My role is to connect people, to make sure that I bridge the gap between our players and staff,

make sure I bridge the gap between Coach Cal and our staff.

There's so many things going on today.

NIL, social media, transfer portal, you can get lost.

So I've always felt like I want to connect the office.

I want to make sure they were all on the same page

and sharing the information that's necessary to make direct decisions. Welcome into the hog pot.

I'm Bea Mattingly and this episode is made possible by our friends at South by Northwest Hospitality. Chuck Martin's career has spanned high school gyms, college powerhouses, and the NBA.

And now that expertise is part of Arkansas basketball.

Stay down, you know, he's in the corners and in slots.

He's looking back door every time.

Years ago, with Cal, you know, you just go get the best high school players.

But now with the portal, you can just kind of, all right, let's sign three good players.

And let's see what's in the portal.

The pool has gotten bigger, you know, so now if you don't get a high school kid, it's okay.

You can be a little bit more patient.

After coaching under John Calipery at Memphis and Kentucky, Chuck decided to follow Cal to Arkansas,

creating a familiarity within the staff that's irreplaceable.

There's an unspoken rhythm that takes place on staff.

It's like a good offense.

You know, you don't have to communicate.

We make eye contact.

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