The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams

How do you build a Plan B without losing focus on Plan A?

That question sits at the heart of my latest episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams with Larry O’Bannon Jr.

Larry knew early that he didn’t want to be one of the many athletes who struggle to find their footing after retirement—so he was intentional about planning ahead while he was still playing.

A Louisville native, University of Louisville Final Four standout, and professional basketball player for 15+ years overseas, Larry was coached by Rick Pitino at Louisville—learning resilience, discipline, and how to move forward quickly after mistakes.

Those lessons didn’t just shape his playing career—they became the foundation for everything that came next.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Planning ahead before a career transition is forced on you
• Carrying elite-level habits into a new chapter
• Walking away from a structured lifestyle and rebuilding momentum
• Redefining success beyond titles and roles
• Choosing alignment over ego when starting over

Larry’s story isn’t just about sports—it’s about intentional career planning, adaptability, and building what’s next before you’re required to.

🎧 Listen https://the5thquarterpodcastwithsandyadams.buzzsprout.com

📺 Watch https://youtu.be/Mx7tNAeFTa8

🔗 Learn more at 5thqrtpodcast.com

P.S. Larry also hosts The Player’s Perspective: Uncensored Podcast, where he blends real conversations about sports, life after the game, and learning more about bourbon—proving that reinvention can still stay connected to who you are.

➡️ youtube.com/

The Memphis vs Louisville rivalry is back.
The real question is: who are you without the game?

Larry O’Bannon Jr. joins me to talk identity, career pivots, and building life after basketball.

🎧 New episode drops Wed, Jan 7 at 12 PM CT

Apple • Spotify • Audible • Amazon Music • YouTube

Learn more at 5thqrtpodcast.com

What does it take to reinvent yourself after a major life transition?

That’s exactly what Jazzmin Mancilla shares in this episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams

After 15 years of competitive soccer—including her time at California State University, Fullerton where she helped the team win multiple Big West Conference titles—plus multiple national championships with club programs and overcoming two ACL tears, Jazzmin transitioned from athlete to coach and then to finance.

She’s now stepping into entrepreneurship while navigating motherhood and a big move to Tennessee.

Along the way, she learned the hard lessons of believing in herself, finding a new purpose beyond the field, and embracing that we’re all a work in progress—learning to adjust, keep moving, and figure it out as we go.

Why this matters for you:
✔️ How to leverage past experiences into new opportunities
✔️ Overcoming self-doubt while redefining your next chapter
✔️ Balancing career, life, and personal growth with confidence
✔️ Learning to trust yourself through transitions

If you’re thinking about your next move—whether starting a business, pivoting careers, or stepping into a new chapter—this episode is full of practical insights and inspiration.

Two ways to tune in:
🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/18100829
📺 Watch here: https://youtu.be/gSuhwcHoO3A

📩 Subscribe to the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/follow

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the setback—it’s deciding what comes next.

This week on The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams I sat down with Rikishi T. Smith-Rey, Ph.D. —founder of SportPhD, Assistant Professor at Clemson University and former Division I soccer player at Cal State Fullerton Athletics

A first-generation college graduate, Kishi has navigated major career transitions, from competitive sports to professional photography to academia, and now helping young athletes navigate the line between sports and life.

Her story is full of lessons that apply to anyone navigating change:

✔️ Resilience isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build
✔️ Your identity is bigger than a single role, title, or career path
✔️ Career pivots often create opportunities you never expected

From overcoming injuries and setbacks to founding an organization that empowers young athletes and translating lessons from sports into life skills, Rikishi shows how challenges can become stepping stones.

If you’re thinking about your next move, trying to reinvent yourself, or just looking for inspiration on navigating change, this episode is full of practical insights and encouragement.

