Live at Knights: Angelique Chengelis for Bye Week Talk and Carol Hutchins talking ElevateHer

[Hey everybody, Doug Cohen here with Hail Media and we are at Knight’s Steakhouse. Where else would we be? It’s one of our favorite restaurants of all time and I am with the angel of the big house, Angelique Chengelis. How you doing, Angelique? I’m doing well, Doug. It’s nice to see you. It’s good to see you, too, as always. You know, although I prefer being on this with do Oh, is that right? Well, well, you know, it was such a big hit last time. I’m not I’m I’m just a business statement. I’m not going to take it personally, although I could, but I won’t.

To your point, September 2nd, it was a month and six days ago that the debut of the Leek and Due show took place right here on Media. Um, Jim Scarcelli and John Duer are Scar and Due. They break down the games. They do the X’s and O’s. We had an episode where Angelique sat in for Scar and it was Leek and Due. That’s right. It’s still there if you want to go back and check it out. She was fantastic. Talk about ratings. Holy moly. Oh, yeah. Dynamic. Of course. But listen, there there’s a reason that you’re back.

Um and and Due alluded to it and I know you’re humble. Yeah. Right. Right. She’ll never admit it. She’ll never, she doesn’t like to hear this stuff, but the fact of the matter is is as a member of the media who’s been close to the program covering it. Mhm.

For as long as you have, um, and as well as you have, football players and coaches always have an interesting relationship with the media, but when you come across somebody who does it the right way and gets it and is knowledgeable, I feel like you’ve always taken an intentional approach and have acquired knowledge over the years as you go. you’re not just doing a job, you’re really good at this. Um, so we respect you. I respect your opinion. We have great conversations about the team.

So to me, whether this is a former student athlete channel or not, um, you’re always welcome on this. , 1 secondThank you. I appreciate that very much. And I’m glad I wasn’t around covering you because that would make me much older than you, right? I know. I know. None of us are getting any younger. Um, but I want to remind you of something that you said on September 2nd on the Leek and Due Show. Duer asked you for a prediction on what you thought the record would be for the team this year and uh, you settled on eight and four.

That was that was what you So, we’re a month and six days later, five games have been played. We’re three and two. What are your thoughts? Well, I might have said then, too. Maybe I didn’t, but I was saying it my gut was seven and five. And I I also said that I could argue six and six. And I think it is looking like it’s going to be more of a seven and five, six and six kind of finish. It is I know there are a lot of people disappointed with with where things are, but I think people probably got too wrapped up in all of the commentary coming out of camp.

And I would say this all the every year for all these years I’ve covered it and and players say this rightfully so. It’s the closest they’ve ever been. This is just we we feel the best we’ve ever been. This is tight group and they are but it’s the same thing every year. And and so I’m like, well, you can’t quite build a, you know, your opinion on this. And then you’re like hearing, oh, this is this staff is this and this and so people are automatically thinking 10 wins playoff. And I was just like, I think that’s that was bold.

And I came in thinking that offensive line would struggle a little bit. I wasn’t sure where Bryce was and I thought the running game would be stronger, but that ties in with the offensive line obviously. Y um you know I think I think the Western Michigan game was a little bit of a wakeup call and and not just for fans but for Kyle Whittingham because I my other thing I would say a lot is that they’ve never coached in the Big Ten and that wasn’t a Big Ten game but this is a different animal here and I think they’re finding that out. Yeah.

And it’s uh it’s going to be really interesting to see Whittingham said after the Minnesota loss that he’s going to have a lot of hard decisions. He’s going to evaluate things and and I’m really curious to see what those decisions are going to be because I think some of them are pretty clear. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and and the bye from that standpoint, I think couldn’t come at a better time. Totally agree. For a lot of reasons, right? I mean, I think for the whole community to just kind of take a breath. Yeah.

And settle down a little bit and for them to get a reset down at the building a little bit. I think when you are in the building and you’re on that team, you do as a necessity insulate yourself a little bit from all that chatter that’s going on outside the building cuz you’re so focused on the task at hand and it’s a tough task regardless of the outcome or how well you’re doing. You you got to be focused to play this game at this level regardless.

