Rustbelt Basketball Coaches' Network Courtcasts

About Rustbelt Basketball Coaches' Network Courtcasts

Rustbelt Basketball Coaches' Network (RBCN) hosts coaches from various levels to discuss how they administer their programs and their professional journeys.

Publisher

Rustbelt Basketball Coaches' Network

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Jan 2024

Latest episode

8 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

66 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Nov 2026

   We Have to Play Differently to Win!

   THE BASKETBALL NEXUS WEBSITE PRESENTS: STATE OF THE GAME PODCAST S2 E31 FEATURING:  COACH PAUL CULPO, CASTLETON STATE U. “PLAY TO WIN!” Coach Paul Culpo has had one of the most interesting coaching journeys in NCAA men’s basketball.  Known as one of the most creative & knowledgeable basketball coaches in the NCAA, Culpo has earned a reputation for leading teams to achieve far beyond expectations.  Coach Culpo calls his ability to run a wide variety of tactical schemes over his career simply playing to win.  Culpo’s formula is: Play to win with fundamentally sound & talented players.  Additionally, Coach Culpo says his team’s styles of play have had to be unconventional to stay competitive. Paul Culpo (https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=%2Fg%2F11dfvhg697&q=Paul+Culpo) is the veteran head coach of the men's basketball program at Vermont State University Castleton (formerly known as Castleton State University). Since taking over the program ahead of the 2009–10 season, he has engineered the program's most successful modern eras and is the program's all-time winningest basketball coach.  Culpo was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on August 8, 2015. Coaching Summary: Over 16 complete seasons leading the Spartans (2009–2025), Culpo compiled a 164–231 overall record, including 110–141 in conference play. The Golden Era: He led the program to winning records in seven of his first ten seasons. Under his guidance, the Spartans reached the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship game three times. 2011–12 Championship: His landmark season came in 2011–12 when he guided Castleton to a 19–10 record, capturing the program's first-ever NAC Tournament Championship (https://www.maxpreps.com/news/-frKWWFCSUicuZXJbqxkNg/2011-12-boys-basketball-state-champions.htm) and securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. For his work, he was named NAC Coach of the Year. Recent Transition: Culpo led the Spartans through their transition into the highly competitive Little East Conference (LEC). He continues to helm the team for the 2026–27 campaign alongside associate coach Shawn Gibbons and assistant Julian Llopiz. Background & Accolades: A native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Culpo has over two decades of collegiate coaching experience across all three NCAA divisions. Before settling at Castleton, he served as head coach at Hartwick College and the Doncaster Panthers professional basketball team in England. He spent time as an assistant coach at Division I UMass-Amherst under Steve Lappas. In recognition of his widespread contributions and success in the region, Culpo was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2015. #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #nabc, #ibcacoaches, #ibca, #usabasketball, #nhsbca, #bcam, #ohsbca, #basketballcoachingclinics, #basketballcoaching, #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #basketballcamp, #basketballdrills, #basketballgame, #wbca, #kbca #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #newyorkhighschoolbasketball, #kentuckyhighschoolbasketball, #illinoishighschoolbasketball, #gripspritz, #coachingclinics, #basketballcoachingclinics, #basketballvideos, #basketballclinicvideos, #newjerseyhighschoolbasketball, #westvirginahighschoolbasketball, #virginahighschoolbasketball, #minnesotahighschoolbasketball, #northdakotahighschoolbasketball, #southdakotahighschoolbasketball, #iowahighschoolbasketball, #northcarolinahighschoolbasketball, #marylandhighschoolbasketball, #basketballcoachingclinics ,#basketballcoachingcommunity, #pennsylvaniahighschoolbasketball, #virginiahighschoolbasketball, #michiganhighschoolbasketball, #usabasketball

2. 

   5 Nov 2026

   The Most Important Recruits are on Your Bench!