🎧 Listen to full episode: https://lnkd.in/eTQxFg6i

📺 Tune in to full episode: https://lnkd.in/eMbiGQat

Follow Kishi online
Linkedin: Rikishi T. Smith-Rey, Ph.D.
Instagram: instagram.com/kish*teren/
Instagram: instagram.com/sportphd/
Website: www.sportphd.org

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Love the podcast? Help us keep it going by supporting the show here: https://lnkd.in/en5MbMwS

Website: 5thqrtpodcast.com

Walking away from the career was difficult—but rebuilding confidence and purpose was the real challenge.

Will Coleman, former University of Memphis basketball player and alum joins me on The 5th Quarter Podcast to share his journey of rebuilding confidence, embracing vulnerability, and finding purpose far beyond the job that once defined him.

For years, basketball gave Will incredible opportunities — an education, travel across the world, and experiences few ever get.

But when the time came to choose between continuing his career or being present in his daughter’s life, he made the decision to step away from the job that had defined him.

And like so many professionals facing transition, he found himself asking:
🔹 Who am I without this title?
🔹 What value do I bring outside of what I used to do?
🔹 How do I start over with confidence?

His story is proof that your value isn’t tied to your title—�it’s tied to who you choose to become next.

Today, Will serves as the Lower/Middle School Athletic Director at St. George's Independent School in Memphis.

🎧 Listen to full episode:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/17869153

📺 Tune in to full episode:
https://youtu.be/eJ7kZ9kTzaU?si=AWbSOFleOoMAxAMD

Love the podcast? Help us keep it going by supporting the show here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/supporters/new

How do you build a career that aligns with your passion and values?

In the latest episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast, I sat down with Jason Munz, the University of Memphis men’s basketball beat reporter for The Commercial Appeal.

Jason’s journey from Natchez, Mississippi, to covering one of college basketball’s most passionate programs is full of lessons that apply to any career:

✔️ The value of starting small and gaining hands-on experience
✔️ Why humility, passion, and persistence matter more than credentials alone
✔️ Learning to adapt in an ever-changing industry
✔️ The importance of building relationships and finding your voice

Whether you’re in media, business, or any field, Jason’s story is a reminder that a career is built over time, with curiosity, grit, and dedication.

🎧 Listen to the full episode https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/17776464

📺 Tune in to full episode https://youtu.be/IZ7QAZLWMNs?si=mVB3vUXe8FcNYpae

Subscribe and catch every episode packed with career insights and inspiring journeys.
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The role of a lifetime doesn’t come with a warning—are you preparing yourself today so you can step into it tomorrow?

On this week’s episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast, I sit down with Duvante Lane, Director of Development at the University of Colorado, to talk about the career strategies, mindset, and preparation that got him to one of the most high-profile roles in college athletics.

We dive into:

✔️ Duvante’s journey from Butler University football player → leadership roles at Tennessee, Memphis, Louisville → to Colorado

✔️ Why networking and building genuine relationships are crucial for career growth

✔️ How NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) is changing college athletics—and why adaptability is key

✔️ The importance of creating opportunities and making an impact for student-athletes

✔️ Lessons on resilience, leadership, and stepping confidently into the next big opportunity

If you’re focused on career growth, leadership, or navigating change in high-pressure environments, this episode is packed with insights.

🎧 Listen to full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/17679863
📺 Tune in to full episode: https://youtu.be/DBC1ZnU9sgE?si=NOxe_BpQffZqCdav

💬 What’s one step you’re taking today to prepare for your next big opportunity? Share in the comments!

⭐ If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review on Apple and/or Spotify Podcasts — it helps others find the show!

Learn more at 5thqrtpodcast.com
Hosted by Sandy Adams Creative Group

Who are you when the job that once defined you is no longer part of your life?

Angie Allen went from multi-sport athlete with no rowing experience to one of the fastest rowers in The University of Kansas history.

After an injury ended her competitive career, she reinvented her path and now serves as Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Student-Athlete Engagement at The Big West Conference —and Chair of the Arizona State University Sport Law and Business Alumni Board.

