On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Aaron Fearne, Assistant Coach at the College of Charleston. Coach Fearne has built a unique career across Australia and the United States, with experience as both a player and coach at the professional and collegiate levels. His journey includes stops with the Cairns Taipans, Charlotte, and Charleston, along with head coaching experience with the Cairns Marlins, Cairns Taipans, and Charlotte. In this episode we discuss how coaching young players early in his career shaped his approach to development, the biggest adjustments he had to make transitioning from Australia to the United States, and what he would do differently if he could go back and relive his experiences as a head coach.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Dexter Gooding, Assistant Coach at the University of Tampa. Gooding played at High Point before transitioning into coaching, with stops at South Florida, High Point, and now Tampa. His experience on both sides of player development has given him a unique perspective on helping athletes improve while continuing to grow as a young coach. In this episode we discuss the biggest challenge he faced transitioning from player to coach, what goes into developing a player before they even step on the court, and the key areas of growth and development that shaped him early in his coaching career.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Phil Beckner, a player development coach and performance consultant with Be Better. Be Different. Beckner has built an impressive career with coaching stops at Weber State, the Oklahoma City G League, Nebraska, and Boise State, while also working closely with some of the game’s top talent. His experience in player development has given him a unique perspective on building elite players and programs. In this episode we discuss how head coaches can build and develop a stronger staff, what working with Damian Lillard and other elite NBA talent taught him about player development, and what goes into creating an elite development plan before a player even steps on the floor.