So, I I don’t know that they hear a lot of that, but I I get, you know, you get the sense that they they they know that they’ve struggled and they probably feel it a little bit. And I think to bring the temperature down, reset down at the building, work on some things, get healthy, and they got a team, you know, Penn State is going to limp in here basically. Uh they’re not very good. They’re they’re they’re really not very good. I I don’t want to get overconfident about Penn State because we’ve got our challenges.

But if there’s a game to if there’s a two-week period to reset and a game to potentially get healthier and better mentally, this could be it. Yeah, I think that’s very fair, Doug. And I think Penn State’s got a game too coming up. So they, you know, they’re not getting a bye before this game. And um and it it’s I mean it’s a perfectly timed buy, but it’s also then you’ve got a seven-week stretch. Yeah. And it’s it’s tough. I mean, they got Indiana coming and Michigan State for as you know, they obviously have their injury issues. They’re struggling.

You just never know. That was pass, you know, he’s going to be fired up for this. So, that’s not a gimme. I mean, I think you would probably say it’s a win. And then I look at those last few games too against I mean, UCLA is playing very well. That is and that’s you know is do you believe in trap games you know right before Ohio State you got Oregon UCLA and Ohio State and that that is a tough three-game finish.

So, I think right now that these players have to just focus on themselves, focus on getting better, not really look ahead who they’re playing and but it’s it’s not just and that was one thing I asked Whittingham after the game. He’s talking about, you know, making evaluations. I said, “Are you just talking personnel? Are you talking coaches?” And he said, “Everybody.” And and I think the person that everybody’s rightfully talking about is Jason Beck and this offense the offensive coordinator.

And you know, we people can laugh about the Jordan Marshall leaked text and and all that, but he made some comments in there and I have a feeling that there are other players on the team who agree with right with it. And you know, I and players don’t always know more than the coaches, but the players know what they do well. Yeah. And being a north-south, you know, running downhill, not being an East West team, and you look at those stats. I don’t know if you’ve seen the stats. The seen a few of them.

I mean, they are last in the Big Ten in 20 plus yard runs. They have one. Purdue has two. And you look at Indiana and they have 33 20 plus runs and then they run the gamut. They’ve got like 250 plus yard runs and and that’s just not acceptable. Yeah. So, I I think that Whittingham, just based on comments he made Monday night, I I think he understands that maybe they need to try to He kept saying square peg round hole, right?

And I think that well we’ll see if that’s what he meant but I think that you’ve got to you know Blake Frazier when he’s when someone mentioned running down he’s like I’d love it. So that’s what they know that’s what they do well and I think that’s what they have to get back to. Yeah. No, I I think that’s a good point and I and it’s just another reason that the bye week comes in such a great time because I think it’s tough to steer a ship away from an iceberg. Yeah.

Week to week to week to week like to to just change up what you’re doing when you’re trying to prepare for an upcoming game. I think when you have that extra week, then you can maybe reassess and make some changes. But, you know, when you’ve worked on something and you’ve in you’ve installed your offense, um it it’s hard to just flip it. Flip it. Yeah. from week to week.

And you know, sometimes your personnel and your approach and the way you’ve installed it isn’t as nimble as maybe you’d hope it would be, especially when you still have, you know, a new coaching staff. Right. Right. That is still feeling out their team and a team that’s still feeling out their coaching staff. They’ve been together since the beginning of the year, but they haven’t been in a season together until a month ago. So, you know, there’s humans at work here.

It’s not just like you can plug in an equation and you know Well, and and that’s a that’s a great point and that’s why I think it was really it was it was a lot to to say this team’s going to be win 10 10 games in the regular season and make the playoff and and I thought Whittingham that first day of Big Ten media days or or no it was the podium it wasn’t the first day because all one day and he first he said you know he basically said year two you know that that’s really the year and then he sort of backed off of that because I’m like Maybe that’s he’s is he thinking maybe that’s not what people want to hear but I it was the right thing to say because right people are impatient and they don’t get it.