In our latest episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams, Angie shares powerful insights on:

✔️ Navigating identity shifts and career transitions
✔️ How she prepared for her current role, including the interview process
✔️ Her regular use of LinkedIn as a strategic career tool
✔️ The importance of authenticity and relationship-building
✔️ How strategic networking can open unexpected doors
✔️ Finding purpose beyond your original career plan
✔️ Leadership lessons from sport that apply everywhere

🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/17608802

📺 Watch here: https://youtu.be/UcEh32fYN3k

The Big West
The University of Kansas
University of Kansas Rowing

Have you ever felt like you were outgrowing the version of yourself everyone else still expected you to be?

That quiet in-between space—the moment between who you were and who you're becoming—is where some of the most powerful transformation happens. And that's exactly where this week's guest on The 5th Quarter found himself.

In this episode, I sit down with Emmanuel Orange—a former college football captain at Carson-Newman University who moved from Haiti to the U.S. as a child, rose as a leader on and off the field, and is now building success in a whole new industry.

🎧 Listen here https://the5thquarterpodcastwithsandyadams.buzzsprout.com
📺 Watch here https://youtu.be/ch3wZOxzQ1g?si=0tbXArSFkP_1amST
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We talk about:
* Navigating major life and career transitions
* Leadership when no one hands you a blueprint
* Letting go of one identity to grow into the next
* Building purpose in a new chapter of life
* Getting honest with yourself when the title no longer fits

Whether you're pivoting in your career, rediscovering your voice, or just feeling the tension of your next level calling—this conversation will meet you right where you are.

💬 What part of your story are you learning to outgrow?

Host Sandy Adams Creative Group

A Tiger forever. A Hall of Famer for life. Congratulations to William Bedford on his induction into the American Basketball Hall of Fame!

I interviewed William back in episode #2 with my co-host at the time, Michael Wilson, it was a fascinating and endearing conversation.

Listen here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/15419288

Watch here https://youtu.be/r-ZDppUP6fM?si=t4zvZHYPgtFYw0HB

The American Basketball Hall of Fame's enshrinement ceremony is on August 17, 2025 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

Ep 72. This week I sat down with Courtney Burns head coach at Post University to talk about what it really takes to evolve—on the court and in your career.

Her story is about basketball—but even more, it’s about transitioning into leadership, trusting yourself through change, and learning how to motivate others while still growing yourself.

We covered:
✅ Building trust as the foundation of leadership
✅ Coaching mindset shifts that apply to any career
✅ Teaching teams (and ourselves) to take it one step at a time

Courtney’s story is for anyone navigating a new chapter or figuring out how to lead in a way that feels aligned with who you are now.

🎧 Listen here → https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/17441186

📺 Watch here → https://youtu.be/k6ruOuaPUbI

Be sure to subscribe for more great episodes!

How far can belief take you—even when the plan was never the spotlight?

I interviewed Brevin Knight on the latest episode of The 5th Quarter Podcast with Sandy Adams—and it’s a masterclass in mindset, leadership, and trusting your own path.

Brevin Knight didn’t grow up chasing NBA dreams.

A Jersey kid who wanted a great education—and a shot to keep playing the game he loved.

Nobody handed him a spotlight.

But he kept showing up—head down, fire lit—with something to prove to the only person that mattered: himself.

That relentless self-belief? It changed everything.

That quiet confidence took him from under-recruited to Stanford graduate… and all the way to the 1st round of the 1997 NBA Draft and a 12-year NBA career.

Now, as the color analyst of the Memphis Grizzlies and host of the Knight Court podcast, he’s telling a different kind of story.

Episode Highlights:

✅ Why he never dreamed of the NBA—and what he was really after
✅ How Stanford found him totally by chance
✅ The mindset that carried him through doubt, critics, and the grind
✅ His take on leadership—on and off the court
✅ What keeps him grounded and still evolving after the game
✅ And why he now calls Memphis home

🎧 Listen in here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2385568/episodes/17206036

📺 Tune in here: https://youtu.be/VYWRBQ6xUtg?si=ayNneDh5HpOOMDpi

Remember to subscribe!
Host: Sandy Adams Creative Group
Show website: 5thqrtpodcast.com