🎙️ Building Culture Fast: Why Dawson Dickson Is a Rising Star in College Basketball Coaching

What does it take to build a winning culture when your roster changes every year?

This week, I sit down with Dawson Dickson, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Great Bay Community College (NH), to talk about leadership at the junior college level and why he’s quickly becoming one of the rising young coaches to watch.

In this conversation, Dawson shares:
🏀 How to build culture and accountability quickly
📈 Why progress matters more than the scoreboard
💬 How high expectations and daily energy drive player growth
👥 What it really means to mentor and motivate today’s student-athletes

If you’re a coach, athletic director, or leader who wants to build a program that develops people—not just players—this episode is for you.

And be sure to come back Monday for Part 2, where we shift the conversation to the junior college recruiting pathway and how athletes can use JUCO to advance to the four-year level.

🎧 Listen here: CoachMattRogers.com/podcast
▶️ Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CoachMattRogers

#SignificantCoaching #CoachLeadership #NJCAA #JuniorCollegeAthletics #CoachDevelopment #BuildTheCulture #CoachMattRogers

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📆 To Schedule Matt Rogers to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a discovery Zoom session here: https://calendly.com/mrogers_significantcoaching/speaking-inquiry-w-matt-rogers

📚 Books & Recruit’s Journals by Matt Rogers

Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes
👉 https://amzn.to/3NbWP9S

Recruit’s Journal Series (Sport-Specific Editions):

⚽ Soccer Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3M4PFDX

🏐 Volleyball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qMLr2S

🏀 Basketball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4bxljEJ

⚾ Baseball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3ZGbCMQ

🥎 Softball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qd4PFp

📍 All resources also available at coachmattrogers.com

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The Truth About Division II Recruiting: Fit, Growth, and Learning Through Failure 🏀🎯

In Part 2 of this conversation, Matt Rogers sits down with Bill Cleary, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division II St. Thomas Aquinas College, to talk about the reality of college recruiting and athlete development.

This episode focuses on two critical truths families need to understand:

🏀 NCAA Division II is not a step down from Division I — it’s about opportunity, development, and the right fit.
📈 Too many athletes arrive at college without ever being pushed, challenged, or allowed to fail — and growth requires all three.

Matt and Bill discuss why honest feedback, higher standards, and strong support systems from coaches, parents, and mentors are essential for long-term success.

If you’re a recruit, parent, or coach navigating the college journey, this conversation will help you shift your focus from chasing level to building real readiness.

Find recruiting resources, including Significant Recruiting and the Basketball Recruit’s Journal, at CoachMattRogers.com

Learn more about Coach Bill Cleary at St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Basketball

Send a text

Support the show

📆 To Schedule Matt Rogers to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a discovery Zoom session here: https://calendly.com/mrogers_significantcoaching/speaking-inquiry-w-matt-rogers

📚 Books & Recruit’s Journals by Matt Rogers

Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes
👉 https://amzn.to/3NbWP9S

Recruit’s Journal Series (Sport-Specific Editions):

⚽ Soccer Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3M4PFDX

🏐 Volleyball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qMLr2S

🏀 Basketball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4bxljEJ

⚾ Baseball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3ZGbCMQ

🥎 Softball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qd4PFp

📍 All resources also available at coachmattrogers.com

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and all your favorite podcast platforms.

Did you like what you heard and want more?
New Podcasts every week. Remember to subscribe and follow wherever you get y...

“Bet on You” – Building Confidence and Player Ownership with Bill Cleary (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Matt Rogers sits down with Bill Cleary, Assistant Athletic Director and Head Women’s Basketball Coach at St. Thomas Aquinas College, for a powerful and honest discussion about coaching women and developing true confidence in today’s athletes.

Bill shares what he’s learned over more than two decades of coaching about the growing challenge of self-worth, the impact of comparison and social media, and why many athletes struggle to recognize their own value. Together, Matt and Bill explore what it really means to build confidence that isn’t dependent on playing time, statistics, rankings, or outside validation.

You’ll hear why Bill tells his players to “bet on you,” how language shapes mindset, and how coaches can create player-led cultures where athletes learn to believe in themselves, embrace mistakes, and grow through adversity.

If you’re a coach, parent, or athlete who cares about leadership, mindset, and long-term development, this conversation will hit home.

Part 2 drops next, where Matt and Bill dive into the realities of college recruiting and what families need to understand about finding the right fit.

Resources for basketball families, including the book Significant Recruiting and the Basketball Recruit’s Journal, are available at CoachMattRogers.com.

Learn more about Coach Cleary: https://stac.edu/directory/cleary-william/

Send a text

Support the show

📆 To Schedule Matt Rogers to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a discovery Zoom session here: https://calendly.com/mrogers_significantcoaching/speaking-inquiry-w-matt-rogers

📚 Books & Recruit’s Journals by Matt Rogers

Significant Recruiting: The Playbook for Prospective College Athletes
👉 https://amzn.to/3NbWP9S

Recruit’s Journal Series (Sport-Specific Editions):

⚽ Soccer Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3M4PFDX

🏐 Volleyball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qMLr2S

🏀 Basketball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4bxljEJ

⚾ Baseball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3ZGbCMQ

🥎 Softball Recruit’s Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/4qd4PFp

📍 All resources also available at coachmattrogers.com

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and all your favorite podcast platforms.

Did you like what you heard and want more?
New Podcasts every week. Remember to subscribe and follow wherever you get y...