It’s it’s a lot of things a lot of moving parts here as you just pointed out and it’s not an excuse though because then you look at the amount of talent that’s here and you just feel like and he said the cupboard was not bare when he got , 1 secondhere. Um and they’ve certainly proven it on defense, right? They’ve been sort of seamless. You know, they’ll once he keeps talking about the 2023 defense and he’s been able to to produce. His group has defense has been phenomenal.

But the offense and I, you know, I know people are very, you know, torn on the Bryce Underwood. I I just don’t think you bench him. I I don’t think that’s the answer. Right. But the one thing I thought coming into this season, Doug, is 2021 they had Cade McNamara starting, but they brought J.J. in packages, you know, series into here. Didn’t always pan out great, right? But you got to get this guy experience. So to say start Tommy Carr is crazy in my mind. I mean, he’s a freshman. He’s about 20 pounds lighter than he needs to be.

And but I do feel like he needs to get some game action and and maybe even just to have Bryce looking over his shoulder a little bit like I’ve got competition, right? Competition does, you know, make guys sharper, more aware. You got to fight harder when you’re competing. Competition is a good thing for all the reasons that it’s such a cliche to say. So, right.

So, um, I do I I see that and and I do think it paid off when with what they did with J.J. as a as a freshman, even though, you know, it didn’t always, to your point, look like, is this a do we need to do this right now? Is this really the Michigan State game with the fumble? Yeah. Great. But, you know, like I always say, especially when it comes to quarterbacks, it’s the coaches down at the building that know who the best guy is to give us a chance to win in whatever format that is.

Even whether it’s a decision on who’s starting or whether we’re going to give a guy a couple of series here and there to get him either to change things up to keep the other team kind of off guard in terms of two different styles of quarterback or just to get the young guys some reps or to create that all those things that you said. I I agree. I guess it’s a long way of me saying I agree with you, Angelique, but they didn’t have much time to do anything in the second half against Minnesota.

They, you know, two quick turnovers and they didn’t have the ball. I mean, in the third quarter, it was brutal to watch it. It is really rough. It was really rough. And the week before, even even in a loss, not that there’s any moral victories around here, but there was progress, man. The offense looked good. Um, and then and then it didn’t. Yeah. Uh, last week. So, look, I’m just saying Bryce has a long way to go, too. He does look like he gets a little skittish when there’s pressure.

He does lock in, but he is I keep reminding myself when I think about he is 19. I mean, he’s a young he’s a young quarterback. Um, secondyear guy with a with a second offense at this level. Yeah. And and he probably didn’t get as much coaching as people think he did in high school. I mean, you know, it was, you know, he’s probably bigger and better than everybody in high school, so he didn’t have to do much. But um but yeah, yes, I do some growth. And my my only issue, you know, and I I think I’ve told you this.

I I don’t I don’t like that sophomores are are in the captain being that they’re allowed to be captains. And and I’ve seen him twice now, and maybe he’s different with the team, but in public at postgame press conferences, Bryce has had his head in his hand, clearly upset, but I’m like, you’re a captain. You need to carry yourself like that. And you got to look confident like Jordan Marshall tries to be the emotional leader and the leader of this team, but Bryce was voted for a reason, not to have his head in his hand.

So, I think if I want to see something, I want to see him look more like a leader. And I know there have been clips of him jawing at his his quarterback’s coach after the Iowa during the Iowa game. So, I I chalk that up to being a passionate guy. I’ve seen other players yell at their coaches, whatever. So, I think it’s there. And maybe he We yelled at Bo all the time. Yeah, I’m sure you did. Yeah. Right. , 1 second[laughter] , 1 secondYeah, we were always yelling at Bo. Okay.

