02:16 Inside the Football Grind: Coaching, Family, and Faith

🎙️ The Football 360 Show — Episode 80

Guest: Coach Brian Baldwin, Lindenwood University
Hosts: Matt Biermann & JP Rock

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🔥 Opening Talk

• Recap of bad weekend weather; KC Varsity Combine rescheduled to May 17.

• Summer camp season is heating up — 80s expected soon.

• Lindenwood Mega Camp coming soon — always a scorcher.

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🧠 Special Guest: Coach Brian Baldwin

• Former standout at Cardinal Ritter & Kansas State

• Widely respected DB developer and coach

• Currently in his 10th year at Lindenwood University

• Career path: Normandy → Chaminade → Fort Zumwalt West → Lindenwood

• Never planned to coach — started out to give back to the community

• Caught the coaching bug and couldn’t quit

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🏈 Coaching Philosophy & Grind

• Early coaching days involved full-time teaching + weekend training with Elite Football

• Gained respect through hands-on skill development from youth to college athletes

• The importance of forming your chops at lower levels before entering the college game

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🤝 Relationship-Driven Recruiting

• Baldwin got the Lindenwood job via relationships and networking — not resumes

• His player-first mentality stood out in interviews

• Only coach retained after staff turnover — praised for knowing and caring about individual athletes

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💡 Three-Dimensional Coaching

• Difference between transactional vs. transformational coaching

• Baldwin aligns with transformational — invests in players' full journey, not just their on-field value

• Cares about weddings, kids, and life milestones of former players

• Expressed concern over coaches who treat players like assets, not people

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🧵 Coaching Realities & Challenges

• Misconceptions about college coaching — more than just recruiting

• Time demands: full-time job + compliance + recruiting + family life

• Social media film drop culture wastes coaches’ limited time

• College football is like the corporate world — filled with climbers and politics

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🏕️ Lindenwood Mega Camp Origins

• Coach Baldwin helped transform Lindenwood camp into one of the nation’s top mega camps

• Original version was chaotic — long lines, poor organization

• New format now widely praised as one of the most efficient in the country

• Emphasis on registration structure and logistics critical to success

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🌏 Bonus Story: Aussie Adventures

• Shout-out to Coach Dukart — currently in Australia watching his daughter play pro basketball

• Storytime about U.S. coaches experiencing culture shock overseas

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🧠 Final Thoughts

• College coaches play a pivotal role in shaping young men

• The job goes beyond wins — it’s about long-term human development

• Coaches like Brian Baldwin are rare — player-first, humble, loyal, and transformational

 

Lindenwood Mega Camp Registration Link: https://football.lindenwoodlionscamps.com/2025-mega-camps.cfm