Coach Joe Gilliam at Woodmont Hills on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Update: Audio of Coach Gilliam at Woodmont Hills can be found here .

Living Your Best Life will broadcast a special show featuring keynote, Coach Joe W. Gilliam, Sr., at the Family of God at WoodmontHills speaker series; Loving God, Loving Others, Serving the World from 2008. Coach Gilliam spoke about "Good Diversity-Bad Diversity" and how his faith in God was the foundation of his life.

Join us on Saturday, November 24, 2012 to hear Coach Gilliam share lessons from chapters of his life. Hear him talk about his parents leaving the life of sharecropping in North Carolina for Steubenville, Ohio in the middle of the night in 1919 in order to provide a better life for their growing family. His parents were determined to find a better economic opportunities and to provide their children with an education.

In Ohio, Coach Gilliam excelled academically and in sports which allowed him to receive scholarships offers to college. But his intelligence and athletic skills did not shelter him from the harsh realities of life during the forties. Hear him share why he did not attend Ohio State University. That decision lead him to play for Indiana University's championship team. Although he played for a winning school, his experiences were painful, mentally and spiritually. His negative experiences as a collegiate athlete made Coach determined to coach, mentor, mold, teach, and train his players with fatherly guidance and positive values throughout his lifetime.

Hear Coach discussing a variety of topics as he answered questions from the audience. He reflected on his mother's enduring love; his devoted wife's influence on his life; his love of the classroom; his coaching at Tennessee State University; his relationship with Bill Parcell; how he barred the NFL from administering the wonderlic test to Ed "Too Tall" Jones and the 20 year repercussion on Coach Gilliam's coaching career; how race relations permeates sports, then and now; his insights from studying constitutional law and why only following God can change man's heart not legislative actions; and the importance of sharing good diversity-bad diversity experiences in order to learn from them.

You will also hear Coach share thoughts on women coaching football; mentoring young black males; and personal regrets from his own family life. Listen as his compassion for others is shown by how he cared for his athletes and their families long after they have stopped playing sports, collegiate or professionally.

Coach Gilliam with Coach Merritt in 1973

                                  

Coach Gilliam with players in 1980

Coach Gilliam with Bernard King @ 2007 TN Sports Hall of Fame Induction

For the legions of Coach Gilliam's players, students, adopted family and sports enthusiasts who lives Coach touched and for those who respected and followed his life closely; this show will empower, inspire, and motivate you to live your BEST life. 

Living Your Best Life can be heard on 760 AM in the Middle-Tennessee Region, military bases, and streamed live on U-Stream.TV from 9-10AM CST.

More About Coach Joe W. Gilliam, Sr. 

Joe Gilliam, Sr. will be remembered as one of the most respected football coaches in the history of the game. He began his intercollegiate football career at Indiana University, where he played on the Hoosiers' national championship football team. He then went into the armed services, and upon his discharge, enrolled at West Virginia State College, where he played both basketball and football. At West Virginia State College, he received All-American honors as a quarterback and earned a place in the Yellow Jackets' Sports Hall of Fame. Coach Gilliam began his 35-year coaching career on the high school level in Kentucky, where he earned the Kentucky High School Football Association's Coach of the Year title.

He went on to coach at Jackson State College in Mississippi where he helped lead the Tigers to two consecutive Black National Championship titles. From 1963-1981, Gilliam was the assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator for Tennessee State University. During this period, Tennessee State University had nine Black National Championship teams. In 1989, he took the helm as head coach for four seasons. As head coach, Gilliam was inducted into the TSU Sports Hall of Fame and was selected as Coach of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference in 1990. His career record of 254-93-15 included coaching five undefeated teams and five teams that lost only one game. He coached 10 national championships teams and helped facilitate 144 players into the National Football League.

For several summers, he worked with the Arizona Cardinals' coaching staff as an offensive consultant. In later years, Gilliam conducted a summer youth football camp in Nashville, Tennessee to raise funds for his Joe Gilliam Foundation. Throughout his coaching career, Gilliam earned numerous awards including the All-American Football Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and the College Football Hall of Fame Contribution Award. Coach was a frequent guest speaker and sought-after lecturer at football clinics, on radio programs, and sports banquets.  He was widely renowned for his teams' abilities to employ his innovative offensive concepts and insights. (Bio: Coaches Choice/Edits: Genma Holmes)

Coach Gilliam was the author of four books.
Coach Gilliam's scholarship fund is held at TSU.
Franz Holmes tribute to Coach Gilliam can be found here .
Franz Holmes introduced Coach Gilliam and Golf Pro, James Paschal, was the moderator.
Special thanks to Woodmont Staff and Mona Knight, audio archivist at Woodmont Hills.