That’s a head coach or maybe your position coach or was like you said something maybe. Right. Now, that just that the door to that joke opened up. I just felt I had to walk through it. I didn’t think it was a good look, but I’m like, “Oh, maybe he’s being he’s fired up.” I’ve met Bryce a couple times. I don’t know. No, really. And I think just what you said about that body language or how he handled that situation, that’s not a commentary on the kid’s character. It could literally, like you said, just be a commentary on him being young. Yeah.

And that’s why it’s rare for a sophomore to be a captain. It’s you’re you’re still kind of learning how to be a leader as a secondyear guy. And he’s got all, you know, he’s got a lot of pressure on himself. He doesn’t seem to be that phased by that pressure very much, which I think is a good trait actually as a quarterback, especially in this town. Um, but yeah, he’s he’s still young and it’s still his second offense here.

And he has shown the ability in that Iowa game for example play a great and Oklahoma too but to play a dare I say you know great game at the quarterback position cuz I felt he did in the Iowa game and I think he’s capable and hopefully if we make some tweaks um and get get some things rolling a little bit get in a rhythm get clicking a little on the offense he can get back to that and you’re right it’ll be tweaks He’s not going to there’s not going to be some great overhaul of the offense in this by week.

But you’re right, tweaks and if they make the right ones and maybe you’re going to get some offensive linemen back healthy. Uh Babalola, he was cleared to start practicing this week. Yeah. Does that mean he’s going to be back next week? Probably not. I mean, I think he’s probably has been out so long he needs some more time. Maybe Sprague’s back. I mean, maybe you’re getting pieces back in time. But I mean, the offensive line has had its moments. has played well, but it’s it’s also been disappointing.

So, um, you’ve got a couple really good receivers who are, you know, chomping at the bit to perform, but then you have a receiver, Andrew Marsh, in those in special teams who has struggled now a couple times. So, let’s not forget about special teams. That has not been perfect. No doubt. No doubt. We had And then we’ve seen flashes there, too. I mean, our punter Brown had a couple of incredible punts that he stuck right on the inch line a couple weeks ago. Or what? That was the Iowa game, right? Isn’t that the Iowa game? I think it was the game before.

I think it was Oklahoma. I thought he pinned Oklahoma that he stuck a couple down low. Yeah. And our and our kicker been good, too. Um but yeah, we’ve also let a kickoff get run back. We’ve a couple of punts. You know, it’s funny. We had a we did a Blue Bloodlines episode on Hail Media with the Pulsars with John and Kaden and they did an extended segment which is worth watching on fielding punts. Yeah, Kaden was and how it’s the hardest. Well, John did obviously, but Kaden, my favorite Pulsar, um, he was he was good at it, you know.

He was good at it, too. But he was great on special teams and he he thrived on it. You got to have people who want to do that. So, and Kerry Coombs says that that they do. So, um, you’re right. Maybe this is the reset. They practice Monday through Wednesday. Whittingham was giving them Thursday off through the weekend. And maybe they come back refreshed. Yeah. And have a better But it’s it’s not just the players. since the coaches need to have a better handle on what they have.

No doubt that’s their job and they should, you know, be able to make those adjustments. They’ve been at this for a long time and you know what, regardless of what happens, they are going to line up and play these seven other games that play. Yeah. So, you know, there’s no point in being negative and down about it. They have to go out and and and play those seven games and let’s hope that they can. And I was thinking about the be negative again. Oh my god.

I was just I was just I was gonna say though in this era now of revenue sharing in NIL if you lose a , 1 secondfew more if you lose another game do you lose the player? Are they going to lose interest? Do they really want to go to a bowl game? They really want to go to the pinstripe bowl in New York. I mean so that’s that’s the other issue. But, you know, I I do get the sense from these players that they like each other and that they are bonded. Um, so, you know, time will tell. Me, too. And listen, maybe I’m just such a leader.

That’s why I like talking to you because you bring a more object I’m too close to it. You’re you’re more objective than me from time to time. Um, and and I still like to think that when you are here at a place like this, it’s such an amazing place that no matter what else is going on, you know, in the NIL and then the portal opens up and some guys aren’t here for 5 years while you’re in that building in the, you know, wearing the maize and blue, wearing that helmet, walking around this campus, going to school here.

