Welcome to Gill1918, the track & field coaching podcast powered by Gill Athletics. Since 1918, Gill has been dedicated to empowering coaches with innovative equipment—now, we're bringing elite coaching education straight to your ears.

Our goal is to create the Ted Talks of track/field podcasts bringing the annual track clinic to your ears DAILY! Topics will include but are not limited to covering key strategies, techniques, and training principles to help you improve athlete performance, structure better workouts, enhance team culture, and more!

Whether you're a high school, collegiate, or club coach, Gill1918 is your go-to resource for quick, high-impact coaching education from the best minds in the sport.

📩 Want to contribute an episode? Submit your 10-30 minute coaching talk to mcunningham@gillathletics.com or read ⁠⁠THIS LINKEDIN ARTICLE⁠⁠ for information on how to get started. All coaches are invited to participate!

🎙️ Don’t forget to subscribe and follow Gill Athletics for more expert coaching insights!

#TrackAndField #CoachingEducation #Gill1918 #ByCoachesForCoaches #TrackCoach #TedTalksOfTrackFieldPodcast

🎙️ From Colombia to Coaching in Maine (via a Bike Ride Across Continents!)

On this week's Gill Connections podcast, we sit down with Pablo Espitia, assistant track & field coach at the University of Maine, whose story is anything but typical.

In this episode, we dive into:

🌎 Pablo’s multicultural upbringing and how sports differ in Colombia vs. the U.S.

👟 How he went from shy high school freshman to standout collegiate jumper at FIU

💬 The power of a coach learning your name — even when you're one of 200

🧠 Coaching style vs. training content: Why how you coach matters as much as what you coach

🛠️ His passion for developing career readiness programs for athletes

❄️ Adjusting from sunny Miami to snowy Maine (spoiler: he likes the snow)

💥 And yes, we talk about his year-long solo bicycle ride from Portugal to China.

Want the full adventure? Check out Pablo's guest episode on Bikepack Adventures:

👉 Pablo Espitia – Cycling the Silk Road

“What you put out there is what you get back.”

— Pablo Espitia

Tap in for a wild, inspiring ride — on two wheels and two legs.

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

Trying something new, as we bring you REAL TIME on the field (and track) interviews from the Nike Outdoor National HS Championships. Gill Athletics and Beynon Sports Surfacing is proud to sponsor Saturday's Coaches Social at NON. Coaches were able to have a free lunch on us and grab a few door prizes (neck fans, gateboards, wristbands, sunglasses, and more!)

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

Trying something new, as we bring you REAL TIME on the field (and track) interviews from the Nike Outdoor National HS Championships. Gill Athletics and Beynon Sports Surfacing is proud to sponsor Saturday's Coaches Social at NON. Coaches were able to have a free lunch on us and grab a few door prizes (neck fans, gateboards, wristbands, sunglasses, and more!)

Check back tomorrow for Day 4!

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

Trying something new, as we bring you REAL TIME on the field (and track) interviews from the Nike Outdoor National HS Championships. Gill Athletics is proud to sponsor Friday's Coaches Social at NON. Coaches were able to have a free lunch on us and grab a few door prizes (neck fans, gateboards, wristbands, sunglasses, and more!)

Check back tomorrow for Day 3!

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

Trying something new, as we bring you REAL TIME on the field (and track) interviews from the Nike Outdoor National HS Championships. Gill Athletics and MF Athletic is proud to sponsor Thursday's Coach's Social at NON. Coach's were able to have a free lunch on us and grab a few door prizes (neck fans, gateboards, wristbands, sunglasses, and more!)

Check back tomorrow for Day 2!

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

🎙️ From Reluctant Runner to Rising Leader: Paris Vaughan’s Coaching Journey

In this episode, we sit down with Paris Vaughan, the interim head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University, whose story is anything but ordinary. From dodging distance events as a middle schooler to building one of DII’s most competitive programs, Paris takes us through the personal twists, hurdles (literally), and growth that brought him to this moment.

🔥 What you'll hear:

🏃‍♂️ How a self-proclaimed “extroverted introvert” found his place in track

🧬 Growing up in a track family—but without any pressure to follow

💡 The moment he realized he was a “track guy” not just a “football guy”

💥 Navigating program cuts, career pivots, and unexpected coaching doors

📚 Why “Coach Vaughan” wasn’t the goal—but became the calling

🛠️ How he recruits, builds trust, and views coaching in the age of transfers

🎯 His approach to elevating the LR program after Kevin Patterson’s (Gill Podcast alum!) departure

💬 “I never thought about coaching. Ever. But something clicked at that first meet—I saw my athlete break a school record, and I thought, maybe I do know what I’m doing.”

—Paris Vaughan

Whether you’re a young coach, a multi-event athlete, or someone who fell into leadership unexpectedly, Paris’s journey is proof that sometimes your purpose finds you.

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍

🎙️ "Our Job Is to Teach" — Jim Vahrenkamp, University of North Dakota

From a childhood of tagging along to practices to leading a D1 program, Jim Vahrenkamp’s coaching journey is one of relentless curiosity, purposeful growth, and staying true to the educator's heart. In this episode, Jim shares how being raised by a coach shaped his mindset, what academic failure taught him about accountability, and why leadership—at every level—matters.

💡 In This Episode

🧠 “As coaches, our job is to teach.” Jim dives into how coaching and education are inseparable

🛠️ Construction, coaching, and grad school—how hard work off the track shaped his philosophy

📚 The girlfriend who held him accountable (and saved his math grade)

🌱 The billion-dollar transformation at UND and what it says about institutional leadership

🔍 From reading 1,500 pages a week to digging deep into international throws theory—why he never stops learning

🔄 Identity after athletics: helping athletes reframe success beyond championships

💬 “Leadership isn’t just about seeing next year. It’s about envisioning 20, 40, 60 years ahead.” — Jim Vahrenkamp

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into 300+ episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs every Tuesday through Sunday. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