"Beyond the Game": The RealSportsDoc Podcast

From Courtside to Wisdom: Coach Craig Roden's Basketball Odyssey

• Dr. Brandon L. Hardin • Season 1 • Episode 3

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Hall of Fame basketball coach Craig Roden takes us on an extraordinary journey through his impressive 45-year career in collegiate basketball. Imagine starting your career with a surprise phone call from the Marshall County Hall of Fame, only to later be inducted at the University of West Alabama. Coach Roden shares how his early start at Snead Junior College and a series of bold career decisions across Division I, Division II, and junior college levels paved the way for his success. His story is rich with memorable moments, including a leap of faith to Connors Junior College and the practical wisdom that guided his legendary career.

Listen as Coach Roden unveils the secrets behind his coaching evolution, influenced by iconic mentors like Dusty Carter and strategic minds such as Coach Haskins. He offers fascinating insights into preparing for formidable teams and the unique challenges of traveling across Texas. The tough competition from coaching heavyweights like Wayne Bird, Lloyd Clark, and Randy Gibson helped shape his coaching philosophy, and his anecdotes provide a humorous yet insightful look at the life of a seasoned basketball strategist.

As Coach Roden reflects on retirement, he shares the trials and triumphs of adjusting to a new way of life. From overcoming knee pain to staying active with the Biloxi Shuckers and consulting for a friend in coaching, he emphasizes the importance of adaptability and the unwavering support of his wife. His reflections offer a heartfelt reminder of the power of teamwork while providing wisdom on athlete development, the role of NIL, and the dynamic changes in modern sports. Join us for this treasure trove of stories and insights from a life dedicated to basketball and beyond.

Thank you for tuning in to "Beyond the Game"! We hope you found valuable insights into the world of sports medicine and the importance of health and wellness in athletics. Remember, whether you're an athlete, a parent, or a sports enthusiast, this podcast is designed for you.

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For more resources and to connect with Dr. Brandon Hardin, visit TheRealSportsDoc.com or HardinSportsMed.com to learn more.

Keep pushing your limits, and see you next time!

Dr. Hardin:

ey everybody. Dr harde here at beyond the game podcast, thanks for tuning in. Today. I have a very special guest and good friend of mine, coach raig roden. Coach how you doing today, man man, it's great.

Coach Craig Roden:

Any day you're on the coast, it's a great day all right. How about this weather we're having? Oh, it's awesome, isn't? It's good a little fall nip in the air out there, yeah, uh, you know, football is in full force. Yeah, and uh, it's great, it's good, it's a good day to be here, right?

Dr. Hardin:

yes, yeah, coach, lives out here on the golf course. We're actually at his home right now, uh, recording this podcast, and his wife, uh, took us out back to to let us see they live on the golf course. We're actually at his home right now recording this podcast, and his wife took us out back to let us see they live on the 10th hole out here, and I'm going to tell you, man, we've got some great weather down here. It's real nice here. So anyway, coach, I've got a few questions for you that I think everybody wants to know and realize. You know, like we talked about earlier, we've got people who think you know, well, hall of fame basketball coach, my gosh, you know he probably doesn't do anything else besides coach basketball, right? However, like I said, we all go to the same grocery store, you know?

Coach Craig Roden:

yes, yeah, yes, I mean, it's just a normal life, uh, other than having a long career. I won't say it was a great career, but it was a long career.

Dr. Hardin:

Long career. Yeah, no, I hear you, man. So to start out, man, let's talk about your Hall of Fame journey. What was the moment you realized you were on the path to becoming a Hall of Fame coach, or did you even realize that that was in your future, and how did it feel to have that type of recognition?

Coach Craig Roden:

To be honest with you, it never crossed my mind. Really it never. I never crossed it, never crossed my mind about being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The first time it really hit me, I got a call from where I'm born and raised, in Alabama, marshall County Hall of Fame, and they said they were going to put me in the Hall of Fame. And I was like, wow, did you run out of people to induct this year? But so you know, it's one of those things that you never really think about. But then you know, then the University of West Alabama, where I graduated from and coached, then they called and put me in their Hall of Fame. And you know, it's one of those things that you don't ever think about, you don't plan on, and once they do it, then you really, once you do it, once they do it, then it kind of hits you that wow, I did have a good career.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, man, a long career. How long was your career in basketball? 45 years 45 years.

