In 2015, the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association was writing a textbook for certification. They asked me to write the chapter on programming. This textbook was designed to teach the fundamentals to certification candidates. The chapter was 60 pages covering the fundamentals of program design: sets, reps, volume, intensity, exercise selection, progression, periodization and the basic information a young strength coach would need to get started in the profession and achieve certification.

When writing it… I thought to myself, “This is simple, anybody can write a program. It’s not about the program.”

Young coaches have approached me and said, “I want more responsibility. I want an opportunity to design programming.” They want ownership. I understand their thought process. They can get caught up thinking programming is the most critical part of strength training. But it’s not. It’s about the coaching. The best coaches connect with athletes and get them to execute to a standard of excellence. They are great teachers! I’d rather have an average program executed perfectly than the perfect program executed poorly.

The fundamentals of getting strong really haven’t changed very much.

Stimulus + Adaptation = Progress.

Looking back at some of the old strength guys, the pre-drug era. Paul Anderson. Pat Casey. George Peoples. These guys were training in their yards, garages or basements. They found strength exercises that worked, trained with tremendous intensity, tried to gradually add weight or get another rep, recovered, came back and did it again.

Consistent effort compounded over time is what gets people strong.

Variety has it’s place. Brad Gillingham gave me a thought years ago. Brad said, “Sometimes the best program for you is the one you’re not on.” Every training stimulus eventually runs its course. You get everything you can out of it, and then progress comes to a stop. A change in the exercise, volume, intensity or loading may be exactly what the doctor ordered as far as getting things moving again. But there is no need to reinvent training every couple of weeks for the young athlete.

There was a time when we could expect to have an athlete for 5 years in our program. That gave us the opportunity to develop real training maturity. For years our system had 5 levels of training maturity:

Developmental 1

Developmental 2

Transitional

Team

Advanced.

An athlete reaching the Team and Advanced levels had accumulated years of training. Developed huge work capacity, had a library of training exposures and dialed in their lifestyle to support training loads. If you did a deep dive into our Team and Advanced programming in years 3, 4 and 5, you would find, Wave concepts, Conjugate concepts, Undulating periodization, Block periodization, Cluster training and Contrast training.

But remember this: we built the foundation first. The young athlete is not ready for advanced periodization. Getting to the point where advanced methods are necessary is rare.

The landscape has changed in college athletics. The transfer portal influences how long you may have an athlete. The amount of time dedicated strictly to training has been reduced. You may have a 1 or 2 year exposure to an athlete before they leave your program. Being brilliant at the basics becomes even more important. Simple programs win in this environment. Consistency beats complexity.

There is also more football work being done on the field in the off-season. When players enter the portal, they have a very short window to learn offensive and defensive schemes. There is a need to get on the field and teach X’s & O’s. This further reduces the exposure S&C coaches have to build athletes and limits development.

The most effective strength training programs are simple designs executed well. I keep coming back to 5 things.

Execution.

Strength can be simply defined as the ability to maintain posture under a load. Simple to define, not simple to do. Implementing proper teaching sequences and progressions takes time and patience . Putting a program on paper is not difficult. Teaching athletes to execute movements correctly is difficult.

One of the simplest rules that I’ve used throughout my career is, “If it looks bad, it is.” That’s directly from Mike Boyle. I remember standing in the weight room coaching and thinking to myself, if Mike walked through the door right this second, what would he think? Would I be proud of what he witnessed, or would I be embarrassed?

We all have a certain vision of what it’s supposed to look like. It’s important that you honor those details and don’t tolerate anything less than that. You don’t need a biomechanical analysis every time something looks bad. Fix it. Coach it. Reduce the weight. Do it again. Quality over quantity.

Intensity.

You have to strain to get strong. At some point, athletes have to move heavy weight and attack it with intent. That’s the reality of progressive overload in strength and conditioning. The essence of improving performance is pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, followed by adaptation through proper recovery.

We can spend hours discussing sets, reps, percentages and exercise selection, but at some point, the athlete needs to do the work.

We would often use the phrase “gun to head”! Now this may sound inappropriate or politically incorrect…but that is how we thought. This next set is where the progress is made. This is “do or die!”

Recovery.