How could you be that miserable just in terms of being happy at least where you are or having regrets about the decision? You’re you’re still in such an amazing place. That might just be my maize-and-blue heart talking. A little polyiana. It’s a little polyiana. I get nowadays, but I’m with you. I miss those days where I was, you know, but that that kind of goes back to the captain thing. I was talking to people about why would you include sophomores, even juniors now? Because it was always a senior, fifth year, senior thing.

And it’s because these guys are leaving, you know, they’re leaving after their their junior years or they make, you know, it’s all these different elements now that you have to focus on, but um I it’s just a different world. And so, you know, it it’s coaches have a big job keeping teams together when they know that the playoffs off the table. And um well, it’s a cliche that you got to recruit your current team all year round, right? I mean, Sam was one of those guys who said, “Why wouldn’t you want to play a bowl game?

You want to get more film out there for NFL teams, right?” But I think there, you know, people who have more eligibility are already, they will already start thinking, well, I mean, I is this going to get better or do I need to leave? So, I think, you know, that’s me being negative, but um Well, you’re just it’s not necessarily a positive or negative. You’re just, I think, objectively stating the state of the state college athletics right now. different and we’re not completely insulated to all of that just because we’re Michigan.

But you make all the great I mean it’s of course it’s a great place to play and a great education but um but that’s that’s a small part of things now. True. Well so man we went I we went long and deep and I think this was really good actually. Well because I wanted to ask you about a couple other sports. Oh are there other sports? [laughter] Other sports in Michigan the hockey team already started playing. We have a new podcast about hockey with Billy Jaffe. Yep. The Maize and Blue Breakaway.

Um, not to mention the women’s team has everybody back where, you know, they’ve got an injury at the point guard position with Macy, but they’re still going to be very schedule. I mean, that comes out this week. They’re going to be on TV like 15 15 times or something like that. You know, they got the UConn game to start. That’s Michigan State football week. So, that’s a big week.

And you know again you know you can look at this well I mean they didn’t they went to the Elite Eight they didn’t have a great performance these guys could leave but they stayed you know sila I mean they could have they could have taken off and it’s not like there’s not money in women’s it’s not football money but it’s still significant money there’s money and these are Americans you know and so but so that’s that’s gonna be exciting to watch what what Kim Barnes Arico does with his team Um, and then I think the men are poised to have a really good season, too.

I I really like this roster. I like it a lot. It’ll be really interesting to see what what it’s I mean, that’s what’s fun about this is just seeing where it goes. And you’ve got But, you know, it’s also hard to I think you find with football now, it’s hard to set your expectations too high because then, you know, things don’t go well, then then fans get really disappointed and um but I don’t know. I mean, there’s There’s so much so many great athletes at at Michigan that are not football players or basketball players.

And unfortunately with the way newspapers have shrunk, we just don’t have the people to cover all these things. And it’s a shame. There’s some phenomenal stories here. And we try like I try to cover women’s tennis. I was just going to say you’re covering other sports now. Yeah. I mean, you know, I people ask me what it’s favorite thing to cover. Rose Bowls. I love the Rose Bowl, but I’ve got to tell you, Doug, I uh I’ve covered two women’s softball World Series and baseball World Series, and they were they were phenomenal.

You just, you know, it was just great great to cover those things and to see those athletes, and I mean, it’s just I I love those events, but, you know, nothing nothing quite beats the Rose Bowl. No doubt. But those are those are right there. No doubt. Yep. No, I get it. But um and and we actually have a softball show now as well. Yes. Our goat Sierra Romero, the change up with Sierra Romero. Um the the softball team actually played a couple games already, a couple exhibition fall games.

I don’t know if you had a ch I haven’t seen I haven’t seen them, but I was just going to tell my one lasting memory of Sierra. It was after they they lost. I think was it the uh UCLA? I can’t remember in the World Series. Tough tough loss. Right down to the wire, right? They were they’ve just lost and she’s the last one. But all the players just stood out there and signed autographs for all the little kids. I mean, Oklahoma City does an amazing job with the World Series.

