never ever been a topic of conversation. It's either he's hitting or he's not most of the time, you know, so it's like, in terms of outfield, it's like, just make sure you can go catch the ball, you know? So it's like, I'm always watching how do they truly track a ball?
And from what I saw, honestly, when I was at Birmingham Southern, especially in the last couple years, like, we had some really, really athletic outfielders. Just because I had an eye for it, because I was an outfielder as well. I think that's kind of how most coaches are. You know, if you're a pitcher, you can spot pitching talent.
If you're a catcher, you can spot catching talent. That was kind of, for me, it's like, yeah, I can see that guy can hit. Andy can also go track it out there, you know, so it was good to see, like, I have a couple guys who can really go track it, and there's some other guys where it's like, okay, you're Definitely in there for your bat, you know, But I don't think we have anybody out there that's just like, wow, we cannot play them in the outfield. They're just, they're not an outfielder.
So thankfully I'm in that boat where it's like, I don't have to tell a guy like, hey, bud, like, you might need to start thinking of another position or anything like that. So that part's been nice.
But yeah, we started trying to develop like, yeah, here's my beliefs on the outfield and they've been very receptive and they've been trying to incorporate as much as they can and.
But it's, it's been a good change of pace for them, I think, but in a good way. And I thought we played the outfield extremely well this fall, for the most part.
[00:37:16] Speaker A: How much time you'd spend on prep steps with them in the outfield?
[00:37:20] Speaker B: You know, we discussed them and to me that's one of those things, like, man, if you can't do that, like, how can I expect you to. To go track a ball at the wall, you know, or go dive, dive and catch or anything like that. But that is like day one, you know, it's like, hey guys, like, let's really start from the ground up. It's like the first thing we need to do is make sure we have a good in time, aggressive prep step. Doesn't have to be anything crazy, but you have to be in motion when the ball crosses the plate.
It's kind of like, you know, when you see tennis, you know, a guy, it's like about to serve. It's like, you see he kind of gets that little hop in right as the ball's coming in. And that's just to help get the best jump, you know. So we kind of discuss it in that regard.
And it's just, let me see what it looks like and I can tell them, like, hey, you kind of look like a third baseman right now. Like, you don't have to be that low. Like, you can be a little bit more upright as an outfielder. The ball's 300ft away from you, you know, it's not 90ft away from you like a third baseman. They have to be low. You have to potentially run 40 yards that way. Like, you need to be a little bit more upright.
[00:38:29] Speaker A: So a little later too, because they, they got a longer read with the ball coming off the bat, right?
[00:38:35] Speaker B: So, you know, there's, there's just little things to kind, you know, it's, it's nitpicking, honestly, in terms of that, but most of the guys, they've been doing that their whole lives too. And it's like, unless there's something drastic I need to change, like, it's more. So let me see what it looks like if I think some, you know, little thing here or there, try and change that. But that's. That's almost like it's a done deal. It's wrapped up day one.
[00:38:59] Speaker A: You mentioned with Coach Goff, with base running. Some. Some different things. So what were some of the different things that he was doing that you hadn't been doing before?
[00:39:07] Speaker B: Well, you know, it's nothing that I hadn't heard before. It was more so like, I've never really seen it incorporated in game before, you know, I mean, so it's. It was one of those things like, wow, I've never really seen, you know, this philosophy in play. So it was kind of fun to see. Like, yeah, like, he had a steel sign and. Which I thought was hilarious because at the end of the year, he never touched it. He never gave that sign ever. So it was more. So it was on me at first base. Being the first base coach is like, it was basically me telling our guys, like, hey, now's a good time to run. Like, pick the next two pitches, like, you need to be gone, you know. So, yeah, it was a full on green light system, which. Which at first I was like, wow, that's pretty crazy to like put every single steel on your players. But I also learned it's like. But that gives them the freedom, you know, and it's like, it makes them the aggressor. It's not like, oh, coaches telling me I have to go right now. I better not get thrown out, I better not get picked off. You know, it's. It's like those thoughts, whether you like it or not, they kind of creep into your head, you know, as opposed to like, hey, man, you got the green light. Like, whenever you feel time to go, go. It's like. But I want you to understand we do want you to go. You know, there's a reason why it's called green light. It means go. It just doesn't necessarily mean this pitch. So I kind of learned on that part. It's like, wow, that's. It actually worked out really, really well.
