The Monarchists

CB, Gary and Coach Finwood give their thoughts on the first three Fall Ball games for the Monarchs. Finny breakdown his biggest surprise so far and how the team has adapted to challenging ball/strike calls Assistant Coach Jonathan Hadra joins to talk hitting, defense getting "90's".

Old Dominion has officially reached a difficult place.

ODU was shut out 26-0 at Louisiana Tech, fell to 2-6 and left Ruston with even more questions about an offense that has struggled to find answers all season.

So we finally ask the question:

Is the ODU offense broken?

Aaron, Mike and Justice break down another frustrating performance in which the Monarchs managed just 35 gross rushing yards, finished with negative rushing yardage after losses were factored in and crossed midfield only twice.

There were some signs of improvement in pass...

Old Dominion’s defense keeps giving the Monarchs chances.

The offense keeps struggling to cash them in.

ODU fell 23-15 to Georgia Southern on a night that began with plenty of energy: Taylor Heinicke’s No. 14 jersey retirement, a military flyover and another Thursday night atmosphere in Norfolk, but ended with another frustratingly winnable game slipping away.

Aaron, Mike and Justice break down what went right, what went wrong and why the offensive questions are getting harder to ignore.

ODU opened the game with...

Victory Sunday finally returned to Monarch Nation.

Old Dominion went into Boone, battled through miserable weather and came home with a 10-3 win over Appalachian State — ODU’s first-ever victory at App State.

It wasn’t pretty.

But after everything that has happened over the last several weeks, pretty wasn’t the point.

The ODU defense absolutely dominated, holding App State to just 158 total yards and 2.9 yards per play. Javen Gibson tied the program record with four tackles for loss, the Monarchs generated consistent pressure, and one of the Sun Belt’s most pro...

Old Dominion is 8-3, but after three straight Sun Belt losses, Tennant McVea says the Monarchs need to remind themselves who they are.

Aaron and Mike sit down with Tennant to break down the loss at Kentucky, why ODU has gotten away from its identity, and what has changed defensively over the past few matches.

Tennant also explains why defending starts much higher up the field than most fans realize, how ODU uses GPS and analytics to evaluate defensive effort, and why simply running more doesn’t always mean a player is...

Old Dominion is 1-4.

And after a 42-10 loss at Georgia State, there’s no sugarcoating where this season currently stands.

The Monarchs were overwhelmed offensively, repeatedly beaten over the top defensively and never seriously threatened a Georgia State team that controlled the game from start to finish.

So where does ODU go from here?

Aaron, Mike and Justice dig into a team that seems to have lost both its offensive identity and the confidence it showed earlier in the season.

The running game that once defined Old Dominion fo...

Old Dominion is 8-2, but after a difficult night at Georgia Southern, Tennant McVea says this group has reached an important point in the season.

The target is on their back.

Aaron sits down one-on-one with Tennant to break down what went wrong in Statesboro, why ODU didn't look like itself, and how the Monarchs avoid letting two conference losses erase everything they built through the first 10 matches.

The conversation goes beyond one result. Tennant explains why success can create entitlement, how discipline away from the field eventually shows up on it, and...

Old Dominion is 1-3.

After a 46-20 loss to JMU — the Monarchs’ fifth straight loss to the Dukes — the question isn’t about preseason expectations anymore.

It’s simple:

**Now what?**

Jonathan Plisco and Jarod Brown join Aaron and Mike to break down a frustrating night against JMU and, more importantly, where ODU goes from here.

There was at least one major reason for optimism. Freshman quarterback Ryan Huff threw for 261 yards in his first career start and looked extremely comfortable when given a clean pocket. TJ Johnson topped 100 receiving...

The undefeated streak is over. What happened next may tell us even more about this ODU team.

George Maire and David “Chapo” Chapman join Aaron and Mike to talk about the battle with now-#1 South Carolina, bouncing back after falling behind William & Mary, and why this group believes it has the mentality to handle adversity.

We also get to know George and Chapo away from the pitch — from Liverpool and Nottingham to British food, Scouse accents, locker-room personalities and another round of rapid-fire questions.

