Husband to a beautiful wife (@rox_templin). Father to Jensyn & Jax. Hondo Athletic Director/HFC 🦉 Bachelor's at Texas🤘 Master's at HSU 🐎 Saved by grace ✝️
As an AD, you quickly learn that people want to win. However, many do not like what the landscape of winning looks like. The reality is that athletics are constantly evolving. Expectations change, competition changes, and the level of commitment needed to be successful changes.
When the landscape of your league changes, you must be willing to adapt if you want to remain competitive. Programs that refuse to evolve often get left behind while others continue to grow.
Adaptation does not mean changing your core values or standards. It means finding better ways to develop athletes, support coaches, build culture, and meet the demands of today’s competitive environment.
Growth requires honesty, flexibility, and the willingness to improve instead of simply wishing things were the way they used to be. In athletics, standing still is rarely standing still. Most of the time, it means falling behind.
IF THIS APPEARED FOR YOU, IT IS MEANT FOR YOU!!...
Proverbs 16:9
What is meant for you will never have to be forced. God's plans do not require pressure; they require trust. He is not asking you to strive; He is asking you to rest. Be still. God knows exactly what you are going through right now—every struggle, every tear, every moment of doubt. He sees it all. You do not have to explain anything to Him, for He understands better than anyone else.
And even when you feel that no one else does, He is there, ready to uphold and carry you. He is not asking you to have all the answers; He is asking you to trust in Him. Trust that He is at work in the midst of your pain, that His plan for you is good, and that He is with you every step of the way. When you have no answers, He is the One who holds them all.
Keep trusting. He sustains you. Very soon, you will look back and say: "God, this is more than I ever prayed for."😊

As an AD, I struggle to understand why some parents resist high standards for their kids. Growth doesn’t come from comfort, it comes from being pushed, being coached hard, and being held accountable.
As a dad, I hate seeing my kid disappointed. But I’d rather see him face adversity now than be unprepared later. Learning to handle failure, earn your role, and fight through challenges matters more than any short term result.
Winning matters. Not just on the scoreboard, but in learning how to prepare, compete, and respond when things don’t go your way. That’s what builds someone ready for the real world.
Two coaches.
Two completely different styles.
One championship stage.
Dan Hurley and Dusty May couldn’t appear more different.
Hurley is loud, fiery, and unapologetically intense. He coaches with passion on full display—every possession, every call, every moment.
May is calm, measured, and composed. He leads with poise—steady, deliberate, and rarely rattled.
One is expressive and animated.
The other is reserved and calculated.
And yet… both are elite.
Both are brilliant tacticians.
Both are masterful recruiters.
Both have built championship cultures.
And most importantly—both LOVE their players… and their players love them right back.
That’s the lesson.
There is no ONE way to lead.
Not in basketball.
Not in business.
Not in life.
Leadership isn’t about copying someone else’s style. It’s about owning your style.
Your personality.
Your strengths.
Your voice.
Because authenticity builds trust.
And trust builds teams that win.
Don’t try to lead like Hurley.
Don’t try to lead like May.
Lead like you.
Jesus sat at the table Thursday night knowing exactly who would betray Him, deny Him and run. He got up and washed their feet anyway. Then He walked straight into a garden He knew was a trap. He knew what was coming, and He went anyway. That’s love with no conditions and no end. Whatever you’re carrying into this Holy Week, that love was meant for you.
Don’t be surprised when you start getting serious about God and suddenly everything feels harder‼️
You start praying more, getting closer to Jesus, trying to live right and now all of a sudden:
you’re more anxious, more stressed, more in your head,
more aware of yourself than ever before. It feels like everything is going wrong at the same time.
But let me tell you why. The enemy was never worried about you when you were living in sin, doing what felt good, moving how you wanted. Why would he? You were already walking in a direction that kept you stuck.
But the moment you said, “God, I want you”…the moment you decided to change…the moment you started choosing purpose over pleasure… Now you’re a threat!
And oh, he’s big mad 😡
Not just because he’s losing you but because he knows what’s on your life. He knows the anointing you carry. He knows the oil God placed on you. And he knows if you really step into who God called you to be, you’re not just changing your life, you’re going to impact others too.
That’s why the attacks hit your mind first.
The lies.
The doubt.
The anxiety.
The overthinking.
He will try everything to distract you from becoming who God created you to be. He will turn you everywhere but loose 🗣️
But God is greater than ANY attack coming against you. So when you feel overwhelmed… lean in closer.
When you feel like giving up… get even deeper in prayer.
When everything feels like it’s falling apart… trust that God is removing what no longer serves you. Because sometimes God will strip things away not to hurt you but to heal you.
And you will come out of this stronger, wiser, and untouched by what tried to break you. I promise you that.
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper…” — Isaiah 54:17
If I learned anything from Saul, God can remove His hand and you still look successful… And God can be fully with you while your life looks like nothing is working… just ask Joseph or David. So success and struggle are both unreliable indicators.
The real sign that God is with you is your obedience… not your success.
The middle school coach is dreaming about being on the high school staff
The freshman coach is dreaming about being on the varsity bench.
The varsity assistants are dreaming about being the varsity head coach.
The varsity head coach is dreaming about being on a college staff.
The college assistants are dreaming about being the college head coach.
Moral of the story. The job you’re discontent with is someone else’s dream.
The best advice I ever received: “Be where your feet are.”
It completely changed my mentality. Don’t waste moments. Don’t wish away your process. Don’t take the job you do have for granted.
Keep grinding, Coach!
“I'm a firm believer that the culture of your program is established and reinforced in the weight room. — Tough teams win. Tough people win in this game.”
- Jon Sumrall