Coach Craig Roden:

Wow, all at the collegiate level, 45 years.

Dr. Hardin:

That's an honor, man, you know, even without being a Hall of Fame coach, my gosh, that's an honorable career. That's a long, long, good career. And so what schools were you at predominantly?

Coach Craig Roden:

Oh, we could probably go by saying which ones were you not at? Yeah, I've coached at all three levels. I've coached in junior college, uh, division two and division one. Um, so, uh, I was at. Uh, I started my career at Snead Junior College in Alabama.

Dr. Hardin:

Yep.

Coach Craig Roden:

Right after I got my grad I did a graduate assistantship at Livingston University and then I got that and four years later they hired me back.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

And so I was the head coach at what? 24, 25 years old, wow and uh, you know, didn't have a clue, didn't have a clue of what I was doing. Right, just, this sounds right, this feels right, let's go. And uh, then, um, and then Brad Hovias was the athletic director at Delta State at that time, mm-hmm. And Brad took the athletic director's job at Texas, el Paso, yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

And I'm sitting at home one night and he calls and he says I said oh, congratulations on your job. He said well, that's why I'm calling you. He said I've got to hire a women's coach. Would you be interested in coming out here? And you know I'm like can I drive? And he's like no, you've got to fly, right? So my first trip on an airplane. I was 26 or 7 years old and I was flying to El Paso to talk to him about that job. Well, he hired me and then. So I worked there a while and then I went to Connors Junior College in Oklahoma. From there, you know, people say well, you took a Division I job and you gave it up for a junior college. Well, you know, you've got to understand how long ago this was.

Dr. Hardin:

Right.

Coach Craig Roden:

I mean I was head coach at Division I institution making $27,000.

Dr. Hardin:

Big money right.

Coach Craig Roden:

And you know, connors offered me $32,000 and a house and my wife a twenty thousand dollar job there you go so it was like a no-brainer yeah, it was a win-win we hit the gold mine.

Coach Craig Roden:

So I went there, uh, and then, um, I went back to sneed junior college again and coached the men for three years and they cut the programs not out, but cut them back. And I went to Crowder College in Missouri for one year and we actually took a team that hadn't been to the national tournament in 17 years and we went to the national tournament and finished seventh. Wow, that's incredible.

Coach Craig Roden:

Then University of West Georgia. Ed Murphy was the athletic director at the University of West Georgia and he had hired me at West Alabama and I never got to work for him. He hired me, art Livingston. He hired me there and then he went to Delta State as a basketball coach and next thing, you know, he hired me back over there at West Georgia. I was there 14 years. I went to West Alabama and coached there for four years and then went to Delta State.

Dr. Hardin:

So the whole total was 45 years, 45 years of coaching.

Coach Craig Roden:

I mean that that is seriously well, that says something about your mental state too.

Dr. Hardin:

To stay at 45 years, all right right, um, but you know you were a mentor to a lot of people. You know not just your staff, but to the athletes that you coached. So, speaking of mentorship, you know who were some of your biggest influences in coaching and how did they shape your philosophy of the game.

Coach Craig Roden:

Well, I'd have to start with a guy named Harry Douglas. I was in junior high school at Claysville Junior High in Alabama and we hadn't really had a coach. We had a person who was in charge and they hired Harry. That's when I knew, I saw what he did to that school and to that program by instilling a little pride in it, doing some things. And, um, I knew then, seventh and eighth grade that I wanted to coach. Yeah, I liked the feeling of what he had done there and so, um, so harry got me started that way.

Coach Craig Roden:

And then, uh, john kitchens, at Snead Junior College. I was a manager for him. I wasn't a player by any means, so I was a manager for him and learned the game from a different perspective. And then I went to Livingston University and Ken Brackett was the head coach and I really, really learned a lot from Coach Brackett about organization and getting things done. Sure, and you know, rest his soul. He passed away from cancer at 38 years old. Oh my gosh, he's too young.

