35. Josh Merkel: DIII Men's Basketball Coach of the Year, 5x Conf. Coach of the Year & 2021 #1 Team - a podcast by Bobby Audley

Bobby and Josh have been friends for a decade, Josh is a fellow Salisbury Sea Gull, a mentor to Bobby and a wonderful colleague in the business of sports. Josh Merkel is the Head Coach for the Randolph-Macon College Yellowjackets Men's Basketball team, who is currently the reigning #1 team in DIII basketball. They did not have a DIII NCAA tournament this year due to COVID and RMC ended the season ranked #1! In his 6th season at the helm, Josh's teams have increased their win total each season going 55-6 over the past two seasons, including 30-2 in ODAC play. Coach Merkel has been ODAC Coach of the Year each of the past four seasons and this season was named the Glen Robinson National Coach of the Year. This award is given to the individual voted the top coach in Division III basketball.

Merkel was an assistant at R-MC during the 2010-11 season under former head coach Nathan Davis who is now the Head Coach at Bucknell.

Now in case you think Coach Merkel just inherited a great program at RMC, first of all you will hear that he experienced seasons of losses to start his tenure. And Bobby was there with him for those season. They were not easy. They get into this and why having guys you can lose with in so important to building a winning program.

Before RMC Josh Merkel was the head coach at Salisbury University and in his final season in 2015 he led that team to a 21-8 record and a 14-4 CAC mark. It was the fifth-best record in the 86 years of the program and the first 20-win season since 1996-97. Salisbury set a school record with 14 CAC victories and Josh was named CAC Coach of the Year. The second-seeded Sea Gulls under Coach Merkel won the CAC Championship in 2015 which was the first program title since 1997 and only the second in program history.

Josh Merkel knows how to build a winning culture. And you are about to discover exactly how he does it. Lastly, if you are a young professional or coach looking to reach the level of a Josh Merkel some day, you are going to want to listen to his 50 Cups of Coffee story.

Season 2 is dedicated to the late Coach Ashley Riggs, a UNC tar heel, National Champion, captain under our opening guest for Season 2, Anson Dorrance and friend of the Audley family. Just 3 months ago, Ashley passed away after a long battle with cancer. In honor of Ashley, an annual award is being set up through the UNC Women's Soccer program. This award will be presented annually to a player that demonstrates hard work, perseverance and fight. Monies will also go to sponsoring high school teams and players who otherwise may not be able to afford to attend UNC soccer camp.

Donations can be sent to:
Educational Foundation (Women's Soccer)
PO Box 2446
Chapel Hill, NC 27515

Checks can be made out to Educational Foundation (Women's Soccer) and be sure to put Ashley's name in the memo line.

Please enjoy Bobby's cup of coffee with Josh Merkel.

Further episodes of 50 Cups of Coffee with Bobby Audley

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Website of Bobby Audley