Then Tennant McVea joins the show to break down what O...

CB, Gary and Coach Finny talk about new ODU AD Tim House, stadium construction updates and new uniform combos. Catcher Macaddin Dye joins to give us the inside scoop on how the Monarchs' pitching staff is looking so far and his experience playing for the Pilots this summer.

Old Dominion had every opportunity to beat East Carolina.

Instead, the Monarchs let one get away.

ODU fell 20-17 to ECU, dropping to 1-2 after a frustrating second half filled with turnovers, penalties, missed opportunities and an offense still searching for consistency.

Now comes JMU.

The Dukes arrive in Norfolk at 3-0, winners of four straight against Old Dominion, and suddenly Saturday feels much bigger than just another game on the schedule.

Aaron, Mike and Justice break down what went wrong against ECU, why the offense continues to struggle...

Old Dominion is 7-0, ranked #13 nationally, and preparing for its biggest test yet: #4 South Carolina under the lights in Norfolk.

This week, Alessandro “Niño” Maldonado and Jacopo Caprile join Aaron and Mike first to take us inside the locker room, talk about ODU’s wins over UMBC and VCU, and share the journeys that brought them to Old Dominion.

We get into Jacopo’s dangerous long throw, Niño’s time in Croatia and with Colorado Springs, representing Honduras, battling back from injuries, and plenty of locker-room rapid fire.

Then Head Coach Tennant McVe...

ODU is back home — and this one feels BIG.

Old Dominion fell 44-21 at Virginia Tech, dropping the Monarchs to 1-1. The offensive line struggled, Quinn Henicle was under constant pressure, and Virginia Tech exposed some real issues ODU has to fix.

But there were also some major positives.

Quinn showed he can absolutely throw the football. Josh Rodriguez had a breakout performance. The defensive line continued to create havoc. And despite the final score, there are still plenty of reasons to believe this team can be dangerous in the Sun Belt.

...

🔥 5-0. Ranked #22. 20 goals.

Old Dominion Men's Soccer is officially back in the national conversation.

On this week's In the Lion's Den, Aaron heads straight to the ODU Soccer Complex for a two-part episode with Head Coach Tennant McVea, followed by Monarch standouts Micah Wayland and Jason Purks.

Tennant breaks down ODU's 3-0 win over Bucknell, why the Monarchs were able to stay patient in a scoreless match, and what changed when Ludovico Vicini broke through with an Olimpico in the 72nd minute.

Then Micah and Jason take over.

We tal...

🔥 4-0. 17 GOALS. And Old Dominion Men's Soccer is starting to get some national attention.

ODU is off to its first 4-0 start since 2012 after absolutely dismantling Radford, 7-1 — and yet Tennant McVea isn't interested in celebrating records.

He's interested in what comes NEXT.

On the latest episode of In the Lion's Den, Aaron and Mike sit down with Tennant to break down the Monarchs' red-hot start, the offensive explosion, the growing national recognition and why the scary part might be that this team still has plenty of room to improve.

Tennant dives...

ODU FOOTBALL IS BACK. 🦁🏈

After a 10-win season and a Cure Bowl championship, the expectations around Old Dominion have changed.

So what comes next?

Mike, Aaron and Justice are back to kick off the 2026 season and there is A LOT to unpack.

Can Quinn Henicle take control of a completely different ODU offense? How concerned should we really be about replacing all five starters on the offensive line? Could Cody Cook's new offense actually fit Henicle better than last year's system fit Colton Joseph?

And then there's the defense.

W...

Old Dominion Men’s Soccer is OFF AND RUNNING.

The Monarchs are 2-0 with eight goals through their first two matches, and Coach Tennant McVea joins Aaron and Mike for Episode 2 of Season 3 of In The Lion’s Den to break down what has suddenly made this ODU attack so dangerous.

We recap the season-opening road win over George Washington and the wild five-goal performance against Elon, including Jason Purks’ huge night, Lewis Rourke’s fast start and Noah Dietze unleashing an absolute 🚀 to help turn the Elon match around.

Tennant also dives into why po...