Coach Craig Roden:

And then ed murphy, who hired me back at west georgia, don haskins, when I was the head girls coach at texas, el paso. Don haskins, uh, influenced me a lot just getting to watch him and you know, being on that, uh, being on that floor, same floor with ed, and um, yeah, you know, um it was, it was, it was interesting and uh, sure. So those were really people that uh helped me formulate what I wanted to do as a coach, wanted to coach, made me want to coach and then formulate what I was gonna do yeah yeah, when I got there and then then there's some uh high school coaches uh that when I was just starting out, let me pick their brain, come to practice, ask questions, you know.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, no, I totally get that. It's like this morning. You know, I was in surgery this morning and, uh, two of my mentors you know makes a huge difference whenever somebody's willing to mentor you, because then later on that carries over, right. So then I can mentor other people. And I tell you, this morning I was in surgery and Dr Brown and Dr Karpetskaya, two incredible surgeons here in South Mississippi, and Dr Brown pulled me aside and said, hey man, why don't you come over and watch this surgery? I think you'll find it pretty neat and it had been a surgery I hadn't seen before, you know. So it gives me an appreciation of what happened to that patient, how he's going to help that patient and, you know, next level steps right. So, like for you, you developed that vision early on and carried it over, and 45 years of coaching and mentorship I mean that's pretty incredible and I would be amiss if I did not mention these three high school coaches in alabama.

Coach Craig Roden:

Uh, coach qk. Dusty carter from scottsboro was a legend. He retired, he worked at the golf course and I could go to the golf course and just talk basketball with him. Sure, he allowed me to do that. Larry Windsor was at Guntersville High School at that time, absolutely the most organized coach I've ever seen or been around. I just gave up, I said I can't match his organizational skills. And then Terry Mitchell at Plainview was another coach that you know. Let me pick his brain and understand some things.

Coach Craig Roden:

And then you go on and you coach, understand some things. And then you go on and you coach and there's people who you coach against. That helps formulate what you're doing, because you know you get along there. You're feeling pretty good, I've got this, I've got this. And then you play some people that chew you up and you go wow, okay, chew you up. And you go wow, okay. And you know that was Wayne Bird at University of North Alabama was great. Lloyd Clark, who was at Delta State, was really good. And then you play against people like Randy Gibson who was at Northeastern Oklahoma when I was at Connor State and then Randy went on to Northeastern State in Tahlequah. Brian Agler was at Northeastern State in Tahlequah and then he went on with the Missouri-Kansas City and then he was a I don't know 10, 12, 15-year coach in the WNBA. Wow, and you know you're talking about.

Dr. Hardin:

We've seen how that looks these days right, yeah, and you're talking about?

Coach Craig Roden:

You're talking about Randy and Brian. I mean, you're talking about absolutely the two best defensive coaches. I mean, if you weren't on top of what you were doing, they just shut it down and embarrassed you. So you learn to do some things with them do some things. Uh, yeah, yeah, with them. Right, you know. But so so not only you know the people that that trained you, the people that you were around and then people that you coached against. So it's really a three-phase uh thing yeah, yeah.

Dr. Hardin:

So, needless to say, your coaching style definitely evolved, just like anything else would over over your 45-year career?

Coach Craig Roden:

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. You know, it probably took 25 of those years to really settle in on what you were doing. Sure, and once you got that, then it I don't want to say it became easier, but it became more. You know, like Coach Haskins was one of the best visionaries I've ever been around. The game was so simple to me.

Coach Craig Roden:

I remember we were going to play, we were going to Alaska and play in the women's version of the Great Alaskan Shootout and we drew Old Dominion the first game. Well, that was when Old Dominion was Old Dominion. You know, they were top ten team in the country and I said, coach, could you watch some film with me and give me some pointers here? Because they were like 6'5", 6'5" and we were 6'5", 10". Some film with me and give me some pointers here, because they were like six, five, six, five and we were six foot, five, ten.

Coach Craig Roden:

And, uh, he goes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, do this. This is how you got to handle that press. And then he's like and, and remember that I die. You know he said you're, you're one of your post players is really good outside. Invert them, make their bigs come outside before you shoot it. Sure, and I mean just stuff like that. I remember when he played LSU, UTEP played LSU in the region at University of Arizona and they drew LSU, and that was when they had Chris Jackson and Ricky Blanton and they were really good, yeah, yeah, and you know, the game was just simple to him. He just was like here's what you do boom, boom, boom, boom.

Dr. Hardin:

Right.

Coach Craig Roden:

They execute that and they go out there and beat LSU by about 16 or 17.