One of the greatest impacts a S&C coach can have on their athletes is teaching the fundamentals of a lifestyle that promotes recovery from training. There are sacrifices that need to be made to commit to proper sleep and nutrition. Excellent programming followed by excellent execution will fail without excellent recovery. Most athletes love to train. They give everything they’ve got. But they must live a lifestyle that supports recovery leading to the right results.

Expectations.

Expectations impact results. Training is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Typically, people tend to rise to the level of expectation.

Champions have high expectations and they’re not easily satisfied. There is nothing normal about pushing your body to its limits and maximizing your potential. It’s difficult. It’s demanding, and it takes a strong-willed approach to maximize their potential.

Normal people get normal results. Champions are anything but normal. The best have an unwavering passion to go places no one’s been. They are by definition different.

Consistency.

This is where toughness, discipline and commitment live. Nothing teaches the concept of delayed gratification better than strength training. The best understand this, accept and embrace it. There will be periods where you don’t see a lot of improvement. Training can get monotonous. There will be frustration, injuries, setbacks and off-the-field distractions to deal with. There’s nothing comfortable about it, and it’s not for everybody. The best athletes learn to stack quality work over time. The compound effect of stacking the work is where the rewards wait.

The 5 key components I keep coming back to:

1. Execution — Do it right. Quality over quantity.

2. Intensity — You have to strain to get strong.

3. Recovery — Live a lifestyle that supports adaptation.

4. Expectations — People get to where they expect to go.

5. Consistency — Keep stacking quality work over time.

Be brilliant at the basics. Create the environment. Be Consistent.

It’s not the program, it’s the people executing the program.

The focus of this piece is what I observed from some of the best.

Before I get into the specifics, I’d like to share a point of reference.

I attended Boston University in the 80’s. I was in the School of Education and, more specifically, the Human Movement program led by Dr. John Cheffers.

Cheffers was a unique character who had loads of real world experience. He was the Director of the Australian Institute of Sport. He had been a Head Olympic track coach and served on the International Olympic Committee.

So why do I mention Dr. John Cheffers?

Cheffers did groundbreaking research on effective teaching. He developed CAFIAS, Cheffers’ Adaptation of the Flanders Interaction Analysis System.

The CAFIAS system provided an objective way to evaluate teaching behavior and the interaction between the teacher and the learner.

CAFIAS observed 20 categories objectively: 12 teacher behaviors and 8 student behaviors. Interactions were evaluated in 3 second intervals.

Through that system, we learned the fundamentals of how to teach effectively. It had a huge impact on the way I thought about coaching . CAFIAS has remained a guiding light and a foundational reference for me ever since.

With CAFIAS as a reference, and after watching some of the best coaches in the world do their job, I’d like to share five takeaways.

1. The best coaches interact with their athletes.

Effective coaches are constantly gathering information from the learner rather than simply delivering information at them.

They are active. They don’t stand still. They move. Eye contact and body language are important. They use eye contact and sometimes physical contact to make a point. They are constantly observing the learner, listening and adjusting to the needs of the learner.

2. Effective coaches ask more and tell less.

One of the most important distinctions of great coaching is asking questions.

Questions force the learner to process information. Instead of immediately giving the athlete the answer, the coach creates an opportunity for the athlete to recognize the correction himself.

The athlete begins to understand what happened instead of simply being told what happened.

3. Effective coaches give specific feedback.

Feedback should tell athletes what happened, why it mattered and what to do next.

Generic praise has limited value.

“Good job.”

Not very informative.

“That’s better. Your hips stayed square, which allowed you to maintain leverage.”

Now the athlete has information he can use. He knows what he did differently and why it produced a better result.

That kind of feedback translates to correction and improvement.

4. Effective coaches read the learner and adjust.

Coaching is responsive. Not everyone learns the same.

Good coaches observe athletes. They’re experts at reading people. They quickly identify whether someone is an auditory, visual or hands on learner.

Then they adjust.

They customize their teaching style to the needs of the athlete they are working with. They meet the athlete where they’re at and teach in the best style for that individual learn to learn.

The message may be the same.

How you deliver it may need to change.

