The Coaching Story
All coaches have a story. Most of these stories remain unknown to most, yet they are about men and women who have had a lifelong impact on the athletes they work with and inspire, while teaching the skills of the games they love. Find out what motivates these coaches as they add their chapters to The Coaching Story.
Episodes
45 episodes
Coach Loren Hemphill
In 1961, Coach Loren Hemphill was offered his first job as a teacher/coach in Plainville, Kansas. The initial intent was for it to be a short stay, but he and his family found a place that they have called home for over 60 years. Th...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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51:41
Coach Gary Heide
Coach Gary Heide grew up in Minnesota with a love of athletics and the goal of being a teacher/coach. Even though it took him longer than expected to realize his dream, he appreciates his meandering path and the people who influenced him ...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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1:05:02
Coach Todd Hernandez
Coach Todd Hernandez has always appreciated the opportunities that he was provided while growing up in Eaton, Colorado. Upon returning to his hometown as a teacher/coach, he has given back to the community and its youth. Though incr...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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1:06:59
Coach David Guy
Coach David Guy grew up in Seibert, Colorado with a love of sports and competition, and even moved on to Western State College to play football. Though he didn't initially start on the career path of a teacher/coach, he began to feel a st...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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1:07:33
Neal Dahlen
Neal Dahlen won seven Super Bowl rings as an executive for the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos. His story is one of a person who loved the game of football and all of the challenges that it presented. He went from coachin...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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48:59
Coach Mike O'Dwyer
Football Coach Mike O'Dwyer did not have plans on coaching upon his return to Limon, Colorado, but he was essentially told that he would be a coaching for the tradition-rich community. The nudge that he was given has led to nearly four de...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:03:19
Coach Dennis Tjaden
The career of Coach Dennis Tjaden is a story that goes well beyond the realm of high school athletics in Northeastern Colorado. Though winning was definitely common during his decorated career, his focus was on the students and athletes o...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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1:16:11
Coach Mike Holloway
Basketball Coach Mike Holloway spent 19 years in charge of his hometown team in Sterling, Colorado. He added onto an established tradition of success and developed a program that was a model of excellence and consistency. Through co...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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56:36
Coach Chris Brown
Coach Chris Brown is the winningest high school football coach in the state of Colorado. With a start at Limon High School in 1976, he has developed a resume that puts him at the top of any list of successful coaches in the state. N...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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51:11
Coach Tom Meyer
Coach Tom Meyer spent a forty-year career in Akron, Colorado as a teacher/coach. His level of success in the arena of track and field is legendary, as his teams recorded eight state championships and 10 state runner-up finishes. Pie...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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1:01:19
Coach Jon Penfold
Coach Jon Penfold spent 30 years at Wiggins High School and developed a dominant wrestling program that achieved success at the top level of Colorado Wrestling. This included 6 team state championships and a list of awards that places him...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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59:39
Coach Jeremy Kerns
Growing up in Elbert, Colorado, Coach Jeremy Kerns had a love for athletics and competition. This was aided by impactful coaches that he credits for opening his eyes to the life of a teacher-coach. After graduating from the Universi...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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55:59
Coach Keith Riley
In an unimaginable coaching career, Coach Keith Riley has won 9 combined state championships in basketball and track at Hill City, Kansas and has been recognized at both the state and national level. Yet, even as he continues in his 54th ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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52:59
Erin Deffenbaugh-Ready
Growing up a daughter of a volleyball coach, Erin Deffenbaugh-Ready excelled in multiple sports at Strasburg High School. She then went on to star at the University of Northern Colorado and had a volleyball career that included Divi...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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26:51
Coach Jeff Conarroe
Growing up in Aspen Colorado, Coach Jeff Conarroe had a passion for athletics and especially basketball. After college, however, he decided to pursue a career in the business world. This turned out to be short-lived as he decided to...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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1:08:31
Coach Jolene Dodge
Growing up in Oshkosh, Nebraska, Coach Jolene Dodge loved to play all sports and relished opportunities to compete. She took this attitude to the college level, as a player, and had a decorated career as a volleyball player. As she ...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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48:17
Coach David Dodge
Coach David Dodge grew up in Strasburg, Colorado enjoying all sports and wanting to pursue competition at the college level. He got that opportunity at Bethany College and remained there as a football and baseball coach for an extended an...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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52:23
Coach Jay Madden
Coach Jay Madden grew up with in a love of competition. As he went from a high school football player at Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado to a college football player at Mesa College, he was around many important mentors he drew fro...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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52:57
Coach Shawn Randel
With the combination of a family that emphasized work-ethic, and people he met along his path, Shawn Randel believes that he was given multiple opportunities to develop as a coach and as a person. He feels blessed to be able to pass along...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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51:52
Coach Dave Sheffield
Growing up in Montana, Dave Sheffield knew that he wanted to be a coach. That opportunity came with a call from Hugo, Colorado. Through plenty of impactful experiences, and aided by key individuals along his path, he has buil...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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51:42
Coach Levi Kramer
Growing up in Wray, Colorado and being able to compete for his hometown always meant something special to Levi Kramer. Though he did not initially intend on returning, multiple events led him back and to eventually take over the football ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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48:12
Colorado Preps' Kevin Shaffer
While growing up in rural Kansas, Kevin Shaffer had a love of sports that he carried into his broadcasting career. After working his way through all levels of radio coverage, he started the Colorado Preps Network for the purpose of provid...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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52:50
Coach Ken Niven
Basketball Coach Ken Niven has a resume that includes 510 career wins, predominantly at Alamosa and Monarch High Schools. While at Alamosa, he also coached his teams to four consecutive state championships. He believes, though, that...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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52:38