Dr. Hardin:

Wow. You know, See, and most people would go well, where's utep right? And then for those of you who don't know, I'm from texas, so it's funny whenever I come home from mississippi back to texas, and I pull in the great state of texas and there's a big old sign that says el paso 898 miles yeah, yeah, there's one out there somewhere in it that says tomorrow. Yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

It says Houston X number El Paso tomorrow Tomorrow.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, big state, you know.

Coach Craig Roden:

That's funny. After I got out there, I realized that when you were in El Paso you were closer to San Diego than you were Dallas.

Dr. Hardin:

It's crazy, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, you're basically Mexico. Yeah, you know? Yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

That's right.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, so about your coaching philosophy, let's talk a little bit about player development. What do you believe is the most important aspect of developing these young athletes, both on and off the field?

Coach Craig Roden:

developing these young athletes both on and off the field. Well, player development, and I really feel good about this. I had a coach that worked with me one time named Rodney Hampton, and Rodney had played for Don Meyer and we got together and we recognized that we needed better player development and so we put our heads together and Rodney kind of spearheaded it and we put all that together and it's a three-phase. Basically it's a three-phase process, one you've got to improve your skills, it's got to be, you know, and you know it's kind of like they say um, you know, we talk, we talk to our kids sometimes about you know, it's like it's like your drunk uncle at the family reunion everybody sits around and whispers about him but nobody does anything about it. Right, right. And you know, you've got to recognize there's a problem.

Dr. Hardin:

Right right.

Coach Craig Roden:

You know the player has. I mean, as a coach you see what needs to be done, but there's a few players that you know some of them get better.

Dr. Hardin:

But there's a few players that you know.

Coach Craig Roden:

Some of them get better, some of them turn the notch and get really, really good, and then some of them are the same player when they leave. Right, it's like a checking account, it's whatever you put into it. Absolutely it's what you can take out. Yeah, and so one, we think, think you got to improve your skills yeah and that's a.

Coach Craig Roden:

you know, skill development is so hard because it's a 25 to 28 day process to create new muscle memory. And so we go from there. It's a three-legged stool. That's what I ask the players. I tell them all the time it's a three-legged stool. You ever sit on a two-legged stool?

Dr. Hardin:

Not very fun, is it? Especially if you're the drunk uncle.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yeah, if you've ever sat on a one-legged stool, nope, nope. You know a lot of balance comes in there, that's right. So it's a three-legged stool. It's skills, it's making your body physically better right that's something that really, as coaches, we don't have as much control over now, because you got professionals doing it strength conditioning coaches you know you think about coaches. You think about all the years you coached and how much you did before you had a strength coach.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yeah, outside of just coaching basketball, which is hard enough and probably how much we broke them down instead of you know just because. So you've got to have it. So the strength coaching is the biggest. That's the biggest change I've seen in athletics.

Dr. Hardin:

Do you think it helps prevent injury? Oh yeah, no doubt. Absolutely and no doubt.

Coach Craig Roden:

I agree. Let's put it this way If I'd have ran into Brandon Harden 40 years ago, we would have had a lot less injuries.

Dr. Hardin:

Well, you know what I can say. I honestly agree with you on that right you have to have. I had a talk with my brother about this the other day. He tore his ACL and I said you know, do you think that if you had a strength conditioning coach who wasn't your baseball coach, you would have had that injury? And I said you know, do you think that if you had a strength and conditioning coach who wasn't your baseball coach, you would have had that injury? And he said absolutely, not. No, absolutely, you know.

Dr. Hardin:

Now we can't think about injuries and go backwards, right, we can't say, oh well, it wouldn't happen if this is, you know, but what is the likelihood of it? I think the likelihood is definitely a lot less. You know, there are coaches. And then there are coaches, yeah, you know, just like physicians. Physician, we're coaches, we're teachers. You know, we, we try and help people out all the time. You understand, hey, look, if you do this, this is what's going to happen. That's the same thing with you, you know. Hey, look, if you change this up a little bit, you can be an all-star.

Coach Craig Roden:

You know story on that. Yeah, uh, when I was at west West Georgia we had a trainer named Seth Lester a really good, really good guy and a good trainer and I stepped off a curb and rolled my ankle, oh yeah, and so you know, it swelled up. So he's got a couple of trainers assigned to me and they're putting that boot on that compression boot. And I asked him one day and I won't call by names here, but I asked him. I said why does when so-and-so puts it on, it feels magnificent, and why, when the other person puts it on, it hurts like heck? Right, and he goes why can some of your players make free throws and others can't? Hey, he says it's called talent.

