In this episode, Sam Acho and co-host Cliff Marshall sit down with Ed Schilling, Pepperdine University's head basketball coach and seasoned mentor. Coach Schilling opens up about building a culture of faith, navigating tough transitions like being let go from prominent coaching roles, and the importance of keeping family at the center. He shares powerful stories from his career, including his time coaching Kobe Bryant and the lessons drawn from working alongside icons like John Calipari. Tune in for an honest look at leadership, resilience, and the daily habits that anchor success both on and off the court.

Follow Coach Schilling

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-schilling-646a577
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachedschilling/
• X: https://x.com/coachschilling

Connect with Sam

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesamacho
• X: https://x.com/thesamacho
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamacho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamacho/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSamAchoPodcast

Book Sam to speak at your event: https://www.samacho.com/speaking

Read Sam's books

• Let the World See You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Change Starts With You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/change-starts-with-you

Chapter Outline
(00:00) Humility and Coaching Influences
(04:18) Spiritual Leadership and Daily Example
(07:38) Faith in Facing Professional Setbacks
(13:30) Balancing Coaching, Family, and Faith
(20:33) Books, Mentorship, and Devotional Habits
(23:05) Lessons from Kobe Bryant
(29:14) Navigating Modern Coaching Challenges
(31:30) Anchoring Success On and Off the Court
(34:35) Fitness, Routine, and Personal Discipline
(38:04) Coaching with John Calipari and Recruiting Insights

In this episode, Sam Acho and Clif Marshall are joined by Kurt Hester, the director of strength and performance for the Houston Cougars football team. Kurt opens up about his remarkable journey growing up in the Louisiana swamps, his award-winning coaching career, and his ongoing battle with stage four cancer. Together, they unpack the power of resilience, the importance of relationships over results, and how faith and mindset fuel Kurt’s fight both on and off the field. If you’re looking for inspiration, wisdom forged through adversity, and honest conversation, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Connect with and Support Kurt

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hesterkurt/
• X: https://x.com/TheKurtHester
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-hester-69366016
• Support Coach Kurt: https://www.bonfire.com/kurt-hester-is-unbreakable/

Connect with Sam

• Website: https://www.samacho.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesamacho
• X: https://x.com/thesamacho
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamacho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamacho/
• YouTube: ⁨https://www.youtube.com/@TheSamAchoPodcast

Book Sam to speak at your event: https://www.samacho.com/speaking

Read Sam's books

• Let the World See You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Change Starts With You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/change-starts-with-you

Chapter Outline
(00:00) Growing Up in the Louisiana Swamps
(07:05) A Day in the Life during Training Camp
(09:29) Battling Stage Four Cancer with Tenacity
(17:45) Adversity, Mindset, and the Meaning of Unbreakable
(21:12) Relationships over Results in Coaching
(29:43) Reconnecting with Faith through Hardship
(32:05) Building Community and Anticipating the Season

In this episode, Sam Acho sits down with University of Texas football standout Michael Taaffe for an honest conversation about faith, adversity, and what it means to pursue purpose on and off the field. Michael shares his journey from walk-on to All-American, the powerful lessons coaches have taught him, and how personal loss has shaped his drive and perspective. Together, they tackle tough subjects like overcoming setbacks, finding identity beyond athletic achievements, and turning tragedy into positive action. If you’re looking for inspiring stories of resilience, brotherhood, and faith lived out loud, this episode delivers real wisdom for anyone navigating life’s challenges.

Connect with Michael

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-taaffe-ab7a87244/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeljtaaffe/
• X: https://x.com/MichaelTaaffe4

Connect with Sam

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesamacho
• X: https://x.com/thesamacho
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamacho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamacho/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSamAchoPodcast

Book Sam to speak at your event — https://www.samacho.com/speaking

Read Sam's books

• Let the World See You — https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Change Starts With You — https://www.samacho.com/resources/change-starts-with-you

Chapter Outline
(00:01) The Coaches Who Shape Character
(03:03) Betting on Purpose over Comfort
(04:53) The Power of Texas and Brotherhood
(06:28) Faith as the Foundation
(09:29) Adversity, Loss, and Finding Purpose
(12:46) Honoring Heroes and Advocating Change
(16:45) Building Faith and Brotherhood at Texas
(18:19) Life Verses and Legacy

This week on The Sam Acho Podcast, former NFL Pro Bowler and Buffalo Bills radio voice Eric Wood joins Sam and Clif Marshall for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. Eric reflects on his unlikely journey from overlooked recruit to first-round draft pick, shares candid insights about sudden career-ending adversity, and opens up about work-life balance, faith, and the transformative power of community. With memorable stories and practical wisdom drawn from both the locker room and life after football, this episode is packed with encouragement for anyone navigating transition or searching for purpose beyond achievements. Don’t miss the honest lessons on resilience, generosity, and what truly defines victory.