And that's something that I told Jan when I came back. It's like, that's something that's. I just saw, like, wow, we stole a lot of bases. And it's not that we Necessarily had just nine guys in the lineup that were running six fives or anything like that. It's just not. But they. They had the freedom to go. And when they felt like it was a good time to go and they felt they had a good jump, a good read, they took it. And surprise, surprise, they didn't get thrown out that much. Yeah.
[00:40:59] Speaker A: So every program I was with, it was green light. I just felt like it just kept guys aggressive and they were always hunting for extra bases and that maybe not always stealing, but they're trying to hunt for an extra 90ft. And I think it just kept that mentality on the base of, okay, trying to move up at any time I can, and when I have an opportunity to move up, I'm gonna move up.
[00:41:19] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. And then also I would say the, you know, the vault, it was never like. That wasn't a change to me in terms of trying to steal third, but trying to steal second like that. I like, wow. I've never seen anybody try to do a vault from first base to try and take second base. So that was something, you know, at the time. You know, I mean, shoot, that was 2015, something like that. And it's like, wow, I've never seen anybody vault from first base. I've always seen it at second base.
So I thought that was interesting, like, trying to incorporate that and when to use it. It's not. You just do it every time. It's like there's a time and a place where you use it. So kind of learning when to do that and explaining to our guys like, hey, this is when we're going to use that. It's not all the time, but here is the time. So I thought that was pretty cool to see that. And, you know, there's a bunch of different terminology and stuff where it's like, okay, like, if I really need to, I can always bring that back, you know, if I need to change up the terminology for our guys, or maybe if it's like, yeah, we're in game and I'm trying to communicate with our guys, you know, by literally speaking to them. But it's in code, it's encrypted. So that way they know exactly what I'm saying and what I'm looking for. But the guys out on. On defense have no idea what I'm saying, you know, So I thought that was interesting.
[00:42:36] Speaker A: You mentioned video stuff. How much time are you. You spend with. With hitters as far as breaking their. Their videos down?
[00:42:43] Speaker B: Yeah. So we, we have Rapsodo here. At Valdosta, we're about to put in a wear, so we'll. We'll have that definitely by the spring for sure. So I'll have some more learning to do here come springtime. In terms of how. How are we really going to use Aware to our benefit for our hitters? But I don't think it'll take too long.
But a lot on Rapsodo, you know, this fall, because that's what we had available to us. So have the iPad up, ready to film, you know, in game swings, sometimes in the cages, if, you know, if we're trying to see some things for drills, like, we'd use it.
And I am an advocate for it. But I also try and explain to our guys, though, like, the technology is nice, but I think we're starting to fall into a day and age where guys rely on it too much.
And it's like, guys, this is just a tool, like this video.
It's not necessarily going to tell you what the next step is to get better. It's just showing you what you did in the past.
What we need to do is use this. Yes. But let's really break down from here. How do we need to go about it this next round or the next weeks or whatever to make sure that we can improve upon this?
Because, like, I. I really do. I hate when our guys are like, all they're doing is, like, they take a swing. It's like, let's see the video. Let's see the video. Let's see. It's like, how about we take a round and just like, see what happens, you know?
Because come game time, nobody's gonna care about that video. It's like, are you gonna execute or not? You know? So it's like, I try to keep our guys in line of, like, guys, ultimately, I need you to execute the swing. May not be pretty, but did you execute? That's all I care about, you know, So I try and use it as little as I can, but also as much as I can, if that makes sense. Where it's like, I want our guys to feel like, yes, we're using it to help improve your player development, but I'm not going to bust this thing out every day to the point where it's like, now you expect it or rely upon it, depend on it.
