RED STICK. ~ Cody Toppert, assistant basketball coach at LSU, will be among the attendees of the Top Connect Basketball Symposium on Monday, June 12, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. Teamworks and the INFLCR are organizing this conference. Founded in 2003 by former VCU Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander, the initiative pairs the nation’s top assistant basketball coaches with mid-level athletic directors to facilitate networking and leadership development for two groups.
After spending 2019-22 years as an assistant coach at Memphis, Toppert is now in his second season as a member of head coach Matt McMahon’s staff at LSU. In addition to his time as assistant coach of the RGV Vipers and head coach of the NAZ Suns (both G-League clubs) before moving to Memphis, he spent a year as assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns.
Top Connect, now in its sixth year, creates educational programs that give these top assistant coaches access to a wide range of influential leaders and speakers. Brenda “Mock” Brown, head coach of the women’s basketball team at East Tennessee State University; Brooks Savage, head coach of men’s basketball at East Tennessee State University; Kevin Kuwik, head coach of men’s basketball at West Point; and Jordan Mincy, head coach of men’s basketball at the University of Jacksonville, will lead a panel of prominent, successful and new head coaches at the 2023 symposium.
UT Chattanooga’s Mark Wharton, Hampton University’s Anthony Henderson and Jacksonville University’s Alex Ricker-Gilbert are just a few of the athletic directors who will be presenting. Kristi Dosh, creator of Business of College Sports, will speak, as will Colton Houston of HD Intelligence, Jeff Schemmel of College Sport Solutions and Rick Boy of Shot Quality.
There will be a number of panels and breakout sessions aimed at new and seasoned head coaches, as well as athletic directors and heads of a pre-existing program. Top Connect’s mission can be summed up in three words: “Connect. Prepare. Lead.” Over fifty Top Connect assistant coaches and athletic directors have been promoted to head coach, athletic director, and conference commissioner since the platform was introduced in 2018. Top Connect’s official handle on every network is @TopConnectLead East Tennessee State University’s Global Sport Leadership Doctoral Program, #INFLCR and Teamworks are all partners of Top Connect.