Connect with Eric

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewood70/
• X: https://x.com/ewood70
• What's Next with Eric Wood Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-next-with-eric-wood/id1454848755
• Eric's book, Tackle What's Next: https://www.amazon.com/Tackle-Whats-Next-Achieve-Business-ebook/dp/B0BHFF67Z6

Connect with Sam

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesamacho
• X: https://x.com/thesamacho
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamacho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamacho/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSamAchoPodcast

Book Sam to speak at your event: https://www.samacho.com/speaking

Read Sam's books

• Let the World See You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Change Starts With You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/change-starts-with-you

Chapter Outline
(00:01) From Underdog to Louisville Cardinal
(03:14) Finding Community and Giving Back
(05:08) Embracing Louisville Culture and the Kentucky Derby
(06:34) Discovering Confidence and Striving for Excellence
(09:39) Navigating Work-Life Balance and Family Priorities
(13:34) Perspective on Modern Football and Team Predictions
(17:02) Influential Coaches and Lifelong Lessons
(22:02) Faith, Books, and Spiritual Foundations
(23:47) Adversity, Identity, and the Role of Faith
(32:01) Redefining Victory and the Value of Community
(35:55) Accountability, Small Groups, and Lifelong Learning
(37:43) Life Verse and Spreading Joy
(40:24) Financial Stewardship and Lasting Contentment

Priscilla Shirer steps into this episode with honesty, humor, and hard-won faith. Sam, Clif, and Priscilla go deep—into stories of calling, what surrender to God really looks like, and how loss can open space for peace and perspective. Priscilla, who calls teaching the Bible her joy, shares how a knack for “talking too much” became a calling once surrendered to God. Together they talk about parenting, not out of a playbook, but through presence, integrity, and the courage to show up in good seasons and in grief. She opens a window into her family’s rhythms, the margin she’s learned to carve out after losing her mother, and how small, steady choices build a legacy. If you’re worn out by perfection or looking for hope that’s anchored in reality, pull up a seat at the table.

Some of the major standout moments:

• Priscilla recounts surrendering her gift for communication, remembering her father’s challenge: “If you would just surrender this thing…not get rid of it, just surrender this thing to the Lord, it could be exactly what He’s wired you for.”
• With vulnerability, Priscilla shares how ten family losses in six years, including her mother and cousin, became both a test of faith and a catalyst for living with gratitude and trust in God’s timing—“stop and smell the roses” is now a lived-out practice.
• She gives voice to the tension of raising sons as athletes and men of character, encouraging families to focus less on perfection and more on consistency, even if that means sometimes pulling out question cards to help break the ice at dinner.
• Priscilla calls coaches and parents to the crucial work of “separating for them their identity from their sport,” pushing back on a culture that ties worth to performance.
• Stepping onto a movie set for “War Room” stretched Priscilla far outside her comfort zone, turning a one-time adventure into a new avenue for ministry and impact.

Her closing word is a testimony to God’s steady hand: “He is faithful…when everything else is crumbling or disintegrating or in some way disappointing…the rock behind all of that is that He’s faithful.”

Links to checkout:

• Going Beyond Ministries: https://www.goingbeyond.com
• The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer: https://www.amazon.com/Armor-God-Priscilla-Shirer/dp/1430040270
• God is Able by Priscilla Shirer: https://www.amazon.com/Able-10th-Anniversary-Priscilla-Shirer/dp/1430083077/
• I Surrender All by Priscilla Shirer: https://www.amazon.com/I-Surrender-All-Priscilla-Shirer/dp/B0CSVG9QVW/

Connect with Sam:

• Website: https://www.samacho.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesamacho
• X: https://x.com/thesamacho
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamacho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamacho/
• YouTube: ⁨https://www.youtube.com/@TheSamAchoPodcast

Book Sam to speak at your event: https://www.samacho.com/speaking

Read Sam's books:

• Let the World See You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Change Starts With You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/change-starts-with-you

In this episode, Sam and Clif sit down with Vincent Rey—a former linebacker who rose from undrafted free agent to team captain, and now serves as the Cincinnati Bengals chaplain. Vincent shares firsthand what it’s like to navigate identity, purpose, and loss when the roar of the crowd quiets and football isn’t the center anymore. Together, they open up about faith that fills the space left when performance fades, relationships that sharpen, and what it really means to own your journey—on and off the field.

Key Highlights:

• Vincent unpacks the shift from “you are what you do” to discovering a deeper identity rooted in Christ, especially during his challenging transition from player to chaplain.
• Through stories of locker room culture and coach expectations, the guys tackle the trap of making performance an idol and the freedom that comes from seeking God’s approval over chasing affirmation from coaches, crowds, or even teammates.
• Vincent reflects on pushing through a significant ankle injury during his last NFL season, wrestling with uncertainty, and learning to trust God when there are more questions than answers.
• The conversation gets practical about money, as Vincent introduces the “What’s your number?” principle—challenging athletes to take responsibility, ask hard questions, and steward their finances biblically instead of outsourcing every decision.
• Treating every moment as a job interview comes to life in Vincent’s story—he explains how character, consistency, and even the way you shake hands matter as much as stats on a depth chart.
• Vincent shares the beauty of marriage and premarital counseling in his chaplain work, describing the bond as a living picture of Christ’s faithfulness to His people and calling athletes to relationships shaped by humility, honesty, and growth.

