The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Best of the Week

Date: March 28, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts & The Volume)

Episode Overview

This "Best of the Week" episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd focuses on the top sports stories in college basketball and football (with a special focus on the NCAA Tournament and NIL impact), as well as major baseball storylines on Opening Week. The show features insightful segments (“Colin Right, Colin Wrong”) and topline interviews with UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, and coach/analyst Rick Neuheisel. The tone is lively, opinionated, and rooted in Colin’s signature mix of perspective, humor, and big-picture analysis.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Colin Right, Colin Wrong (04:29–09:22)

A recurring Monday segment where Colin assesses his recent predictions and opinions:

• NIL is Boosting the Big Ten:

  • Colin Right: The Big Ten is thriving in the NCAA Tournament (six of 16 teams left; conference record of 13–3), which Colin chalks up to wealthy alumni and aggressive NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) spending.
    • “The NIL is kind of what we thought it would do to the Big Ten, which has the wealthiest, well-heeled boosters out there.” (04:32)

• LeBron’s Defensive Surge & Lakers’ Winning Streak:

  • Colin Wrong: Didn’t expect older stars like LeBron to commit on defense, but the Lakers hit a 9-game streak and top-6 defensive metrics.
    • “LeBron is going above and beyond what is necessary. Luka’s playing like an MVP, and I’ll take an L on this one.” (05:10)

• NIL Favors Veteran College Coaches:

  • Colin Right: Experienced coaches thrive as transfer/NIL culture turns recruiting into an administrative game; Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo, and John Calipari are examples.
    • “It’s great for the players because now you get all the wisdom from the Izzos and the Kelvin Sampsons and the Caliparis.” (05:40)

• Bracket Busts and Tournament Surprises:

  • Colin Wrong: His own picks (Florida vs. Michigan in the final) flamed out early, surprised by Iowa’s upset of Florida.
    • “I had Florida playing Michigan for the national title. And this to me was the biggest upset in the tournament.” (06:28)

• World Baseball Classic Value:

  • Colin Right: Praised Fox for the WBC’s passion and star power, especially noting Venezuela’s emotional win.
    • “World Baseball Classic is massively undervalued as a property. I get patriotism, I get passion, I get big stars.” (06:57)

• Baltimore Ravens Over/Under Skepticism:

  • Colin Wrong: Views the Ravens’ high win total as dubious given key losses, coaching changes, and contract drama.
    • “Baltimore to me is an under bet... half these coordinators don’t work as head coaches.” (07:53)

• Minnesota’s QB Moves & J.J. McCarthy:

  • Colin Right: Noted that McCarthy lacks a signature “wow” trait and reaffirmed skepticism after the Vikings’ QB signings.
    • “Winning is not a trait. Personality, arm, mobility, toughness—those are traits.” (08:40)

2. College Basketball: Tournament Talk & Interview with Dan Hurley (14:34–25:30)

Sweet 16 Schedule Analysis (14:34–15:14)

• Colin previews key matchups—Purdue/Texas, Iowa/Nebraska, Arizona, and Houston—emphasizing the importance of team culture and recruiting style (Purdue’s focus on high school players and loyalty to their own via NIL).

Dan Hurley (UConn Coach) Interview Highlights (15:14–25:30)

• On UConn’s Status and Seeding:

  • Hurley argues UConn could have been a one-seed, citing 31 wins, 19–3 conference record, and high-level non-conference victories.
    • “We feel like we’re as dangerous as any team in the country... Michigan State, that is going to be a war. It’s a real manly contest.” (15:14)

• Physical Matchup vs. Michigan State & Cohen Carr:

  • Discusses the challenge of dealing with MSU’s athletic Cohen Carr.
    • “Unless you’ve seen his athleticism and physicality... when it’s takeoff time, it’s like, watch out. He’s going to put you on a highlight reel.” (17:02)

• Talent Surge in College Basketball:

  • Colin and Hurley agree that more international players and older athletes (due to NIL) have raised the overall talent bar.
    • Hurley: “You’re 1,000% correct. We’re getting more of those high-level international players... guys are now staying longer.” (18:31)

• Decision to Stay at UConn Over NBA:

  • Hurley reveals candidly he does sometimes second-guess staying at UConn over NBA jobs like the Lakers, but values the control and culture he enjoys at college.
    • “I love the control you still have in college... you really do control your own destiny as a college coach. That’s something I would never want to give up.” (20:15)

• Coaching Philosophy/Pressure in Tournament:

  • Feels more relaxed in March (“killer be killed”), less pressure (“if you go down, there are no pieces”) than mid-season.
    • “When you’re coaching in December or January, you’re really uptight... where you don’t worry about picking the pieces up this time of year, if you go down, you know it’s killer be killed.” (22:11)

• Respect and Nerves Facing Tom Izzo:

  • Hurley emphasizes the challenge: “As you get closer to the game... their teams are so hard to beat... you have to win the street fight. And you also have to outplay him at basketball.” (24:42)

• Colin’s Closing Reflection:

  • Notes Hurley’s impressive 77% tournament win percentage and their infamous bad loss to Marquette, setting up UConn as a formidable Sweet 16 contender.
    • “That is just one of those—you can win a free beer at the bar with that trivia.” (25:30)