5. The best coaches gradually transfer ownership to the learner.

A coach who is always talking, correcting and controlling can create an athlete who becomes dependent on the coach.

A better outcome is creating ownership in the learning process.

In the beginning, it typically looks like this:

Coach identifies → Coach corrects → Athlete applies

Eventually, you want to get to this:

Athlete identifies → Athlete corrects → Athlete applies

Now we’re talking about mastery!

Final Thoughts

Knowledge of football doesn’t make someone a great football coach.

The ability to transfer that knowledge does.

It doesn’t matter how much you know. What matters is what your athletes can learn and apply.

That can create a negative climate.

I recall a point that legendary coach Frosty Westering made in his awesome book Make the Big Time Where You Are. This book was a staple in our internship program for 25 years.

Frosty called it “Score a Touchdown Today.” Yes, it’s a little corny, but the message is outstanding.

When you get deep into a training cycle, you need to find ways to point out the positives. Frosty challenged his coaches to find 6 opportunities each day to catch somebody doing something right. Compliment them on something positive they are doing. Now, it’s got to be real, you can’t make it up, they will see right through you. Put 6 of those compliments together and you’ve scored a touchdown. Do the math. Imagine the compound effect of the whole staff taking this approach.

Even better if you can do it publicly.

I’ve learned, it’s better to compliment publicly and save the critical comments for private when you can. Anytime you shine a light on one of your athletes doing something right, it raises everyone’s level. You point out a tangible example of someone operating at the standard your organization is trying to build. You raise that athlete’s view of themselves. Everybody wins.

So when you get deep into it, when the correction list keeps getting longer and you catch yourself becoming consumed by everything that needs to be fixed, it might be a good time to pull back.

Catch someone doing something right.

Make sure they know it.

And make sure their teammates know it.

The greatest opportunity for improvement during the football year is training camp. More than 30% of your total practice opportunities happen in this 3 week block. It can be the most challenging time of the year. The good news- you can gain an edge with the right mindset.

Training camp is different than the season.

During the season, the Performance Loop is a 6 day cycle.

During training camp, the Performance Loop may be a 20-hour cycle.

The timeline is compressed. The expectations stay the same.

Practice → Meet → Recover → Repeat

The next opportunity comes quickly. You can’t afford to let mistakes linger.

In training camp, a job can be won or lost in 3 days.

Three practices.

Three evaluations.

The Depth Chart is fluid and it can change!

THE PERFORMANCE LOOP

Identify → Correct → Apply

Identify what happened.

Accept the correction.

Apply it on the very next opportunity.

Then repeat the process.

The best players embrace the condensed Performance Loop. They are resilient. They have the ability to compartmentalize. They stay focused on the process and respond the right way to every evaluation. They identify the mistake, correct it, and apply what they learn. They don’t allow a bad rep to become a bad practice, and they don’t allow a bad practice to spill over into the next day. They stay on their path, determined to move forward. They understand that correction is part of the process and refuse to allow it to negatively effect their enthusiasm.

Fast learners are fast climbers. Coaches recognize that rate of improvement = return on investment. This builds trust which = more reps.

The athletes who struggle to respond and repeat mistakes become a liability. Their reps diminish.

Training camp has a way of rewarding players who improve the fastest and compete their asses off every day. It demands a resilient, hard-nosed and determined mindset!

Master the Performance Loop and Stay in the fight!

We’re told to eliminate it. Ignore it. Pretend it isn’t there. I don’t believe that’s realistic.

In fact, I think we’ve been looking at fear the wrong way. The best performers I’ve ever been around weren’t fearless. They learned to harness fear and use it to their advantage.

Maybe fear isn’t the right word.

Maybe responsibility is.

Fear is simply a byproduct of caring deeply. When you care about the people around you, respect the opportunity you’ve been given, and understand what’s been invested in you, there should be a little weight on your shoulders. That’s healthy.

Fear can either drain your energy or sharpen your focus. It all depends on how you frame it. When it pushes you to prepare, pay attention to details, do one more rep, study more film, or ask one more question, it becomes fuel.

Preparation is where the best silence fear.

Meditation teaches us something valuable. Not every thought deserves a fight. Recognize it’s there, accept it, and let it pass. Fear works much the same way. When it shows up, acknowledge it. “I see you.” Then go back to work.