References:

• Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
• Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
• Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
• Built 4 Winning by Jeff Friday (Vincent Rey is highlighted as embodying the four foundational pillars): https://www.amazon.com/Built-Winning-Crossing-Between-Business-ebook/dp/B0B8F869NV

Connect with Sam:

• Website: https://www.samacho.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesamacho
• X: https://x.com/thesamacho
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamacho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamacho/
• YouTube: ⁨@TheSamAchoPodcast⁩

Book Sam to speak at your event: https://www.samacho.com/speaking

Read Sam's books:

• Let the World See You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/let-the-world-see-you
• Change Starts With You: https://www.samacho.com/resources/change-starts-with-you

In this episode, Sam Acho and Clif Marshall welcome Josh Harrison—two-time MLB All-Star, proud Cincinnati native, and a man grounded by faith, family, and relentless joy. Josh breaks down the reality of thirteen seasons in the majors: the grind, the setbacks, the unseen work, and the gratitude for every step. He shares how a rough junior year and the wisdom in 1 Peter 5:6 forged his humility, how his mother’s words—“big don’t mean bad”—shaped his identity, and why baseball never defined his purpose. With authenticity and fire, Josh opens up about the profound role of mentors, living out “iron sharpens iron” at Ignition, and stepping boldly into “Brittany season” to support his wife and kids in life after baseball.

Key highlights
• Josh Harrison’s path from Cincinnati Bearcats to thirteen MLB seasons and two All-Star selections, earning respect through hustle, athleticism, and genuine joy.
• Facing adversity: being sent down five times in one season, recovering from injuries, and enduring a junior-year slump transformed through 1 Peter 5:6 and unwavering family support.
• Core moments: his first walk-off hit on Mother’s Day with his mom and grandmother present; breaking up Rich Hill’s no-hitter with a walk-off home run; receiving MLB’s Heart and Hustle Award.
• Defining identity beyond the game: why Josh insists baseball doesn’t define him—character, faith, and family are what truly matter.
• “Big don’t mean bad”—how early lessons from his mother and competing against his older brothers fueled a fearless, competitive edge.
• What “Brittany season” really means—stepping into an active, supportive role for his wife’s dreams and his family’s future, embracing life’s next chapter with purpose and humility.
• The lasting impact of Clif Marshall’s mentorship and Ignition’s “iron sharpens iron” culture, plus the brotherhood built with teammates like Andrew McCutchen.

References
• 1 Peter 5:6 (Scripture Josh leaned on during adversity; inscribed on his gloves and wristbands)
• Ignition Athletics; “iron sharpens iron” with Clif Marshall: https://ignitionapg.com/
• The Beat Mom Magazine by Brittney Kelley Harrison: https://www.thebeatmom.com/
• Walk-off home run breaking up Rich Hill’s no-hitter: https://www.mlb.com/news/harrison-s-walk-off-hr-ends-hill-s-no-hitter-c250122390

On this episode of The Sam Acho Podcast, Sam and Clif Marshall are joined by Coach Mack Brown—known for his leadership at Texas, North Carolina, Tulane, and Appalachian State—to talk candidly about recruiting, relationships, and the soul of college football.

Brown reflects on recruiting both Sam and his brother Emmanuel, emphasizing the role of family, character, and core GPA in his decision-making, and shares stories of sitting with families and sometimes even advising recruits to choose another school if it was genuinely best for them. He gives a grounded perspective on today’s college football landscape, addressing his concerns around the NIL era, transfer portal, and player well-being.

Brown highlights how small actions—like eating with players daily and inviting his wife, Sally, into the program—became anchors for connection and care, especially as he recalls real-life stories of heartbreak, mental health, and perseverance. From the “Soldier Boy” dance to motivating through tradition, every lesson lands with a reminder: in the end, it’s about relationships.

Key highlights
• Mack Brown breaks down his recruiting philosophy: why core GPA at a strong high school, parental involvement, and personal alignment matter more than hype—sometimes even encouraging families to pursue other opportunities when it’s the right call.
• Candid discussion of mental health: daily lunches with players, Sally Brown’s constant presence, and examples like Tylee Craft’s journey and Jake Lawler’s path through crisis to hope.
• Honest assessment of NIL and the transfer portal: Brown voices deep concern that today’s environment threatens graduation and long-term player stability.
• Coaching for life—not just the game: Brown grades himself by what happens to players after football, shares firsthand what it means to treat players like family, and recalls the weight of supporting young men through tragedy and loss.
• Memorable traditions and stories—pre-game rituals like blue rice before Rice, blaring opponent fight songs, and breaking out the “Soldier Boy” dance to loosen up his team.
• A closing note on legacy: the true impact of coaching comes through lifelong relationships, not trophies or records.

References
• Jake Lawler: https://jakelawler.blog/a-new-life
• UNC Hospitals (Tylee Craft’s treatment): https://www.unchealthcare.org