Dr. Hardin:

There you go. That's exactly right, man.

Coach Craig Roden:

No, I get that. And then the third phase of that is so you've got your skill development, you've got your physical development, and then you've got to have the mental development. You've got to understand where all of this is going Sure and where it takes you and you have.

Dr. Hardin:

well, when you coached, we didn't have all this NIL junk we have today. But when you coached, you had four years to develop that player. Yes, junk we have today. But when you coached you had four years to develop that player. Yes, you know, now you may have one year, maybe, maybe, maybe not even that, before they're like oh, you know, I'm out of here and I think that is 100 changing the way one athletes perceive the game, but two coaches perceive the game. You know, I, I don't know what. What is your? What are your feels about nil? How do you think that would have been 45 years ago like it is today?

Coach Craig Roden:

It wouldn't have been under the same guidelines they would have 45 years ago. You had coaches, your administrators were coaches.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

And they would have never let it get to the point that it is now. I agree have never let it got to the point that it is now. I agree it's um.

Dr. Hardin:

Basically it's glorified travel ball.

Coach Craig Roden:

Now I mean, let's face it right too but I mean, I've I've said that all my coaching career. You know, yeah, and and don't get me wrong there's some good travel ball coaches out there, sure, but I'm gonna say over, well over 50% are in it for their self. Yeah, they're not in it for the kids, and so you know, they play here. They didn't get to play as many times they can get a shoot as many times, so they go over here and play for this other team. There's no, it's taken the that and then the nil has taken the uh, uh, oh, what's the word you use? Uh, when you're committed, it's taken the commitment out of it sure you know.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, I had, yeah, I had. Last week I had a retired player from the San Francisco 49ers and he said some of the same things you're saying to me now. You know NIL has 100% changed the game, Right.

Coach Craig Roden:

It has changed the game. I didn't have to deal with that I retired before that but I did coach through COVID and covid was a game changer too. Trying times huh, it was. That was tough. It was tough, yeah yeah we should have.

Coach Craig Roden:

as coaches, we all wanted to play, but we actually should have just shut it down, not played, let the kids have a year to go to school, practice and be done with it and then started back over. But we fought through it. And then COVID you know all the COVID regulations, the extra years of play because of COVID, this and that. Right, I think it gave the NIL its impetus to.

Dr. Hardin:

Fueled it.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yeah.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, which it did a lot of things right. So what about your legacy, coach? What do you hope that your legacy is in the world of basketball? I know you couldn't believe that you were a Hall of Fame basketball coach and you're a humble guy. What do you want to leave for everybody here who listens to this and beyond?

Coach Craig Roden:

You know I don't know about a legacy. I don't think I did anything that was legacy worthy. You know, I always felt like it was about the kids, sure, and we wanted to take care of the kids. I think that's a legacy right there man and most of the players that have played for me, especially the ones that finished their career. We still keep in touch and that, to me, is worth more, you know.

Dr. Hardin:

Well, that's your. Is worth more. Well, that's your legacy. Right there, absolutely.

Coach Craig Roden:

If that's a legacy, sure, they're going to tell their kids about you, their grandkids about you. We had a great graduation rate at some places. I remember at West Georgia. I was there 14 years. These coaches go up and say, well, all of my kids have graduated? No, they haven't. You know, like I had two kids, I can tell you this.

Coach Craig Roden:

At West Georgia we had kids that were. We only counted the ones that stayed the full four years with us, or two years or whatever they were. We only counted the ones that stayed the full four years with us, or two years or whatever they were. Yeah, we had 38 kids come through Mm-hmm. 32 of them graduated Mm-hmm. And we went one step further 17 of those 32 were first-time college grads in their family. That's impressive. That is impressive.

Coach Craig Roden:

So, and people say, what did you do? We didn't do anything. We just tried to treat them right. You coached them, make sure that they understood Right, and you know so. We had two players that went on overseas and didn't finish their degree. We had I mean so, and it's been that way pretty much everywhere I mean we've had a big graduation rate. You know we weren't high on promoting that because I told the kids it's what you're supposed to do, it's what you come to college for and I was always big on you know you don't pat yourself on the back. You don't pat people on the back for doing what they're supposed to do. It's when they go that extra. You know that's right mile that's right, that's exactly right that you're really proud of.