The answer to fear has always been preparation.

I learned that lesson from one of the greatest offensive linemen who ever played the game.

In the early 1990s, I was coaching the Offensive Line at Holy Cross. Like every young coach, I was always searching for ways to help our players. I wanted them to learn from people who had performed at the highest level.

Growing up outside Boston, one of my heroes was John Hannah. To me, he was the greatest offensive lineman to ever play the game.

I reached out and asked John if he would spend an afternoon with our offensive line. He said yes.

Looking back, I still appreciate how generous he was with his time. Amazing!

Before he met with the players, I asked him a simple question.

“What was your greatest motivator?”

I expected him to talk about winning. I expected him to talk about championships or being the best.

Instead, he gave me an answer I’ve never forgotten.

“Fear.”

He was talking about fear of letting people down.

He spoke about Bear Bryant. His dad, who had played in the NFL. His brother Charlie. His teammates.

The respect he had for those people created a sense of obligation. That obligation drove him to prepare at an extraordinary level.

Years later, I saw that same quality in Marshal Yanda.

Marshal and John Hannah had a lot in common. Both wore No. 73. Both became recognized as the very best at their position. John is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I fully expect Marshal will join him.

What stood out wasn’t just their talent. It was their humility.

Marshal never wanted to let his teammates down. He never wanted to let his coaches down. He never wanted to let his family down.

People often assume greatness is driven by ego.

I don’t believe that’s true.

In my experience, greatness is more often driven by responsibility.

That sense of responsibility showed up every day in the way Marshal practiced, trained, and prepared.

I understood that feeling myself.

Most mornings I walked into the facility carrying a little fear. I never wanted to let the people around me down. The players trusted us. The coaches beside me counted on me. The people who worked in the building poured themselves into the program. Then there were the fans who filled the stadium every Saturday because they believed in what the program represented.

I felt an obligation to give every one of them my very best.

Did I always live up to my own standard?

No.

But I chased it every single day.

Over the years I’ve come to believe that fear doesn’t have to be selfish. Sometimes it’s one of the most selfless emotions a person can have.

Think about the people who helped you get where you are.

Your parents who sacrificed. A brother or sister who always believed in you. A high school coach who saw something in you long before anyone else did. A teammate who never got the opportunity you were given. The people who invested their time, energy, and trust in you.

You don’t want to let those people down. That isn’t weakness. It’s appreciation for the people who made your success possible.

The goal isn’t to eliminate fear. The goal is to turn it into preparation. Leave no stone unturned. Do the extra work. Prepare so thoroughly that when doubt shows up, you already know you’ve done everything within your control.

Fear will always knock on the door.

You don’t have to pretend it isn’t there.

Recognize it.

Accept it.

Then go back to work.

Fear is inevitable.

Whether it becomes fuel is your choice.

When I first entered the profession, I evaluated athletes the same way most coaches do. I watched size, speed, strength, and athletic ability. Those qualities matter, and they always will. But after enough seasons, enough practices, enough victories, and enough disappointments, I realized they rarely tell the whole story.

Experience changes what you see.

Over time, I stopped asking, Who is the best player today? Instead, I found myself asking a different question.

How far can this person go?

That is a much different evaluation.

Some athletes arrive with every measurable advantage imaginable and never become everything they are capable of becoming. Others enter your program with fewer physical gifts, yet year after year continue closing the gap between where they are and where they could be.

I’ve come to believe that the ultimate measure of an athlete isn’t where they begin. It’s how consistently they close the gap between who they are today and who they are capable of becoming.

That idea has fascinated me throughout my career.

The people who consistently come closest to reaching their potential share certain patterns. They don’t all have the same personality. They don’t all lead the same way. Their stories are different. Their backgrounds are different. But over the years, I’ve noticed the same characteristics showing up again and again.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” — Aristotle

1. They believe before everyone else does.

The first thing I’ve learned to recognize is belief. Not arrogance or loud confidence, but a quiet conviction that they are capable of becoming something special. Long before success becomes visible to everyone else, they already see it for themselves. That belief changes the way they train, the way they prepare, and the way they respond when things don’t go their way.