Because I don't think that's good either.
[00:44:54] Speaker A: Because you guys have had great offensive numbers, man. Birmingham Southern, you guys had great offensive numbers.
[00:44:59] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah. Especially the last five years or so. It's like, I've had some guys for sure, but I think it's more so, you know, video's nice and everything, just. Just because it can give you a little bit of confirmation, you know, it's like, hey, man, I'm seeing this. Well, the player may not feel that, you know, so he. What is he supposed to do? Just trust what you're saying you see as opposed to what he's feeling in his swing. It's like, no, let's break down the video so that way you can see exactly what I'm talking about. Then they can be like, oh, yeah, you're right. Now that I see it there, it's like, okay, great. Now we've had that breakthrough, we can at least be in agreement. Like, yep, that barrel's too steep. Like, okay, well, let's flatten it out, you know, and then from there, it's one on one, you know, just sessions with guys like, hey, like, let's work on that today. Then that's all our focus is going to be on. I don't care where the ball goes necessarily. It's like, but let's see how flat we can be, you know, And I think that's just how your player development really happens, is having a lot of, you know, one on ones or two on one sessions.
So that way it's not group setting necessarily, because when it comes to groups, it's like, guys, we have a strict amount of time today. Like, here are the rounds in the cages. I expect you to follow these. Like, but this is in the cages. There's also stuff going on on the fields. Like, I have to be out there as well. So, you know, sometimes it's like you're getting reps, but are you really developing? Like, it can be two different things. So I've always tried to make sure, like, I'm trying to get in with my guys as much as I can, like, making sure I'm still following the rules for the ncaa. But I also explained to our guys, like, hey, this is what I want you to work on.
It's going to take more than just you and me. Like, it's going to take more time. You have to come up here and make it, you know, a goal for like, yeah, I had my swings today at practice. I'm also going to go in later and get another 50 swings in of making sure I'm focusing on this, you know, And I think I had enough talented guys and enough motivated and driven guys towards, like, okay, they're going to take that to heart, man. Like, yeah, I should always See those cages, like the lights are on, like somebody's in there.
And yet I don't necessarily have to be there because we've already had the conversations. It's like, you know what you need to develop now? Go develop it. And hopefully we've gotten to the point where like in a one on one session. Did you feel that? I did feel that. Great. Now you, not only do you know what you're working on, you're trying to figure out what you're feeling too.
It's like, so now that you have a combination of that, why do you need me? You know, you know what you're feeling, you know what you're working on. That's called a mature hitter. And it's like, great. Now I really don't have to work with you much now. It's more so of just getting like to write the ship sometimes, you know, if things start to go a little bit south. My job is to get you kind of back to neutral. You know how much that is gets.
[00:47:59] Speaker A: Cleaned up with just timing in terms.
[00:48:02] Speaker B: Of like hitters timing or just like.
[00:48:04] Speaker A: Being on time with when they're moving. How much mechanical stuff gets cleaned up with just being on time.
[00:48:10] Speaker B: I mean it's, it's amazing. I, I, I talk internal mechanics. Meaning like, yeah, let's, let's make sure we're, you feel that back leg really driving or like make sure we're not, you know, spinning that front side out too early and pulling off.
But a lot of times I'm telling them external things of like, yeah, like, hey, let's make sure we're making collision at this point. Like that's, that's, that's not inside of you. It's like, no, make contact here.