Coach Craig Roden:

But anyhow, that's, if that's a legacy, that's a legacy, sure it is. As far as being a game changer, no, there was no game changing, because everything we did we stole from somebody else over the years. Well, because what works works right. I've got a notebook. I've got a notebook that's been kept for 45 years yeah yeah, and stuff would be in there.

Coach Craig Roden:

And you know, later on in my career there would be times where you'd say, okay, this team is doing this Now. Years ago we played against that and hold on, hold on, I'll bring it in tomorrow. We're not going to. You know, I tell the assistant coaches we're not going to talk about it right now. I know I got it. So I'd go home and I'd look through it and I'd say, okay, here's what we're going to do, right, right, yeah, you know because it worked.

Dr. Hardin:

I think we'd be remiss if we didn't think that. You know the late, great, amazing coach nick saving? You know he's now a commentator. Do we think that other people have stolen some of his plays? Absolutely, man, you do what works right. Yeah, and then you may change it up a little bit.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yeah.

Dr. Hardin:

There's playbooks for everything. We know that, you know.

Coach Craig Roden:

Ain't, no doubt Ain't no doubt it's you know, and I always felt, I always approached it that you know and I told I used to tell the kids this and I've had coaches disagree with me. I used to tell the kids, once we tip that ball up, as a head coach I do not make the difference in maybe two or three games a year. Where I make a difference is having you prepared going into that game. If I've got you prepared, you really don't even need me on the sideline. Sure, because you know what you're going to do, you know what they're going to do. You can make your own adjustments. Now that's influential, absolutely.

Coach Craig Roden:

Things like that, but I never really felt like you know that I had a lot.

Dr. Hardin:

That's what practice is for. That's what player development is for. That's why you hire assistant coaches. It's team effort, right? Yeah, absolutely no, I love that. So let's talk about life after coaching man. So life beyond the game right, that's what we're here, right? Current endeavors let's just talk about that. What has life looked like for you since retiring from coaching, and what new passions have you pursued or are you pursuing?

Coach Craig Roden:

Well, let's just start with this. I came out and really I had no plan. Yeah, I just retired. Yeah, I just walked away. We moved to the coast. We moved to the coast, I just walked away, and the first three or four months it was awesome, Because see the last 20 years, what people don't realize. The last 20 years we practiced at 5.30 every morning before school. That was a selling point for parents sending their daughters there. They weren't going to be out running those roads at night.

Dr. Hardin:

Right, 5.30 comes early, right, yeah, absolutely.

Coach Craig Roden:

And so we did that, and so I don't know, it's just, it's really odd. So it felt so good to get up when I wanted to, but I'm still. I still can't if I sleep till 6.30, I'm sleeping in Creature habit, I'm sleeping in. I felt like boy. I must have been tired. I slept till 6.30 this morning, right, so I'm getting better at that, but that was great. And then I became bored. I became bored, um, my body, you know, started felt like it was falling apart. Uh, that's when I met you yeah, my knees, my knees.

Coach Craig Roden:

You know, I can't say enough thanks to you, because I came to you thinking I was gonna have to have knee replacement surgery. Yeah, my knees hurt so bad, yeah, and you looked at them and said well, there's nothing structurally wrong with it, but your quads are extremely tight. Yeah, and people, let me tell you this, especially you older people out there if you think you've got some problem that you're saying with old age, you think it's because of old age. Go see Dr Harden, there's your plug right there. Because he, you know, oh, man, when you first got on my knees I was going to, you know, I could have screamed out, cursed me in your head oh, if he hadn't been on both knees, I could have kicked him with one leg. That's how bad they are. We get in there and we get it done, don't we? But they that went away, um, you know. And so what have I done? I mean, I've, uh, I'm trying to find stuff to fill my time.

Coach Craig Roden:

You know sure I worked for the bluxy shuckers the last two summers I'm doing that again gives me, just gives me something to do sure, yeah, absolutely. I refereed volleyball this year. Uh, my experience and knowledge of volleyball was I've been to a few volleyball matches, sure, there you go and then you can do it.