3. Dodgers/MLB Opening Week: Interview with Dave Roberts (31:05–38:22)

Bullpen & Talent Depth

• On the Impact of Acquiring Edwin Diaz:

  • “Now you can work from the back end and have your guy at the back end and then sort of fill in the gaps there. So it’s huge... he just wants to do his job and be a Dodger. Huge get for us.” (31:05)

• On Kyle Tucker’s “Just Play” Personality:

  • “His personality is just, kind of, put on the hard hat, go to work, and then do it again the next day... he just wants to play baseball.” (32:26)

• Power vs. Manufacturing Runs:

  • “When you get into the postseason, people want baserunners, they want to get hits... one through nine, it’s a relentless lineup.” (34:06–35:17)

• Managing Ohtani’s Unique Usage:

  • “We’re not going to be beholden to like, he has to DH every time he pitches. We’ll kind of manage that, see how he feels. But yeah, there’s constant communication going on. But man, what a player.” (35:39)

• Roberts’ Message to a Star-Studded Club:

  • The “greyhound” metaphor—keep the blinders on and stay focused on the target (the trophy), not the competition.
    • “The lure is right there, that trophy, and we’re chasing that trophy. Doesn’t matter who’s beside us, who’s behind us, who’s chasing us.” (36:40)

• Trophy Display & World Series Run:

  • Jokes about not having the third trophy on his shelf—“it’s en route”—and celebrates the rare feat of a potential three-peat. (37:46–38:05)

4. Coaching and College Sports: NIL, Culture, and Spring Football – Rick Neuheisel Interview (42:01–54:02)

NIL and Team Building (43:09–46:06)

• Spend Where it Counts:

  • “You would spend it on the same positions that you spend it on in the NFL... quarterback, pass rusher, alpha receiver, shutdown corner. Because those change the math of football.” (43:09)

• The Indiana Hoosiers’ Cinderella Story:

  • “Perfect storm... X and O coach, culture builder... Those 13 kids that came with him from James Madison were critical... and then Fernando Mendoza comes along and just wows people.” (44:08)

• NIL Isn’t Everything:

  • “I still contend at the college level, coaching and culture trump money. Or am I being naive?” (45:21, Colin)
  • “You’re dead right. I don’t think you can just throw money at problems and expect things to come together.” (46:06)

• NIL’s Impact on the Big Ten vs. SEC:

  • “I am [shocked]. I think the parody in the SEC has caught up to him a little bit... now a bunch of other teams are saying we can do it as well.” (47:55)

The Allure of Pro Spring Football (49:31–50:52)

• Why Take a USFL Job?
  • Neuheisel: Loves “nirvana” of pure spring football; “absolute nirvana for a coach... kids want one more shot at the brass ring... there’s plenty of guys that can play on Sundays.” (49:31)

NFL vs. College Coaching Today (51:50–53:09)

• College Coaches Now “Recruit Money”, Not Players:
  • “You’re not recruiting players anymore, you’re recruiting money.” (51:50)
  • “College sports are idiot-proof... it’s unbelievable how well they do. College football delivers. The numbers keep going up, even though we have no idea what the rules are...” (53:09)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Big Ten’s NIL edge:

  • “The NIL is kind of what we thought it would do to the Big Ten, which has the wealthiest, well-heeled boosters out there.” – Colin (04:32)

• Hurley on Michigan State match-up:

  • “We know that Michigan State, that is going to be a war. It’s a real manly contest. You know, there’s a reason why they’re called Spartans.” – Dan Hurley (15:14)

• Colin on NIL’s effect on coaching:

  • “It’s always been a better coached sport than the G League, but now more so than ever.” (05:40)

• Dave Roberts on star culture:

  • “The lure is right there, that trophy, and we’re chasing that trophy. Doesn't matter who’s beside us, who’s behind us, who’s chasing us.” (36:40)

• Neuheisel on college-NIL realities:

  • “You’re not recruiting players anymore, you’re recruiting money.” (51:50)

• On the World Baseball Classic airing at Fox:

  • “...The smartest thing we have bought at Fox Sports... you could just see the passion and the intensity coming through the television set.” (06:57)

Additional Takeaways

• Rise of Experience & Administration in Coaching:
  • NIL and transfer portal have made recruiting less about tireless young recruiters and more about managerial and financial acumen—playing to the strengths of established, veteran head coaches.
• Changing Landscape in College Football/Basketball:
  • Culture and buy-in, not just cash, remain key drivers of team turnarounds (Indiana, Iowa).
• Baseball’s Evolving Player Management:
  • Dodgers and other teams are adapting to player-centric models (handling Ohtani, constructing the bullpen), shifting from old-school managerial approaches.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Colin Right, Colin Wrong: 04:29–09:22
• Sweet 16 Preview & Dan Hurley Interview: 14:34–25:30
• MLB/Dodgers & Dave Roberts Interview: 31:05–38:22
• Rick Neuheisel Interview & College Sports Commentary: 42:01–54:02

Summary

This week’s Best Of episode captures why The Herd remains essential listening for sports fans: sharp opinions, top-tier interviews, and a clear-eyed view on how cultural forces like NIL are rewriting the rules in both college and pro sports. Colin and his guests dissect the pressure, the stakes, and the evolving business—always with humor and inside knowledge.