CB, Gary and Coach Finny have good news about stadium construction and pictures of the progress. Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Paul Panik joins the guys for a deep dive on the 20 new guys joining the team. Plus Rodeo Clowns and Zonkeys?

Why does Old Dominion continue to win at such a high level in college tennis?

ODU Women's Tennis Head Coach Dom Manilla and ODU Men's Tennis Head Coach Dominik Mueller join Aaron and Mike for a wide-ranging conversation about the championship culture both programs have built — and what it takes to sustain that success as college athletics changes around them.

The two Doms take us inside their different approaches to recruiting, roster construction, NIL and the transfer portal, including why Mueller believes the portal has actually opened doors for ODU to land better freshmen.

...

Old Dominion legend Kent Bazemore joins The Monarchists for a wide-ranging conversation about his remarkable journey from a tiny North Carolina town to ODU basketball and a decade in the NBA.

Baze takes us back to the beginning — arriving at Old Dominion as a raw 164-pound redshirt, battling his way up the depth chart, becoming one of college basketball’s elite defenders, winning championships and helping create one of the greatest eras in Monarch basketball history.

Then we head to the NBA.

Kent tells us how an undrafted opportunity with Golden State changed his...

Season 3 of In The Lion's Den is here — and we're kicking it off with the entire ODU Men's Soccer coaching crew.

Head Coach Tennant McVea is joined by assistant coaches Josh Spencer and Nathan Jones for our complete preview of the 2026 Old Dominion Men's Soccer season.

The Monarchs have added another deep recruiting class with talent from Virginia, across the country and around the world. We break down the newcomers, how they fit what ODU wants to become, the returners who have taken another step, and why size, athleticism and character were priorities in building th...

Two ODU journeys. One small-town football family. A mission much bigger than wins and losses.

Perquimans County High School Head Coach Ian Rapanick and Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach Tyler Burns join Aaron and Mike to discuss how their paths crossed at Old Dominion and eventually brought them back together on the same coaching staff.

Tyler shares how a California kid who was once too big to play youth football traveled across the country to become an offensive lineman at ODU. Ian explains how he went from working in the Monarchs’ equipment room to...

Basketball legends. An unforgettable night. One fight much bigger than the game.

Former Old Dominion men’s basketball coach Jeff Jones and Coaches vs. Cancer Legends Gala Executive Committee member Russell Turner join Mike and Aaron to preview the 2026 Hampton Roads Coaches vs. Cancer Legends Gala.

After raising more than $414,000 during its record-setting inaugural event, the gala returns to Chartway Arena on Friday, September 18 with an even bigger goal.

This year’s featured guests include:

• Geno Auriemma

• Ryan Odom

• Dave Odom

• Seth Greenberg

• Phil Martelli<...

CB, Gary and Coach Finny chat about upcoming rule changes, non-conference opponents, Monarchs in pro ball and a stadium construction update. Beau Cowan checks in to say hello and the guys breakdown the new additions to the 2027 roster.

Brandon Carr helped build Old Dominion Football from the ground up. Now the former Monarch offensive lineman is building football players, leaders and young men as the head coach at Indian River High School.

Coach Carr joins Aaron and Mike to pull back the curtain on ODU Football’s original era, including the brutal offseason workouts that established the program’s standard, the moment the Monarchs realized they belonged, the comeback from 21 points down at JMU and what made ODU’s explosive 2011 offense so difficult to stop.

Brandon also explains how an aspiring baseball player and fu...

He walked on at Old Dominion with zero scholarship offers from the D1 level — and left as a 4-year starter, team captain, and CAA Champion. Now Robbie Duncan is the Head Football Coach at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, building a program from the ground up in Hampton Roads.

In this episode of The Monarchists Podcast, Robbie sits down with Mike and Aaron to talk about:

🏈 Walking onto ODU's brand-new program in 2008 and turning a preferred walk-on spot into a full ride

🏈 The legendary 2010 ODU offensive line — Ryan Jensen, Brandon Carr, Jeremy Hensley, and the infamous "Prick of t...