Like that's external. Like hit it right there and figure out the timing it takes to make sure you can hit it right there. And then it's like, hey man, instead of trying to stay inside the ball, how about you just try and drive as many baseballs through the middle of the field right here just to see. And, and I don't want you to feel for it. Try and get a high exit velocity. I don't care. But let's see how many times you can drive something over the center field wall, knowing you're probably not going to do it often, but I want you to have that mindset. And then sure enough, it's like you have them take 10 to 15 swings and that's all he's working on. And then it's like, wow, now look at his Timing. Ooh, now look at his mechanics. It's like, I didn't have to tell him, hey, quit spinning off the ball. It's like, well, you can't spin off the ball if you're going to drive something over to center field wall. You have to stay through it, you know? But I'm not having to tell him that. And now there's a freedom in his swing and the mechanics are kind of working themselves out. It's kind of ironing out the wrinkles, so to speak, you know, and it's like, wow. And it's a free swing. It's an aggressive swing. That's. That's a scary hitter, you know, when he has a free, aggressive swing.
So I work a lot on external things and timing, I believe it's like, sure, it is an internal thing, so to speak, because you do have to start moving your body at some point. But a lot of it is like, hey, man, like, let's figure out when we need to start and like, just go from there. So. But yeah, timing is everything. I always tell our guys, I don't care how pretty your swing is. That's why I don't like talking about internal mechanic stuff too much. Like, dude, you got the picture perfect swing, but if you swing and the ball literally just left the pitcher's hand and the ball isn't even out of the pitcher circle yet, you're never going to hit it, you know, so same thing, like, if it's in the catcher's mitt and then you swing, you're never going to hit it, despite how perfect and pretty your swing looks, you know, So I talk about, I want more hitters than swingers.
[00:50:29] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. Was it Jan that told you you should be an ABCA member?
[00:50:34] Speaker B: Yeah, a long time ago. Yeah, yeah, he told me. A long time ago.
[00:50:39] Speaker A: Yeah, he's been a phenomenal member.
[00:50:42] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, he told me as soon as I got in, it's like, yep, you need to go ahead and join.
[00:50:47] Speaker A: We all have that. One or two people where it's like, okay, this is what you're gonna do. Yeah, you don't know as a player, like, you don't know as a player. You have no idea. This is a resource that's available for you.
[00:50:58] Speaker B: Right, Right. Yeah, no doubt.
[00:51:00] Speaker A: Do you have a feel for the moment you have something that you thought was going to set you back, but. But looking back now helped you move forward?
[00:51:07] Speaker B: I mean, just. Just this past season for sure, man. I mean, I think that was the most clear cut example I've ever had, you know, in my life where it's like, yeah, things are looking pretty bad right now, but thankfully, you know, I reverted a lot back to my faith knowing like, this, this is happening for a reason. As bad as it may, you know, I may think it sucks right now, and it did. It was like, but also keeping faith, knowing, like, but there is something better. There's a reason it's happening because there's something better out there. You just have to be patient and let it, you know, that opportunity present itself and then go from there. And thankfully, there were multiple opportunities for me, you know, a couple high school opportunities, a couple head coaching opportunities, and then, you know, Jan's opportunity here, you know, so I was, I was very thankful. I mean, shoot, he even got to the point where I had a couple professional opportunities.
So I was like, oh, there it is. You know, like, if Birmingham Southern kind of stayed where it was, like, I'd still probably be there.
Even though I loved it. It's like there were other opportunities out there that could potentially be better for me overall.
[00:52:16] Speaker A: So how's your guys relationship evolved over time, you and Jan's?
[00:52:21] Speaker B: Well, obviously, you know, being a player first, you know, it was a lot of, you know, like, whatever Jan's gonna say, it's like, yep, I'm gonna do it. And even though Jan's really good, like, even with his players, like, guys, I want to have it kind of back and forth. I don't want it just to be. Do as I say. You say, yes, sir. It's not that.
It's. It's always been like, let's have a real conversation here.
So I've always appreciated that about him when I was a player. So thankfully, when I got into coaching, there wasn't this big transition on what our relationship needed to be.