   THE BASKETBALL NEXUS WEBSITE PRESENTS: STATE OF THE GAME PODCAST S2 E32 COACH RYAN GRANDITS, DAEMEN UNIVERSITY, NY “THE MOST IMPORTANT RECRUITS ARE ON YOUR BENCH” APOLOGIES: We had issues with our Zoom recording. Daemen University has announced Ryan Grandits as the new head coach of its men's basketball program. He replaces Mike MacDonald (https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/sports/2026/03/30/st-bonaventure-mens-basketball-mike-macdonald), who was recently named the new head coach at St. Bonaventure. Grandits played for Daemen in his graduate season in 2015-16 before serving on MacDonald's coaching staff from 2016-25. In a statement, Grandits said this is his dream job and thanked many people who helped him get here. "I want to thank Scott Swain, President Brussalis, and everyone at Point Park for giving me my first opportunity to be a head coach last year," Grandits said. "This season didn't go how we wanted it to, but the experience I gained was something you can't imagine or recreate. I'd also like to thank Traci Murphy and Dr. Olson for the opportunity to return home to Daemen. This place has been a huge part of my life for the last decade, and leading this program is truly my dream job. I also want to thank Coach MacDonald for giving me my start in coaching, and I look forward to doing everything I can to maintain the standards he set during his time here. I can't wait to get back to work with these guys. I have such great relationships with them from my time as an assistant, and I'm looking forward to leading them now!" Daemen is coming off a program-best 33-2 season that saw them win the 2026 NCAA Division II East Region Championship. "I'm extremely happy for Ryan, Robyn, and their whole family. He's been a very hard worker, a big part of our success at Daemen, and he will do a great job taking the Wildcats into the future. I've known Ryan since sixth grade. Ever since he played for me at Medaille starting in 2013, you could tell he understood the game well and loved it deeply. He's become an excellent teacher and a great leader for the Wildcats," MacDonald said. Grandits is a Western New York native and Daemen alumnus, class of 2017. #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #nabc, #ibcacoaches, #ibca, #usabasketball, #nhsbca, #bcam, #ohsbca, #basketballcoachingclinics, #basketballcoaching, #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #basketballcamp, #basketballdrills, #basketballgame, #wbca, #kbca #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #newyorkhighschoolbasketball, #kentuckyhighschoolbasketball, #illinoishighschoolbasketball, #gripspritz, #coachingclinics, #basketballcoachingclinics, #basketballvideos, #basketballclinicvideos, #newjerseyhighschoolbasketball, #westvirginahighschoolbasketball, #virginahighschoolbasketball, #minnesotahighschoolbasketball, #northdakotahighschoolbasketball, #southdakotahighschoolbasketball, #iowahighschoolbasketball, #northcarolinahighschoolbasketball, #marylandhighschoolbasketball, #basketballcoachingclinics ,#basketballcoachingcommunity, #pennsylvaniahighschoolbasketball, #virginiahighschoolbasketball, #michiganhighschoolbasketball, #usabasketball

3. 

   29 Oct 2026

   From Pretenders to Contenders

   THE BASKETBALL NEXUS WEBSITE PRESENTS STATE OF THE GAME PODCAST S2 E28 COACH SAM HARGRAVES, U. OF OLIVET, MI “HOW WE BECAME CONTENDERS” To celebrate Coach Matt Majkrzak’s Northern Illinois University coaches clinic on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, we are offering a full, 1-year membership to the content-packed Basketball Nexus website for ONLY $32.00.  Use code 2026FALLCLINICS20 to get 20% off!  This sale ends on October 31, 2026!  Check Out the Basketball Nexus Website:  https://coaching-nexus.myrustbeltbasketball.com/ (https://coaching-nexus.myrustbeltbasketball.com/) Coach Samhargraves has transformed the U. of Olivet, MI, men’s basketball program into perennial MIAA & NCAA DIII Regional contenders.  He tells us how he & his staff are accomplishing this task in E28! Sam Hargraves (https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=%2Fg%2F11sgnzp7mq&q=Sam+Hargraves) serves as both the Athletic Director and Head Men's Basketball Coach at The University of Olivet (https://www.uolivet.edu/staff/samuel-hargraves/). He initially joined the university as the men's basketball head coach in May 2019, and his role expanded when he was officially named the university's Athletic Director on May 26, 2026. Coaching Highlights & Career: Historic 2025–26 Season: He led the Comets to a 12-2 conference record (15-11 overall), securing the program's first outright Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) regular-season title since 1972. Coach of the Year: His leadership during their historic championship run earned him the 2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Coach of the Year (https://miaa.org/news/2026/3/1/historic-season-earns-olivets-hargraves-2026-miaa-mens-basketball-coach-of-the-year.aspx) honors. Prior Coaching Tenure: Before taking over at Olivet, Hargraves spent eight seasons as the head coach at Alma College (2011–2019). He famously guided the Scots to the NCAA Division III Elite 8 during the 2015–16 season. Alma Mater: He graduated in 1998 from Calvin College (now Calvin University), where he was an All-MIAA Second Team honoree as a player #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #nabc, #ibcacoaches, #ibca, #usabasketball, #nhsbca, #bcam, #ohsbca, #basketballcoachingclinics, #basketballcoaching, #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #basketballcamp, #basketballdrills, #basketballgame, #wbca, #kbca #highschoolbasketballcoaching, #newyorkhighschoolbasketball, #kentuckyhighschoolbasketball, #illinoishighschoolbasketball, #gripspritz, #coachingclinics, #basketballcoachingclinics, #basketballvideos, #basketballclinicvideos, #newjerseyhighschoolbasketball, #westvirginahighschoolbasketball, #virginahighschoolbasketball, #minnesotahighschoolbasketball, #northdakotahighschoolbasketball, #southdakotahighschoolbasketball, #iowahighschoolbasketball, #northcarolinahighschoolbasketball, #marylandhighschoolbasketball, #basketballcoachingclinics ,#basketballcoachingcommunity, #pennsylvaniahighschoolbasketball, #virginiahighschoolbasketball, #michiganhighschoolbasketball, #usabasketball,

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

51

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0