The Rising Coaches Podcast

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re doing something a little different as my cohost and I sit down to answer questions from our listeners and Rising Coaches members about networking and growing in the coaching industry. We wanted this episode to be a real conversation for young coaches trying to build connections and find their way in the business. In this episode we discuss some of the best ways to connect with coaches, how to network without sounding transactional, and what someone with almost no connections in basketball should start doing right away to build relationships and create opportunities. We also share some personal experiences and lessons we’ve learned throughout our own journeys in coaching. We hope you enjoy this conversation and can take something valuable away from it.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Amorrow Morgan, Assistant Coach at the University of Tennessee. Morgan’s basketball journey began as a player at Idaho State before continuing professionally in Europe, and he has since built an impressive coaching résumé with stops at Illinois Springfield, Our Lady of the Lake, Henderson State, Nicholls State, South Alabama, Loyola Chicago, Cal, and now Tennessee. His experience across multiple levels has helped shape his perspective on recruiting, player development, and program building. In this episode we discuss how starting at lower levels helped him grow long-term as a coach, what he looks for before taking a position on a new staff, what he now evaluates differently as a recruiter compared to earlier in his career, and why Tennessee has sustained success for so many years under Coach Rick Barnes.

With the NBA Finals tipping off tonight between the Knicks and Spurs, we wanted to take a trip back into the archives and revisit one of our favorite basketball conversations. This episode originally aired before Jon Harris had climbed even higher in the coaching ranks, but the insights, stories, and lessons he shared are just as relevant today as they were then. From player development and leadership to the inner workings of one of the most respected organizations in professional sports, Jon dropped an incredible amount of knowledge throughout this conversation. As the Spurs once again find themselves on basketball’s biggest stage, it felt like the perfect time to rewind and revisit this outstanding episode.
Jon Harris is the current Assistant Video Coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs. Jon is a young coach with an impressive resume, having a 7 year professional playing career including the G League and in countries such as Argentina, Germany, China and Canada. Following his playing career, Jon worked with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers to help with summer league and youth camps, and started his first coaching gig at Lakewood High School. Making a quick rise to Florida State University as a Graduate Assistant and then the Assistant Video Coordinator with the Spurs. We look forward to learning more about such a prestigious program such as the Spurs.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Jackson Johnson, Head Coach at the Newman School. Jackson’s basketball journey started as a player at Tulane before moving into coaching with assistant roles at Tulane and Northfield Mount Hermon prior to taking over at Newman. Since becoming head coach, he has helped sustain success at the national prep level while guiding players through the ever-changing recruiting landscape. In this episode we discuss the value of coaching multi-sport athletes and how to navigate that as a coach, what real player development looks like in prep basketball today, how a coach can help players navigate the college recruiting process in the transfer portal era, and how he’s maintained success within a nationally recognized prep program.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by Matt Ambrose, Director of Player Development at Purdue University Fort Wayne. After finishing his playing career at Calvin University, Matt worked his way into the coaching profession and has continued to grow within the Purdue Fort Wayne program. His path reflects the importance of bringing value, building relationships, and finding ways to impact players every day. In this episode we discuss what he did to break into the industry as a young coach after his playing career, how he looked to add value as a new coach early within his program, and we take a deep dive into player development, including how to build an effective development plan for each player.