The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Few coaches in America can tell a story like Lucky Huber — and even fewer can say they’ve spent 40 years at one university, coached an Olympic medalist, transitioned a program from DII to DI, and built a culture anchored in humility, service, and relationships.

In this heartfelt Season 7 conversation, Lucky opens up about his unlikely beginnings, the mentorship that shaped him, the rise of Derek Miles, and the inner workings of leadership that most coaches never get to hear.

🌟 In This Episode:

🏠 Growing up in small-town South Dakota — and how USD became home for four decades

📬 The wild story of how Derek Miles was recruited by Polaroid pictures

🪜 Derek’s rise: from not qualifying for the California state meet to becoming an Olympian

🥇 Coaching at three Olympic Games — and what it’s really like behind the scenes

🧂 How sharing licorice at the Olympics became Lucky’s unofficial “international greeting”

👨‍🏫 The emotional transition from coaching Derek as an athlete to working with him as a colleague

🧠 Leadership lessons: running a 110-athlete DI program, hiring staff, and “coaching the coaches”

💬 The brilliant end-of-season meeting strategy every coaching staff should steal

🏟️ USD’s future: a new indoor facility, major fundraising, and Lucky’s vision for the next generation

❤️ Why Lucky still wakes up each day excited to serve student-athletes

💬 Quote of the Episode

“Track and field isn’t going anywhere. You still line up, shoot the gun, run down a runway, and throw things. It’s the greatest sport ever.” — Lucky Huber

🌟 Explore Our Library: Dive into nearly 350 episodes featuring insights from coaching legends such as Boo Schexnayder and Dan Pfaff, Diljeet Taylor (BYU) and Beth Alford-Sullivan, as well as superstar coaches Petros Kyprianou (Illinois), Althea Thomas (Vanderbilt) and many more! Find us on Twitch.tv, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more for your listening pleasure.

🎙️ Create Your Own Podcast Episode: Reach out to Mike Cunningham for instruction on how to create your very own Gill1918 Project episode, which airs Tuesdays through Sundays. Find YOUR voice on the Gill Connections Podcast Network.

📲 Stay Connected: Want to get in touch with our host, Mike Cunningham? Follow on Twitter (@MikeCunningham), email at mcunningham@gillathletics.com, or text to 217-898-3038. We love hearing from you! 🎧👍