But it's, it's definitely become more so of like he's not just a coach or whatever. It's like now he's a true mentor. Definitely a friend, you know, and I'm just glad that I get to stick with them.
[00:53:08] Speaker A: Do you have any evening or morning routines? I know you got family, so it's hard to have a routine.
[00:53:14] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. So I have a 4 to 5 year old, so it's, it's every morning it's like, yep, you're gonna wake up early and they're gonna be ready to go. And now, you know, you got daycare and you got my, my 5 year old's now in kindergarten, so it's like, all right, well, my routine Is I got to get her ready first because school kindergarten starts earlier than the daycare does. So gotta get Harper ready to go to school and then I drive her to school, then I come back to the house and then it's like, okay, Hayden, my four year old, she's, she's now got to get ready for, for daycare, so gotta get her ready and then I take her to school and then some days I get to go back to the house before I go into work. But most of the time it's like, all right, well now it's time to go over to Valdosta State and start the day for baseball.
[00:54:00] Speaker A: Do they have any idea what you do yet?
[00:54:03] Speaker B: They do, they do. And it's been really fun because they've been my biggest cheerleaders, you know, especially the last, I would say year and a half because, you know, Hayden, my four year old, like she just turned four, but she even knew, you know, two years old, like daddy's baseball coach, you know, because my wife is been awesome, always making sure like they would come to the field on game day, even some days at practice, like they're going to be there just to see like this is what daddy does, you know. So it's, it's been really good to make sure that I have a supportive wife and she understands like she wants our girls to be just as involved in it as well.
[00:54:45] Speaker A: Love it. Anybody that hasn't been to the ABCA convention, what would you tell them?
[00:54:51] Speaker B: I mean, it's a great experience. First of all, just because, let's just say you're just getting into coaching. It's like, well, what better place to, you know, learn some new ideas or, you know, some, some trick plays or some drills or what? I mean, there's so many different ones out there. It's like, yeah, just sit in on it for a day and you'll get so much information.
And let's say maybe you're not a brand new coach and it's like, okay, like I kind of have in place what I want. But shoot, it's great for connections. I mean, the amount of coaches that end up going there just for the, you know, three or four days you get to one get to see some old guys that you're used to seeing, you know, on the road or, you know, within conference or whatever. You get to see them every season, get to say hey to them, hang out with them, but that also opens up the opportunity for, hey, have you ever met this guy? Like, no. And then you get to develop other relationships. And it kind of just, you know, it's nice to know more people because it is a small world in this business. And it's like, and if you can learn the people within the business, it's like, well, that only gives yourself more opportunities.
[00:55:55] Speaker A: Later, what are some final thoughts before I let you go?
[00:56:00] Speaker B: Thank you for reaching out to me and just wanting to talk to me and hear kind of the story of Birmingham Southern for a little bit and a little bit about me. So thanks.
[00:56:09] Speaker A: Good luck. Look forward to seeing D.C. yeah, absolutely.
[00:56:13] Speaker B: Ryan, thank you so much.
[00:56:14] Speaker A: Thanks, sir.
[00:56:15] Speaker B: All right, man.
[00:56:16] Speaker A: Congrats to Coach Hulse on this award. I have a lot of respect for him and Coach Weisberg on the job they did this spring at Birmingham Southern under very tough circumstances.
I'm happy for both of them finding another job in baseball. Thanks again to John Litchfield, Zach Hale, Matt west and Antonio Walker in the ABC office for all the help on the podcast. Feel free to reach out to me via email rbrownlebca.org Twitter, Instagram and TikTok coach Babca or direct message me via the MyBCA app. This is Ryan Brownlee signing off for the American Baseball Coaches Association. Thanks. And leave it better for those behind.
[00:56:50] Speaker B: You you know that way Yep.
[00:57:06] Speaker A: Wait for another day.
[00:57:11] Speaker B: And the world will always return as your love is never for your name and you know that Wait.
[00:57:26] Speaker A: Wait for another mother.
