In episode 6 of Coaching Crossover we feature legends from the dugouts of Major League Baseball and behind the bench of Canada's hockey program.

Clint Hurdle is a former Major League Baseball player and manager known for his leadership and player-development approach. A first overall pick in the 1975 MLB Draft, Hurdle played 10 seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets before transitioning into coaching. He gained national recognition as manager of the Colorado Rockies, leading the club to its first-ever World Series appearance in 2007. Hurdle later managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2011 to 2019, guiding the team to three consecutive playoff appearances and earning National League Manager of the Year Award honors in 2013. Hurdle has built a reputation as a respected leader and mentor throughout professional baseball.

Dave King is one of Canada's most respected hockey coaches, with a career spanning more than four decades across international, collegiate, and professional levels. He first rose to prominence with University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men's Ice Hockey, leading the program to a national championship in 1983 before becoming head coach and general manager of Hockey Canada's men's national team program. King coached Canada at three Olympic Games, won a silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and led the country to gold at the 1982 World Junior Championships. At the professional level he served as head coach of the Calgary Flames and the inaugural coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. King has had a lasting impact on coaching development and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Together we'll discuss a mutual respect for each other's sport, relying on instincts over data, and the challenge of in-game decision making.

In episode 5 of Coaching Crossover, we merge the CFL and the NBA with our two fantastic guests, Buck Pierce and Jesse Mermuys.

Buck Pierce is the Head Coach of the BC Lions and one of the Canadian Football League's most respected offensive minds. A former CFL quarterback, Pierce began his playing career with the Lions before going on to win a Grey Cup championship with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019. Pierce held the position of offensive coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a team that went to four straight Grey Cups, winning in 2019 and 2021. Now heading into his second season leading the Lions, he has the franchise positioned as a competitive force in the West Division.

Jesse Mermuys is an Assistant Coach with the Phoenix Suns and a veteran NBA coach known for his defensive expertise and player development work. A mainstay on NBA coaching staffs since 2008, Mermuys has built a strong résumé across the league with roles for the Toronto Raptors, LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, and currently the Suns, which he joined in July of 2025. For the 2015-2016 season, Mermuys served as the Raptors 905 D-League team as their Head Coach and Assistant General Manager.

Today we'll talk about being an assistant coach and what is expected of you of your head coach, building a foundation of a team, overcoaching and using analytics.

In episode 4 of Coaching Crossover, we welcome Giovanni Guidetti and Greg Hamilton, two coaches who are guiding Canadian programs to their biggest stages in sport.

Giovanni is the coach of Canada's women's national volleyball team. He's also been the coach of a club team in Turkey since 2008. On a national level, he has coached in Bulgaria, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Serbia and now in Canada, hoping to get the women's team to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Under the leadership of Guidetti, the Turkish National Team qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the team reached quarters for first time in Olympics history. He also served as Italy's vice coach in the 1998 World Championships in Japan and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia.

Meanwhile, Greg Hamilton has been a national team coach with Baseball Canada for over 30 years, working with the Junior National Team since 1999. With the program, he's won two WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup bronze medals and one silver medal. His group has also won three Pan Am Games medals, including gold in 2011 and 2015, two Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008 and all four World Baseball Classic events.

Today we'll talk about the differences in athlete development between Canada and other countries, coaching with empathy, and identifying young talent and building team chemistry