Photos Credits: Tennessean; Billy Kinglsey, Joe, Rudis, and Frank Empson; and Genma Holmes

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations and leaders who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations and leaders embody "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Hear from Greek fraternities and sororities and their national presidents who are global change agents. We will also hear from CEOs of social enterprise businesses who are changing communities and college educators who are taking their students out of the classroom and into surrounding neighborhoods for real world life lessons and to serve others.

On Saturday, April 28, 2012, we will hear from Kappa Alpha Psi's Grand Polemarch (President and CEO), William "Randy" Bates. President Bates will share the rich history of the 101 year old fraternity and how the fraternity focuses on achievement, its fundamental purpose.

Along with Mr. Bates will be (Bro.) Rodney C. Perkins, Healthy Kappas Healthy Communities;(Bro)Jeremy Williams, Senior at Vanderbilt University; (Bro.) L'Mani Viney, National Guide Right Commission Chairman; and (Bro.) Jwyanza Nuriddin, Director of Kappa's Undergraduate Leadership Institute (ULI). Each gentleman will shine the spotlight on programs that have changed the lives of young men around the world and have produced tomorrow's leaders today. Focus on education as well as new community healthcare initiatives will also be discussed.

The men of Kappas Alpha Psi will share how their philanthropic accomplishments strengthens the bonds of brotherhood and how leading by example is the key to success in all of their endeavors.

Living Your Best Life, a radio show that empowers, inspires and motivates one to live their BEST life, can heard on 760 AM in the Middle-Tennessee Region, military bases, and streamed live on U-Stream.TV from 9-10AM CST.

More About Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is an international organization founded on the campus of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana on January 5, 1911. Since its inception, it has trained men, particularly undergraduates, for leadership roles in their communities and the attainment of a high degree of excellence in their academic pursuits. Its membership represents some of the most outstanding Americans in our country's history including Arthur Ashe, Reverend Leon H. Sullivan, Johnnie Cochran, Jr., a host of Mayors and other elected officials, and five (5) current members of Congress. The International Headquarters is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For additional information, go to www.KappaAlphaPsi1911.com.

William "Randy" Bates, Jr. Esq. Grand Polemarch

Mr. Bates has been a member of the Texas Bar for 30 plus years. He practices in the area of public finance, which includes acting as co-bond counsel, co-special disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel and co-underwriter’s counsel. Bates is committed to the area of public finance, spending most of his time and efforts representing issuers and underwriters in a wide variety of bond transactions. Bates is also licensed in the state of Missouri.

Bates undergraduate studies were completed at Ohio State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He received his Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1981. Bates was elected President of his freshman class at law school and later served as Law Student Director to the Texas Young Lawyers Association. In 1997, Bates was selected as "Outstanding Texans" in the field of education by the Texas legislative Black Caucus.

Bates is a law partner with Bates & Coleman, PC., and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lone Star College System. He was elected chairman of the Board of Trustees in 1996, 1998, & 2008 where the College system received 9 separate credit upgrades for Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.

A Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Bates went on to become the Polemarch of Houston Alumni, and soon after served as Board Member of the Southwestern Province. From 1994 – 1998 Bates served as the Senior Vice Province Polemarch of the Southwestern Province, and moving into the role of Polemarch of the Southwestern Province from 1998-2003.

As Senior Grand Vice-Polemarch, Bates served on the Executive Committee and also served as the Chairman of the Council of Province Polemarchs and Senior Province Vice-Polemarchs. Working with the Province Polemarchs they made history with donations of over $1,000,000 to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Bates is the 32nd Grand Polemarch of Kappa Alpa Psi. His administration's theme: “100 Years and Building: The Journey Continues.”

Jeremy Williams, Vanderbilt University 2012

Jeremy L. Williams is an Economics and Religious Studies double major from Huntsville, AL. He has been actively involved in VSG, VUcept, BSA, MLC and Kappa Alpha Psi where he currently serves as International Vice President (Junior Grand Vice Polemarch).

As Junior Grand Vice Polemarch, Williams, serves as an undergraduate member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity’s National Board of Directors. He’s already reached one of the highest achievements for an undergrad. Williams (Spring 2009) was a 2010 Kappa Fellows for the Fraternity's Undergraduate Leadership Institute (ULI). Williams took part in an intensive week-long institute in Cincinnati, OH sponsored by Kappa Alpha Psi and GE. He was one of only 47 undergraduate brothers to receive this prestigious honor nationwide.