In this episode, Mike and Justice sit down with Old Dominion University alum Brandon Linney, currently the running backs coach for the Presbyterian College Blue Hose! Coach Linney takes us through his incredible, relentless journey climbing the college football coaching ranks. From starting out as a passionate volunteer student assistant at ODU to coaching at multiple Division I and JUCO programs before the age of 30, Brandon breaks down his philosophy on player development, the "gallon mentality," and what it truly takes to make it in this game. Whether you are a Monarch fan, a Blue Hose supporter, or an...

Coach Finny is back with CB and Gary to cover the transfer portal and recruiting. We have updates on the stadium construction and a big scheduling scheduling announcement. Plus we talk about the College World Series and Troy's run to Omaha

How do NFL teams really build championship rosters?

This week, The Monarchists sit down with ODU football pioneer and Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel Charles Walls for an incredible conversation about football, leadership, scouting, roster construction, and the journey from the very first ODU football team to helping build Super Bowl champions.

Charles shares stories from ODU's early days under Bobby Wilder, working alongside Taylor Heinicke, Thomas DeMarco, Nick Mayers, Ronnie Cameron, and Deron Mayo, breaking into the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, learning from some of the league's top executives, and...

ODU Football head coach Ricky Rahne joins The Monarchists to talk spring ball, the importance of summer development, recruiting camps, roster retention, NIL/revenue sharing, offensive line progress, and why Monarch fans should embrace the team in front of them right now.

Coach also explains why summer workouts shape the heart and soul of a football team, what ODU looks for during camps, how player leadership develops in June and July, and why the best days of college football can still be ahead.

Plus: golf tournament stories, Coach Snodgrass praise, honest recruiting insight, and a...

Monarch Nation… this one belongs in the ODU Hall of Fame.

Taylor Heinicke finally joins The Monarchists Podcast and delivers an all-time conversation that every Old Dominion fan needs to hear. From the real recruiting story that brought him to Norfolk, to getting thrown into the fire against ranked UMass, to 730 yards in one afternoon, to JMU heartbreakers (for them), to NFL playoff chaos, Busch Light fines, and the moment he knew it was time to walk away from football — nothing is off limits.

This episode is raw, hilarious, emotional, and deeply Monarch-proud. Taylor reflects on:<...

CB and Gary recap the 2026 season with Coach Finwood. Finny gives us a behind the scenes view of the exit interview process and a stadium update. The guys will be back in June for a recruiting update.

CB and Gary recap a series win over JMU and reveal Players of the Week. Then a quick preview of the Sun Belt Baseball Tournament before the fellas head off to Montgomery.

Darin Kuskie and Nick Sulpizio join to recap a series win over #8 Coastal Carolina. CB, Gary and Coach Finwood look ahead to the final series against JMU and who you should root for this weekend.

CB and Gary recap and SBC series win and a week with two walk off victories. Brody Connors and Maddox Jack hop on to tell their ODU story.

CB, Gary and Coach Finny recap the Georgia State series, including the gut wrenching loss on Sunday. The guys look ahead to the final 9 SBC games of the year and what ODU needs to do to make the tournament.

CB, Gary and Coach Finny recap a 4-0 week with a sweep of Georgia Southern. Monarch outfielders TJ Aiken and Nick Felton hop on to talk about the weekend, Nick's walk off win and what's considered the south.

RHP JJ Gatti joins this week, fresh off this third consecutive strong start. CB, Gary and Coach Finny recap a 2-2 week and look ahead to a big weekend series with Georgia Southern

ODU Baseball Sophomore Efrain Morales joins the guys to talk about his big bounce back from injury. Coach Finny hops on to recap 4 games against Top 10 opponents and the big win Friday.

Old Dominion fans have had a lot of questions lately about the future of ODU Athletics, NIL, revenue sharing, the AD search, and what Monarchs+ is really supposed to be.

In this episode of The Monarchists Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ron Moses, ODU’s Deputy Athletic Director for Student Athlete Advancement, Revenue Growth, and Competitive Strategy, for one of the most informative conversations we’ve had in a long time.

Dr. Moses breaks down the current Athletic Director search, why search firms matter, how FOIA can impact executive hires, and what kind of time...