EP 68 (S2E16): Austin Pillado ASU Assistant Coach || "Bringing the Vibes to Tempe"

·1 hr 21 min

Austin comes on after a fast Friday and a practice that had already produced a world record. That sets the tone right away. The conversation is relaxed, but it still stays close to the work. He talks about what it means to be an assistant coach at Arizona State and how the staff operates as a team. He makes it clear that support does not stop with one group coach. Everyone on staff can be part of the feedback loop. That matters because the whole program is trying to stay aligned. He also explains how he reaches his own swimmers from his side of the room. That means a lot of texting. It means motivational notes. It also means funny gifts and memes when the group needs a lift. The mood is competitive, but it is not stiff. Austin describes that as part of keeping swimmers loose enough to do the work and not pile extra pressure on themselves. The episode then drifts into a trivia-night sidebar that keeps the energy light. Captain Insano comes up. So does a night at Dog House in Tempe. That kind of detour fits the show. It gives the conversation room to breathe without losing the thread. Back on the training side, Austin talks about helping the pros and undergrads get on track for a meet. The discussion keeps returning to the breaststroke group and the results that have people paying attention. He frames the success as the product of shared work, not just one star coach or one isolated lane. The ending stays warm and moving, with the sense that ASU is still building and still chasing more. The whole thing feels like a coach and a swimmer talking shop without pretending the sport is clean or simple. That is the appeal. It is specific, a little messy, and full of the kind of details that make a fast program feel real.

As heard by us

A loose, inside look at the coach behind ASU's breaststroke success.

The piece stays close to Arizona State's breaststroke success and Austin Palado's role as an assistant coach inside that room. The best parts are the small, lived-in details: the texts, feedback, memes, jokes, and the support system around the group, plus the odd timing of…

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Why you'd press play

Hear Arizona State's assistant coach talk breaststroke success, team support, and keeping practice loose after a world-record day.

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