Podcast: COO Ernest Firth III on Coach's Wife Life with Kristen Eargle
August 25, 2025
The Ask Away Series - Ask an Moving Expert
Moving Made Easy
D1.relocation Chief Operating Officer Ernest Firth III recently joined the Coach's Wife Life podcast and host Kristen Eargle to answer some frequently asked questions regarding the relocation process in college athletics. Below is a transcript of their conversation.
What do you hear from coach’s wives as the toughest parts of moving?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from talking to other coaches’ wives, it’s that moving isn’t just a change of address—it’s a full-blown life reset. Every. Single. Time. You leave behind your people: friends who feel like family, a school or church community you’ve grown into, maybe even actual family if you were lucky enough to live nearby. Then you land in a new town and have to figure everything out again—where to buy groceries, how to get your kids enrolled in school, who to trust with your hair (because let’s be real, that’s no small thing). You’re building a whole new routine from scratch while trying to form new friendships and feel like you belong. And while you’re juggling all of that, you’re also helping your kids adjust to yet another new school, new friends, and all the emotional ups and downs that come with being the “new kid” again. Add in the logistics—selling or buying a home, packing up your life, coordinating movers, and unpacking it all somewhere unfamiliar—and it can honestly feel like a full-time job. The kind of job that doesn’t come with days off. It’s a lot, and most people outside this lifestyle don’t really see how heavy it can be.
What’s the biggest difference in hiring any moving company and what D1.relocation offers?
D1.relocation is more than a mover! We offer a full-suite of turnkey relocation services that you might think that you need and some services that you aren’t aware that you’ll need from a single-source. Our goal is to create solutions and efficiencies, through our choice of options We are solely focused on college athletics and work with clients daily to tap into not only our experience but our trusted vendor partners to simplify an otherwise fragmented and underresourced process and the dynamic pace college athletics requires. Working through a single-point of advocacy creates unmeasured value from the fiduciary responsibility to the lifecycle of the relocation process.
What are some tips you offer coaching families?
Just like in sports it starts with our Moving Playbook, that we provide for families and don’t be shy about asking for the details. Prepare and Schedule in advance. Relocating often becomes urgent and rushed because clients delay starting the process, and it doesn’t have to be that way. However, don’t let the mover ship everything, keep important paperwork (Appraisals, Birth Certificates, Medical & School Records, Real Estate Documents) in your overnight bag as you travel to your new home. Avoid not decluttering, underestimating your needs, and not vetting solutions. The life of a coach's family is extraordinary, filled with incredible highs and unique challenges. No coach's family should have to carry the invisible, overwhelming burden of relocation alone. D1.relocation was built by an empathetic group of leaders in college athletics, who intimately understood the unique challenge of a career in college athletics. We're here to turn what can be the most stressful part of a new job into a confident and truly seamless fresh start - with a teammate you can trust because they’ve experienced it themselves and help hundreds of families do the same!
I know you work with specific schools, what if my school isn’t on your list?
It’s never too early to begin the planning process of relocation, from pre-decision confidentiality until you’re settled into your new home, for a $249 Advisory Fee we provide end-to-end service and access to our vetted vendor partners. We’d appreciate the opportunity to be your advocate in relocation, to handle the stress and logistics as we have assisted families at partner and non-partner schools with a concierge-level of relocation. Whether it’s a single-service or full-service we’re prepared to give you the competitive advantage. D1.relocation was founded on the core principle to Simplify Your Transition!
I have a small budget, are you able to customize this to suit anyone’s budget?
Yes! We have nationwide vendor partners that we are proud to provide access to whether it’s a full-service or self-service move - we believe in offering a competitive choice of options for our clients. Oftentimes through our volume backed pricing we can provide best pricing, accommodate preferred dates, all at an unmatched service level.