Coach Craig Roden:

That's good so I had some really good tutors in that this year. That's helped. I plan on doing that again. And then a good friend of mine, kylie Hill. I coached against him 18 or 19 years when I was at West Georgia and he was at Valdosta. He just became the head coach at Ouachita Baptist in Arkansas and I'm doing some consulting work. I don't know if it's consulting, I think he just felt sorry for me and felt like I was sitting around here and he gave me a little bit of stuff to do. All right, and you know it's all breaking down film and stuff sure so it keeps my mind going sure so I'm really, I'm really feeling good now.

Coach Craig Roden:

But uh, the first, after the first four or five months, it was bad, it was bad and then uh. So now I've got a plan yeah, you have to have a plan, right I didn't have a coaching, I didn't have a plan, I just quit, yeah walked away.

Dr. Hardin:

Said 5, 30 in the mornings were enough.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yes, yes, so there we go so okay.

Dr. Hardin:

So what about future aspirations? You have any future aspirations, projects, goals. I know you said you're going to work for the shuckers. What else have you been doing?

Coach Craig Roden:

I'm on referee volleyball again next year.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

And you know, if Coach Hill wants me to continue, I probably will.

Dr. Hardin:

He may tell me it's passed you up, son, that's all right right.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yeah, but so that's my plan and just live a good life and hope that. You know, at one time, really, on this retirement thing, I was sitting there one day, right before I retired and I was thinking, you know, if a guy lives I was 65 then and I was like you know, if a guy lives to be 80 and he lives pretty much he's been lucky. You know he's 80, he's had very little physical ailments or health issues he's lived a dang good life, absolutely A dang good life. You bet. And then the next thing was wow, you just got 15 years left.

Dr. Hardin:

Well, you know, it's realism, right? We all age.

Coach Craig Roden:

But that really put the wheels in motion, about sure. Why do you want to do this to your 70 or 72? Why not get out and enjoy it? Yeah, sure you know, my, my wife is great uh she, she is great.

Dr. Hardin:

I have to attest to that. Yeah, we love her yeah, she's uh.

Coach Craig Roden:

Well, what she, what she did all those years is ran everything well, sure, but she's team mom man, but she likes that yeah, not, not, not so much a team mom, she just likes running everything type a personality, there you go yeah and so, uh, but I mean, she took care of the house, she took care of the house, she took care of everything On top of that.

Coach Craig Roden:

Her dad lived with us for eight years, so she was a caregiver, sure, but I didn't have to worry about paying bills, I didn't have to worry about getting a plumber, I didn't have to worry about any of that stuff, I just coached. Yeah, yeah, and it's because of her yeah, absolutely so.

Dr. Hardin:

See, and that's another thing you know about, about teamwork, it's it starts, it's ground level. Yeah, it's ground level. You know, I have to tell everybody, you know, coach roden's wife, she is an incredible person. Uh, if you ever want to catch her, she's on the golf course every single day, y'all. And if she's not, she's either sick or she has something better to do. And I guarantee you that something better to do has to do with her family, because I'm telling you she's the most active person I know. But anyway, coach, well, let's leave everybody with some final thoughts. If you could share one message with young athletes today, what would that be If you could share?

Coach Craig Roden:

one message with young athletes today. What would that be? Pay attention to the people that's been there before you. Absolutely, I love that Pay attention to the people that's been there before you, Because right now, right now we're in a time where a lot of the 18, 19, 20-year-olds they've got all the answers.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

You're right, and they really don't, but they think they do. And you know, just pay attention, pay attention to your coaches. You know one thing I used to tell the team every year in the fall is the new ones. I'd say you know, there's a hundred ways to play the game. You can play it fast, you can play it slow, you can play it inside, you can play it outside. Whatever, there's a thousand ways to play it. Yeah, what's the best way to play it? Sure, and some of them would go well, you need to press, or you need to play it fast, or you need to do this. I said, the best way you can play it is the way your coach wants it played right now.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

Be coachable. If you move to the next level and it's a completely different system do it the way the next coach wants it, as long as everybody is doing it, or as long as everybody's pulling that wagon down the road, you may run in the ditch, but you'll get it out of the ditch and you'll keep going. It's when people are pulling it down the road. People are trying to pull it to the side.

Dr. Hardin:

Uphill and downhill right.

Coach Craig Roden:

You just get stagnant, that's right and you can't be. And if I had anything to tell the young coaches, I would tell them take advantage of your older coaches, the older coaches out there. Right, right, yeah, absolutely.

