The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast5 Tammi

#344: Mo Saatara – University of Texas | From War-Torn Childhood to World Record Throws

Join us as we kick off Season 7 of the Gill Connections podcast as we welcome newly named Univ of Texas throws coach Mo Saatara to the show.

From surviving a revolution to shaping world champions — Mo Saatara’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

In this episode, Mo shares how his journey from Iran to Northern Arizona, Michigan, Cal Berkeley, and now Texas has shaped him as both coach and person. He reflects on losing his job through no fault of his own, guiding world champion hammer thrower Camryn Rogers, and now leading the throws program for one of the nation’s premier track & field teams. 🧠💪

✨ Highlights:

🧭 Life lessons from a revolution and how they shaped his coaching resilience

🧱 Building team culture at Michigan and Cal Berkeley

🎯 Coaching Cameron Rogers to world and North American records

🧠 Why great coaches focus on an athlete’s strengths, not their weaknesses

🔥 Inside the mindset of elite throwers and what separates pros from collegians

🏆 The move to Texas — stability, support, and the pursuit of championships

“When you’re in the fire, you either stand still and get burned, or you roll down the hill, scrape yourself up, and live to keep going.” — Mo Saatara

🌟 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 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! 🎧👍

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#114: Gill1918 Presents Coach Evander Wells “How I Use AI as a Coach” Powered by Coach O

Evander is the Men's and Women's Associate Head T&F Coach at the University of North Florida primarily coaching sprints, jumps, and hurdles, but also juggling all of the other duties of an NCAA coach....

17 Helmi 12min

#350: Fireside chat with HoF Coach Randy Huntington Part 1 | World Records, China & the Cost of the Craft

🎉 Episode 350! That number deserves something special — and this conversation absolutely delivers.For this milestone episode, Mike sits down with Randy Huntington, one of the most influential and unc...

16 Helmi 2h 11min

#113: Gill1918 presents Mike Erb "How to be a Great Assistant Coach Part 2"

Back in the fall of 2025, Coach Marques Lowe (Gill podcast alum!) and the Vipers Track Club hosted a Central Illinois Pre-Season Coaches Clinic. To increase the value to other coaches, he has allowed ...

12 Helmi 20min

#112: Gill1918 presents Mike Erb "How to be a Great Assistant Coach Part 1"

11 Helmi 21min

#111: Gill1918 Presents Coach/Author Dave Emeott “Growing Pains” Powered by Coach O

Dave is the head boys' coach at East Kentwood HS in MI where he has had great success in building a huge program and winning multiple championships. In this episode he shares how to achieve even more ...

10 Helmi 9min

#349: Francesca Green-UTEP | From Hustling Neighborhood Races to Leading with Purpose

From hustling neighborhood races at age eight to standing on the Olympic Trials runway — and now leading one of the most historic programs in the country — Francesca Green’s journey is one built on be...

9 Helmi 2h 19min