And she was the last one out there signing, you know, after probably the most crushing loss in her college career. And she’s out there doing that. And and she was phenomenal to watch. And I think you see that a lot with women athletes, college. I think we’re talking mostly in this this world. And um you it’s very important for them to encourage young girls to play. It’s important for the coaches to see that. I mean, you know, I cover my first job was covering Pat Summitt and Tennessee women’s basketball.

And she was a hero of Carol Hutchins Hutch at Michigan.

And you know, I I feel like I’ve covered two really highpowered women in college coaching. two of the greatest two great I mean and you know teaching all the right things and you know wanting these women to just become great women you know be great athletes but be great women and you know I I I feel very lucky that I I encountered both of them and Michigan’s very lucky that they they have they had Hutch here uh leading that program for so long but being such an ambassador for women’s athletics and I mean you have a daughter.

I mean, you know how important it is to even if it’s not sports, just to participate in something else because it it helps your confidence. It it it makes you uh you know, it helps you in your professional life or or as a mother, whatever it is, you’ve had this opportunity to be part of a team. Yeah. Whether it’s in drama school or whatever, you’re part of a team. And that’s and that is the lesson I always drew from Pat Summitt and from Hutch. Yep. Yep. Good stuff. Well, this has been great. I appreciate you coming up tonight.

Um, I actually want to make sure I give a shout out to all of our sponsors. Uh, Knight’s Steakhouse, obviously, which we love. I had the salmon sandwich. That seems to be my go-to. I had a salad. The salad, which looked pretty good, too. Good. No, the food here is fantastic. Um, and also Valiant, who makes our gear. Um, we’re going to actually have some updated ways for you to order our merch that we’re working on with Valiant right now. John Wangler, great Michigan man, great company. Sherri Wine, the A2 Homegirl Real Estate Group with eXp Realty.

Uh Sherry knows real estate and he knows how to go blue. So, you should definitely contact her, especially if you’re a parent looking for an investment property for your Michigan student. And of course, we love OLIPOP, which is a new kind of soda and less sugar than your traditional sodas. They have a great new They have a Well, I say it’s a great new. I haven’t even tried it yet, but there’s a pomegranate spritz flavor. Oh, I got to get that one. I I got to get my hands on that one. And there’s a caramel apple now, too.

Two new flavors that I still have not tried yet. Very excited cuz I love OLIPOP. Um, and Michigan Medicine as well. Uh, thank you for Michigan Medicine being such a great sponsor of ours. There’s a difference between an answer and a Michigan answer. To find your Michigan answer, go to michigananswers.org. And also thank you to the Michigan uh Bentley Historical Library for their support for some of our old school throwback film stuff and and and we’re going to be working with them on some new exciting initiatives as well. All right.

Thank you for sitting through my sponsor weeds. My pleasure. , 1 secondThey’re all great. Love them. And thank you again, Angelique. Thank you. Always a pleasure. Ow. Oh, [laughter] you my hand. You have my hand. Go blue. Okay. Hey everybody. I am back now with my new good friend, Coach Hutch. How are you, Hutch? Thanks for having me back. Thanks for coming back. Um, this was kind of impromptu, but I think it’s important because last time we had the podcast recording at Knight’s when you were here, we were talking about ElevateHer and now we’re close.

We’re only a week away. So, how about an update? How’s it going? The planning, the response. What can we expect next week for ElevateHer? Well, we’re up to about 525 uh tickets sold for the actual summit. Um I really believe we can get more as people learn about it. Yeah.

And what can you expect to walk in and interact with our current student athletes, some of our former student athletes, our coaches, do some interactive things with them, and then get to sit and watch Andrea Joyce, who is just fantastic and she’s all in on this to um interview four of our alumni who have gone on to become elite leaders in the world.