Williams is a member of the Nu Rho Chapter at Vanderbilt University. Attending ULI helps younger members learn more about what it takes to lead in the fraternity, in the marketplace and in the community. As a young twenty something, William is recognized as being a part of the forefront of leadership in Kappa Alpa Psi.

L-Mani S.Viney, National Guide Right Commission Chairman

L'Mani S. Viney is widely known and respected for his passion and zeal for mentoring young men of color. As an educator and national chair of the Kappa's Guide Right programs, Viney is focusing his energy to ensure the Guide Right programs provide positive impact needed to help young men of color throughout the nation. Viney adopted “Our Kids, Our Responsibility” as the theme for Kappa’s Guide Right efforts. “To truly judge if we are making an impact, we, as Kappa men, have to influence the policies and programs and discussion about young men of color,” Viney explains. Guide Right’s focus will be the national campaign known as the Diamonds in the Rough which focuses on empowering the achievement of young men of color by providing greater opportunities to attend college and access scholarships.

Viney goes on to state, “Young men of color are labeled ‘at risk’, which triggers the perception that someone needs to ‘save the day’; but you can’t tell a kid ‘You can go to Harvard’ without the tools, support and parental engagement,” Viney says.Guide Right will provide those tools. Grand Polemarch Bates' Diamond in the Rough program is designed to guide Kappa Leaguers to more than $1,000,000 in scholarship awards. We will also pursue an aggressive SAT and ACT prep program to increase scores,” he continues. To learn more about the program go here.

Jwyanza Nuriddian, Director of Undergraduate Leadership Institute

Jwyanza Nuriddian, a graduate of Florida State University and Georgia Institute of Technology, is the director of the Undergraduate Leadership Institute (ULI).

Since its inception in 2004, the biennial Undergraduate Leadership Institute (ULI) has trained over 200 undergraduates for leadership and bestowed the designation of Kappa Fellow to the Fraternity’s best and brightest leaders. The ULI is a highly structured and intense leadership experience designed to increase undergraduates’ capacity to lead in multiple contexts—in the fraternity, on campus, and/or in their communities. Small group discussion, large group lecture, and case study analysis provided a rich learning environment for brothers to reframe or reinforce their approach to leadership. Social media, movie clips and an instant polling system support the curriculum. Invited speakers complemented the Institute by reinforcing the curriculum with practical examples based on their extensive leadership experiences and knowledge. The Institute format requires long days and structured time for socializing and exploring the host city. In recent years, General Electric has sponsored several days which focus on engaging the participants in a broad understanding of leadership in Corporate America and transitioning from college to career. The participants quickly learn that the ULI is not limited leadership in their current community, but also life beyond college.

The ULI has gained popularity and notoriety since its inception and is unlike any other program the Fraternity offers. Evaluations consistently tout the ULI as “the best undergraduate experience Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity offers.”

Rodney C. Perkins, Healthy Kappas Healthy Communities Program

Rodney C. Perkins is the newly appointed Health Coordinator for the Eastern Province Healthy Kappas Healthy Communities program, a new fraternity initiative developed by the 32nd Grand Polemarch William "Randy" Bates, Jr. As coordinator, Perkins provides leadership for promoting health and wellness within the province.

Under Perkins' leadership, The Eastern Province began screening for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity during the 2009 Eastern Province Council Meeting to raise awareness about health disparities among African Americans and promote screening to emphasize the importance of early detection. Within three years, the initiative has become a vital part of the Eastern Province during C. Roger Wilson Leadership Conference and Province Council. During the 79th and the 80th Grand Chapter Meetings, the Healthy Kappas Healthy Communities program provided mobile medical screening service to fraternity brothers attending the event. To date, over 1000 Kappa men, silhouettes, and members of the community have been screened.

Perkins holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD. He is also a Master of Public Health degree candidate at the George Washington University School of Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology and HIV studies with an anticipated completion in Summer 2012.

To make contributions to support the Kappas Alpha Psi programs, contributions can be made online here or contact their national office here.

Special thanks to College Crib, Mocha Market Magazine , Dwayne Murray (31st Grand Polemarch), the Indiana University Alpha Chapter of Kappa Alpa Psi, Walter Searcy and Caldwell Ramsey.

Big Thanks to my mom, Dr. Stringer, who inspired this series.