Every once in a while, an athlete walks into your program and you sense something that has nothing to do with measurable talent.

Brett Greenwood was one of those athletes.

Brett wasn’t highly recruited. He wasn’t the biggest or the fastest player on the field. Yet from the day he arrived, there was something unmistakable about him. He was the first one in the building and usually the last one to leave. He approached training, nutrition, recovery, and preparation with a maturity well beyond his years.

What stood out most wasn’t what he did.

It was how he carried himself.

When Brett looked you in the eye, it was as if he already knew where he was headed. Some people would have called it swagger. I saw something much different. I saw quiet confidence built on preparation and purpose.

His redshirt year confirmed everything I believed. While others might have viewed that season as a year of waiting, Brett treated it as a year of development. He studied the game. He built his body. He learned from veteran players. He prepared for the opportunity before the opportunity ever arrived.

He eventually became a four year starter, a captain, and one of the finest leaders I’ve ever coached.

None of it surprised me.

The signs had been there from the very beginning.

2. They fall in love with the process.

Almost everyone loves winning.

Far fewer people love preparing to win.

The highest performers understand that championships, awards, and recognition are byproducts. Their attention stays fixed on the daily habits that eventually produce those outcomes. They become fascinated with improvement itself.

They chase one better repetition.

One better meeting.

One better practice.

One better day.

They understand that mastery is never built in a single workout or a single season. It is built quietly through thousands of ordinary moments that most people overlook.

The scoreboard simply reveals what your daily habits have been saying for months.

“The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

3. They are never satisfied.

This doesn’t mean they’re never grateful.

It means they never become comfortable.

One athlete embodied this as well as anyone I’ve ever coached.

Mike Daniels.

Mike arrived at Iowa as an undersized player. In high school he was a wrestler and a tailback. Few people would have looked at him and predicted he would one day become one of the premier defensive linemen in professional football.

What separated Mike wasn’t talent.

It was relentless dissatisfaction.

I’ve heard the phrase “pissed off for greatness” attributed to Ray Lewis over the years. Whether he coined it or not, Mike lived it.

Every milestone immediately became the starting point for the next one.

At 260 pounds he wanted to be stronger.

At 280 pounds with a 38 inch vertical jump, he wasn’t satisfied.

He wanted forty.

Nothing was ever enough because he believed there was always another level to reach.

Years later he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as one of the best defensive linemen in football.

Looking back, that wasn’t the remarkable part.

The remarkable part was that his standard for himself had always been higher than everyone else’s expectation of him.

4. They respond to adversity instead of reacting to it.

Adversity has always been one of the greatest teachers in athletics because it reveals what success often hides.

Every athlete gets knocked down. Injuries happen. Confidence gets tested. Roles change. Expectations go unmet.

The difference isn’t who experiences adversity.

The difference is who grows through it.

The athletes who continue closing the gap don’t allow failure to become part of their identity. They learn from it, adjust, and move forward. They understand that difficult moments are part of the journey, not the end of it.

Optimism isn’t pretending everything is perfect.

Optimism is believing tomorrow is still worth working for.

5. They carry themselves differently.

As the years passed, I found myself paying less attention to highlight plays and more attention to ordinary moments.

Who arrived early without being asked.

Who still had energy late in the season.

Who attacked routine drills with purpose.

Who responded positively after making a mistake.

Who encouraged teammates when nobody was watching.

Body language tells a story.

So does consistency.

The people who come closest to reaching their potential don’t spend much time trying to fit in. They don’t chase approval. They’re comfortable being different because they understand uncommon results require uncommon commitment.

They’re not competing to be accepted.

They’re competing to discover just how good they can become.

Their confidence isn’t built on personality.

It’s built on preparation.

6. They never stop closing the gap.

Perhaps that’s the greatest lesson coaching has taught me.

Every athlete begins at a different place.

Very few finish where they are truly capable of finishing.

The greatest competitors I’ve coached weren’t always the most gifted. More often than not, they were the ones who kept narrowing the distance between where they were and where they believed they could be.

They never assumed they had arrived.

They never stopped learning.

They never stopped improving.

They never stopped closing the gap.

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” — Marcus Aurelius

Looking back, I don’t believe my eye became better because I watched more football.

