A Coach's Diary

Anson Dorrance is a retired American soccer coach widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches in the history of athletics. He spent 47 years at the University of North Carolina (UNC), where he built an unparalleled dynasty in women's college soccer. In an interview on The Great Coaches” Leadership & Life podcast, Coach Dorrance said when he first started coaching, he identified 5 great coaches and selected the most prominent quality from each to add to his own coaching philosophy. In the interview, he said he learned how to exude class from Lynchburg College coach Bill Shellenberger, he studied the presence of European coach Bobby Gansler, and he wanted to have the humility of UNC men’s basketball coach Dean Smith. He wanted to be the best coach he could be, so he studied the best in different areas. Then, Coach Dorrance talked about how he was watching a political news show where the hostess was asked what she was an expert in. When the hostess replied, “Reading com...

Vince Lombardi was a game changing coach of the Green Bay Packers. When he first became the head coach of the Packers, after being a high school coach and assistant at Fordham University, the Army, and the Giants, he was taking over for a team that went 1-10-1 in a town that most people couldn’t find on a map. But he won 5 NFL championships including Super Bowl 1 and 2, never had a losing season, and built one of the most disciplined, values-driven dynasties in sports history. Lombardi led through uncompromising standards, relentless preparation, and deep care for people, believing that excellence is built through daily habits and moral clarity — not motivation or talent alone. He once said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” Excellence is being outstanding or extremely good. Excellence is consistently doing better or more than average — or even good. Define what excellence is in your...

Pat Summitt was one of the greatest coaches in sports history, best known for building the University of Tennessee women’s basketball program into a national powerhouse. She was a standards based leader, meaning she clearly defined what “good” looked like and consistently expected, modelled, and reinforced it — every day, in every situation. Coach Summitt had 12, non-negotiable standards she called the “Definite Dozen.” Responsibility – Be accountable for your actions and choices. Hard Work – Nothing substitutes for effort. Discipline – Do what you’re supposed to do, even when it’s hard. Loyalty – Be committed to the team and to one another. Mental Toughness – Stay strong, focused, and resilient under pressure. Team Attitude – Put the team above yourself. Self-Discipline – Control your habits, emotions, and preparation. Desire – Bring passion, hunger, and competitive fire. Conditioning – Be physically and mentally prepared to perform. Fundamentals – Master the basics; never s...

Nick Saban is one of the best coaches of all time, no matter the sport. He led LSU and Alabama to a combined 7 national championships. He says there are three steps to creating a championship mindset: 1 - Vision: What are we trying to accomplish? 2 - Plan: What are the systems and processes that are required to accomplish it? 3 - Discipline: You have to have the discipline to execute it every day by doing what you know you are supposed to do, even when you don’t feel like it. Then, you have to define the values, principles, and standards that will lead to success and hold people accountable to them. Values are what you believe and what you think is important (discipline, toughness, accountability, respect). Principles are how you live those values —the guidelines that drive daily decisions and behavior. Standards are the non-negotiable expectations for how things are done every day, regardless of circumstances. Coach Saban says the key factors to getting everyone together and on...

Steve Kerr has had one of the most successful runs in professional sports history. He played with some of the all-time great basketball players, including Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan, and he played for two of the most successful coaches in basketball, Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich. Kerr knows what drives winning. Before he started coaching, Kerr said he had visited several coaches, and NFL coach Pete Carroll had asked him, “How are you going to coach your team?” Carroll told him the kind of culture you want to build, the values you want to have, and how you want to make them come alive is more important than Xs and Os. Carroll asked him, “What is the most important thing in your life? What are the most important values in your life?” and he then said, “They have to feel the authenticity of you.”  When you have genuine, real values and make them come alive, that is when the culture starts to form. Coach Kerr came up with four words that defined him and his approach to life the ...