Yeah. in their respective fields and know how getting a Michigan degree and getting the opportunity to be an athlete and all the things that does for their opportunities in life, how it’s affected their careers, and why it’s so meaningful for us to continue to sustain and maintain success in our women’s programs. Yep. Well, I think that’s great. And actually, you had helped us with connecting with Sierra Romero. And we recorded uh the first episode of her new show, The Change Up with Sierra Romero.

We’ve not published it yet, but I want to tell you something that she said that I thought was really, really cool. She said every interaction that she had as a professional softball player when she went forth from Michigan, she always thought to make sure that she conducted herself in a way that left an impression for the future players of softball and for the sport because she wanted everyone to come away from working with her with a good feeling about supporting women’s athletics.

And I think the fact that she thought of that bigger picture as she conducted herself throughout her career really speaks to who she is and and what you imparted to your players here at Michigan and why all of this is so important to all of this. It’s what I believe athletics is meant to be as we teach our young people, men and women, and let’s say men and women. Yeah. how to grow up and lead this world better because we we teach our kids to lead the program better.

Y you’re only a part of something bigger than yourselves and your contributions whatever they are when zero were huge and some aren’t seemingly as huge but everybody matters. Yeah. And it’s it’s a powerful experience is so important. Yep. Yep. Well, and I listen I get I think the great coaches without um you know I don’t want to embarrass you, but but to say, you know, the great coaches like yourself, uh, I think are the ones that get that when it comes to the team and, you know, the team, the team, the team with Bo. We all know that, we see it.

But what it really means to me is when just like you and I are an example, we just really met for the first time over a month ago. But I felt from the first time that I talked to you that you were really present, you know, and that you care about the people that you interact with, that it’s important to you. That people and the development and the interactions and relationships you have with people is is something that you care deeply about. And I think that’s what separates the great coaches from the not so great coaches.

And so that’s Well, kudos to you. I just I appreciate that. But I you know what I I speak on leadership. You only lead people. Yeah. Yeah, we are in the people business and my business as a college coach was growing up young women to become strong, powerful women. Yep. And one other thing I want to tell you before we sign off.

So, when we were down in Youngstown, uh, for the Big Game Rivalry shootout, I went around interviewing people down there, and I interviewed a bunch of Buckeyes, and the one of all the Buckeye, you know, all these legends walking around, Archie Griffin, and Robert Smith, Vonn Bell, and all these great football players, the Buckeye that I was the most starstruck by, I’d say, was Katie Smith. Me, too. I was so excited. I loved watching.

She was such a a badass and when she led the Shock to those two championships in the WNBA here in Detroit, uh my daughter was a little girl and we used to go to those games. So I watched Katie Smith play for the Shock and we were talking about who she had talked to that day and she said that she was fangirling over you [laughter] and you were the one that basketball player she was. But um you know we there’s a lot of great respect for people who do great things and um she was great and we all aspired to that.

But uh you have to just really walk the walk and uh we’re in the people business in athletics and it this has become a big money game. Yeah. We all have to get in the game or not be in the game. But we’re ultimately we’re growing up young people and now we’re using it this new era which helps them brand their name and image and their entrepreneurship but they’re growing up in a different way is as I grew up in a different way and then you grew up in a different way and that’s what we need to continue. We’re part of the educational process. Yeah.

Well, and listen for you watching this, if you want to be a part of that, just in terms of contributing to the environment that supports that, um, getting involved with women’s athletics, learning more about it. Come next week to Crisler to ElevateHer. There are still tickets available. Tickets are on sale all the way up to the day, the night of the event. You can walk up there and buy a ticket. Uh, you won’t want to miss this. Andrea Joyce is a joy to watch. And Jon Jansen just put her on his podcast was most recent. It came out today.

I haven’t had a chance to listen to it, but I heard it was fantastic. Awesome. Awesome. Well, we’ll be there. So, we’ll see you next week for sure. Thanks again. Good to see you. Thanks for having me. All right. Awesome. If you like this kind of content, please like, share, follow, and subscribe. And as always, go blue!]