Sports Spectrum Podcast

Brad Soucie is the Associate head basketball coach at Liberty University. He began his coaching career in 1995 and has the distinction of serving as an assistant under current Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay every day of his head coaching career. The partnership began in 1995 when the two helped resurrect the program at Portland State, which had been dormant for 15 years. He followed McKay to Colorado State, Oregon State, and New Mexico, before joining him in his first stint with the Flames (2007-09). Soucie also served with Virginia and returned with McKay in 2015.  He has helped Liberty to three straight NCAA Tournament berths and been an integral part in helping the Flames stay atop the Atlantic Sun conference.  In August of 2020, Soucie's wife Kendra passed away after being diagnosed with breast cancer a few years earlier in 2018.  Today we talk to Brad Soucie about his journey from playing to coaching basketball, the lessons learned from Ritchie McKay, learning of his wife's cancer diagnosis and the process of grief that he has walked through in trusting Jesus to guide him.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Bubba Watson is a PGA Tour Pro who has 14 Tour wins including the 2012 and 2014 Masters. His new book Up and Down: Victories and Struggles in the Course of Life releases November 2, 2021.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Bubba about his new book and why he wanted to share his pain with the world. We talk faith and Bubba shares his testimony. We talk mental health and why it was important for him to bring Christ into his battle. Finally we talk adoption and why he and his wife decided to make adoption an option.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Jonathan Tjarks is a staff writer with The Ringer. In April of 2021, he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer (sarcoma, a rare kind of tumor usually found in children and teens).  Today, Jonathan Tjarks shares his story of coming to faith and how his walk with Christ has helped him push forward during his battle with cancer.  You can read the piece he wrote for The Ringer back in May of 2021, "The Long Night of the Soul” here.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Today on the podcast, we talk to Westlake (TX) high school QB and 5-star Clemson recruit Cade Klubnik about his 2021 season, recovering from injury, being recruited by Clemson, winning the state championship and the importance of playing for an audience of one, Jesus. --- Pre-order our new book: "The Increase 52 Week Devotional: Inspiring Stories of Faith from the World of Pro Sports." --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Keith Madison served for 25 years as the head baseball coach with the University of Kentucky. Hired at the age of 26 in 1979, he was the youngest head baseball coach in NCAA Division One at the time. He is the winningest coach in Kentucky Wildcasts history with 737 career victories and was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. For many years after coaching, Keith served with SCORE international, a Christian Mission Organization leading players and coaches on short term baseball mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Today on the podcast, Keith shares about his coaching journey, growing up in the 60's, signing a pro baseball contract at 17 years old, walking with God during his wife's breast cancer battle and finding his identity in something other than baseball.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

David Klingler played seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He was selected 6th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Bengals after a stellar college career at the University of Houston that saw him set multiple records and finish as a Heisman Finalist in 1990.  Among the records Klingler set at Houston include him throwing for 11 touchdown passes in one game on November 17, 1990 against Eastern Washington. In December 1990, he set the NCAA D-1 record for most yards gained a single game with 716 (since surpassed in 2014).  After his playing career, David obtained his Masters in Theology in 2004 and a PhD in Old Testament Studies in 2010 from Dallas Theological Seminary, where is currently an Associate Professor of Bible Exposition.  Today on the podcast, we talk to David Klingler about his incredible college football career, getting drafted 6th overall in 1992 by the Bengals and his desire to teach people how to read and understand God's word.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Morgan Burns is a former cornerback and kick returner for the Kansas State Wildcats. His senior year, he returned four kickoffs for touchdowns and earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year from the league's coaches.  After going undrafted in 2016, he signed with the Tennessee Titans but just a few weeks later, he walked away from pro football to pursue ministry where he spent time as a youth pastor at City Church in Wichita, Kansas. He is currently the lead pastor of a church plant in Wichita (Redeemer Church).  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Jade McCarthy talks to Louisiana football coach Billy Napier about growing up in a faith-based family, the impact his dad had on him as a leader, lessons learned from Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban and the gift of opportunity. --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Tyler Zombro is a pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He pitched in college with George Mason University and then signed with the Rays in 2017. After going a few years through the minor league system, Zombro reached as high as AAA in 2019 and in 2021, was back in AAA pitching with the Durham Bulls. On June 3, 2021, Tyler was facing Brent Cumberland of the Norfolk Tides when a pitch was hit back up the middle at over 100 mph and hit Zombro in the right side of the head just above the ear knocking him unconscious. After being taken to the hospital, neurosurgeons at Duke University Hospital installed 16 plates and 36 screws during 2 1/2 hours of emergency surgery to stabilize Zombro’s skull Today on the podcast, we talk to Tyler about his journey of baseball, wisdom from his grandfather Wimpy, that scary day in June 2021, his desire to possibly pitch again, the prayer he prays on the mound, and how his faith in God has shown him that he's here for a bigger purpose than baseball.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.

Monty Williams is entering his third season as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. In 2020-21, he led the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993 and finished second behind Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau for the NBA's Coach of the Year award.  Prior to his time in Phoenix, Williams had coaching stops in New Orleans, Portland and Oklahoma City. The former player was a No. 1 draft pick by the New York Knicks back in 1994. He played for 10 seasons with the Knicks, Spurs, Nuggets, Magic and 76ers before retiring after the 2003 season.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Monty Williams about success, humility, the 2021 NBA Finals experience, serving others and the legacy he wants to leave.  --- Receive our 10-day Sports Spectrum Devotional written by professional athletes for FREE when you sign up for our Sports Spectrum Weekly Email Newsletter. Sign up here.