Inside the Headset with the AFCA

Inside the Headset with the AFCA takes you in-depth with interviews, career breakdowns, and coaching development with football coaches around the country.

Lance Taylor, Head Coach - Western Michigan 04/24/2025

Lance Taylor, Head Coach - Western Michigan In this week’s episode of Inside the Headset, Presented by CoachComm, we’re joined by Western Michigan Head Coach Lance Taylor. From his beginnings as a walk-on at Alabama to leading the Broncos to the 2024 Salute to Veterans Bowl, Coach Taylor shares his journey through the coaching profession, his commitment to building meaningful relationships, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. 🎙 In This Episode, You’ll Learn About: How a walk-on experience at Alabama shaped Coach Taylor’s approach to life and coaching. Key lessons from working with legendary coach Nick Saban. Transitioning from college football to the NFL and back. Developing strong player-coach relationships in both collegiate and professional settings. Navigating career opportunities and overcoming hardships as a young coach. 🎖 Coach Taylor was recently named to the AFCA’s Board of Trustees, and his passion for growth and leadership shines throughout this conversation. 📌 Episode Timestamps: 1:15 – When Coach Taylor realized he wanted to coach. 2:54 – Walk-on experience at Alabama. 8:18 – Learning from Nick Saban. 17:27 – Coaching with the New York Jets. 26:12 – First role with the Carolina Panthers. 28:16 – Coaching RBs at Stanford. 32:22 – Experience in the interview process. 35:08 – Sharpening your tools as an offensive coach at Stanford. 37:13 – Returning to the Panthers as the WR coach. 40:01 – Leaving a good impression on the people you work for. 41:58 – Returning to the college game as the RB coach at Notre Dame. 44:27 – Learning lessons from each head coach you work for. 47:31 – First opportunity as an Offensive Coordinator at Louisville. 51:45 – Involvement in the offense as a HC. 53:41 – Differences in interviews for Coordinator jobs. 55:04 – Hiring a staff as a first-time HC. 59:49 – Joining the AFCA’s Board of Trustees. 📢 Connect With Coach Taylor & WMU: Follow Lance Taylor: Follow WMU Football: 💡 New Episodes Weekly! Follow, rate, and review the podcast to help us reach more listeners. Your support means the world to us. /episode/index/show/weareafca/id/36282310

Jim Nagy, General Manager - Oklahoma 04/17/2025

Tim Polasek, Head Coach - North Dakota State 04/10/2025

Kalani Sitake, Head Coach - BYU 04/03/2025

Bob Nielson, Director of Divisional Football - AFCA 03/27/2025

Bob Nielson, Director of Divisional Football - AFCA On this week’s episode of Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Bob Nielson, the Director of Divisional Football at the AFCA. In this conversation, Coach Nielson shares insights on his new role at the AFCA, his journey through the coaching ranks, and the importance of building strong relationships in the profession. Coach Nielson joins the AFCA after spending 32 seasons as a Head Coach at Division 1, 2, and 3 levels, most recently as the head coach at FCS South Dakota. For coaches looking to contact Coach Nielson with any questions, please reach out to him at . Follow Inside the Headset on your favorite podcast platform and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a like and leave a review—it really helps others discover the show. We drop new episodes every week, so hit that follow button and never miss a moment. 1:16 New role as the Director of Divisional Football at the AFCA and plans for this role. 3:35 Passion for serving and fighting for the coaching profession by being active in governance. 6:06 When did you know you wanted to be a part of the coaching profession? 7:50 Separating yourself as a coach as an undergraduate assistant with former teammates. 9:27 Getting acclimated to the job duties of a coach and realities of the profession. 10:59 Getting promoted to full-time and finding avenues to learn and develop as a young coach. 13:14 Getting promoted from Offensive Line coach to Defensive Coordinator. 14:55 Using resources to help develop a philosophy and learn to coach. 16:13 Early learning curves as a first-time coordinator. 18:27 Becoming the Head Coach at 29 at Ripon. 20:44 Where did you go to learn as a first-time Head Coach? 23:15 Returning to your alma mater as the Head Coach and Athletic Director. 24:52 Value of establishing relationships with leadership and administration at the school. 26:22 Impact of early experiences and lessons on the success at Wartburg. 27:49 Transition to UW-Eau Claire as the HC. 29:56 Juggling the responsibilities of serving as the Head Coach and Athletic Director. 31:54 Evaluating the potential for success at a program. 34:58 Establishing a culture of success at each program within the first three years. 36:07 Stepping away from coaching to serve as the full time AD at Minnesota-Duluth. 38:53 Utilizing coaching experience to help make decisions as an AD. 41:01 Returning to the sidelines as the Head Coach at Minnesota-Duluth. 43:02 Proving that you are confident in your ability to be successful. 44:45 Feelings that come with winning National Championships and finding success. 46:18 Hiring a staff that is able to support you as the Head Coach. 48:24 Transition to Western Illinois and Division 1 level. 50:18 Transition to South Dakota to finish out your career. 53:26 Conclusion. /episode/index/show/weareafca/id/35873965