Coach Craig Roden:

Go talk to them about how they did this or how they did that. Sure, you know, and that was one thing in COVID, nobody had ever been through anything like that. So there was nobody you could talk to, no structure there To say, hey, what did y'all do when that hit 20 years ago, right, I mean? I mean, who would have thought right? So I mean it's all about. You know, I was taught at an early age to give your older coaches respect that their years in time have earned.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, absolutely, and.

Coach Craig Roden:

I'll tell you, I'll give you a quote, leaving here. I'll give you a quote that my dad told me when he found out I was going to coach, right after we talked about Harry Douglas. You know, I told him. I said I want to coach, sure. And he said well, son, it's a good profession. You know you won't ever get rich, but it's a good, solid profession. And you know, on and on, and he goes. Let me tell you something. I said what's that? He said as long as you treat those kids like a coon dog, you'll be okay. And this is a guy with no college education, right, and coon dog, you know. You know I'm going where is this going? Right, and he goes. You know you can coach them hard, you can coach them tough. That's what you should do, you. You should train them hard. I mean, that's what you have to do with a coon dog. You have to train that coon dog hard. But if you ever break their spirit, they won't ever tree for you. That's right, man.

Dr. Hardin:

That's right, that's exactly right. That stuck with me for probably 55 years in my head and that goes with anything and anybody right. Yes, it's trust, it's a trust. Yeah, be coachable. Trust your surroundings. Don't get too comfortable right, because if you become complacent you can't grow Right and have fun. It's all about have fun and drive that passion forward.

Coach Craig Roden:

I've told some of our former players, a couple of our real good former players, that the one thing I wish I had done when they played was smell the roses.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah.

Coach Craig Roden:

And sit back and enjoy having them there, because I didn't.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah. And now you realize, Because back then you would think this is work yes.

Coach Craig Roden:

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, no, I totally understand that.

Coach Craig Roden:

It's like my oldest son says and both of my sons have become successful.

Dr. Hardin:

Yeah, we're going to have your youngest son here on the podcast. Guys, I have to tell you he's got a son who's a USA Olympic athlete. He's incredible named Andrew Roden. He's actually brought sumo to the state of Alabama and I have to tell you, guys, it's an incredible guy. I was once on the police force. He's in the police force. We have that in common. When I met Andrew, he signed this picture and sent it to me and I thought Sumo and the state of Alabama Now what in the hell? And he's one of the coolest guys I know. He's working on his PhD right now and, coach, I'd say that's another legacy you leave. Right, there is your children. You have such an incredible family man and I know everybody around you, as humble as you are, sees the great man that you are and sees what kind of legacy you leave today. And I have to say you've done a really fine job for yourself sir.

Coach Craig Roden:

Well, both of them, and our daughter too, have done well for themselves. They're gainfully employed, they're good citizens. I'll say that, yeah, yeah. But my oldest one, you know, he's general manager of an excavation firm and you know we've had this conversation because he's got a nine year old son and I will say well, come here to big Papa, which is what they call me, and let me, let me say this. And he goes oh Jesus, dad, I never got that, I never got that talk. I go well, I liked him better. Right, Right yeah.

Dr. Hardin:

It's like my dad. You know it's funny when everybody says, oh, he's pulled one of your brothers aside and I have a lot of brothers and they can attest listening to this right now my dad would go and you just see his mouth moving and everybody would go oh, braden's getting a lecture, here we go, you're next Watch out. You know that's funny, yeah, and you know now the grandkids get it. So, yeah, it's, it's funny. But, um, hey, guys, I want to. I want to thank everybody for listening and tuning in. We really appreciate coach craig rodent here on the show today.

Dr. Hardin:

Um, I want to say, hey, whether you're an athlete looking to stay in peak condition, parent wanting to support your child's endeavors or, you know, just someone who loves the game, I invite you to join us on this exciting journey with Beyond the Game podcast. Make sure to subscribe, share and stay tuned for our next episode, whom we will have? A very honorable guest, the Honorable Judge Jennifer Schloegel, who is running for the Court of Appeals here in the state of Mississippi. She's a dear friend of mine. So let's take this journey beyond the game together and remember, as I always leave us, in sports, the journey never truly ends. So keep pushing your limits and we'll see you next time. Thanks, guys.