It became better because I watched more people.

I’ve watched gifted athletes fall short of their potential.

I’ve watched overlooked athletes exceed every expectation.

The physical differences were often much smaller than people imagined.

The greatest separators were almost always found beneath the surface.

Belief.

Preparation.

Discipline.

Resilience.

Humility.

Authenticity.

Those are the qualities my eye eventually learned to recognize.

Because after all these years, I’ve come to believe the greatest predictors of success were never the measurable ones.

They were always the human ones.

And perhaps that’s the real eye of a coach.

It isn’t the ability to recognize talent.

It’s the ability to recognize the people who will close the gap between who they are today and who they are capable of becoming.

2. Those who learn from their own mistakes. They take ownership, make adjustments, and grow. Progress may not always be fast, but every setback becomes a lesson. The challenge with this approach is that you’ll watch others pass you by. There simply isn’t enough time to make enough mistakes yourself to reach your full potential. Learning only from your own experience limits how quickly you can grow.

3. Those who learn from the mistakes of others. They read. They ask questions. They study successful people. They seek out great coaches and mentors. They accelerate their growth by learning lessons without having to live through every mistake along the way.

One thing has become clear to me. The coaches and leaders who grow the fastest are relentless learners. They don’t wait for experience to teach every lesson. They borrow wisdom from people who have already lived it.

Learn faster! Accelerate your career. There has never been more knowledge at your fingertips than there is today. Take advantage of it. Attack it. Borrow the experience of others and shorten your own learning curve.

— Albert Einstein

I have been around some extraordinary coaches and leaders.

Different personalities. Different styles. Different backgrounds.

Some were demanding. Some were quiet. Some could command a room with their presence, while others influenced people one conversation at a time.

What they shared was not intelligence, charisma, or experience. It was the ability to teach. They helped athletes learn, grow, and become more than they believed they could be.

Great teaching is not about showing people how much you know. It’s about helping athletes understand.

The best teachers are not measured by what they know. They are measured by what their athletes learn.

Here are a few characteristics that consistently show up in great teachers.

1. They Make the Complex Simple

Great teachers take complex concepts and break them down into language athletes can understand and execute. They eliminate clutter and focus on what matters most.

Their athletes leave with clarity, not confusion.

2. They Meet Athletes Where They Are

One of the biggest mistakes a teacher can make is teaching at their level instead of the athlete’s level.

Knowledge is only valuable when it can be applied.

The best teachers understand that learning starts where the athlete is today, not where the coach wishes they were. They adjust. They simplify. They find another way to explain it until understanding occurs.

It doesn’t matter how much you know if your athletes cannot execute it.

3. They Are Consistent

Athletes thrive in environments that are predictable.

Great teachers use consistent language, consistent standards, and consistent expectations. Their message today sounds a lot like their message tomorrow.

Consistency builds trust.

Over time, athletes stop wondering what is expected and start focusing on improvement.

4. They Provide a Clear Vision

Athletes perform better when they know where they are going.

Great teachers paint a picture of what success looks like. They connect today’s work to tomorrow’s results. They help athletes understand the purpose behind the process.

People commit more fully when they can see the destination.

5. They See Potential Before Others Do

The best teachers understand the power of belief.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote:

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.”

Great teachers see possibilities that athletes often cannot see themselves. They communicate that belief consistently and authentically.

Many athletes borrow confidence before they build confidence.

A teacher’s belief often becomes the bridge.

6. They Don’t Allow Athletes to Settle

The best coaches don’t allow their athletes to settle once they’ve achieved a level of success.

It is human nature to settle.

An athlete earns a starting position, makes a team, receives recognition, or has a successful season. The temptation is to become comfortable.

The coach sets the standard. They never “look the other way”. They take advantage of every opportunity to coach and correct.

Great teachers continually bring their athletes along to reach that standard. They understand that potential is rarely reached by accident.

The best teachers see more in their athletes than the athletes often see in themselves. They push them beyond what they believe they are capable of achieving.

Not because they are demanding.

Because they care.

7. They Challenge and Support

Growth requires discomfort.

The best teachers push athletes beyond what is comfortable, but they do not leave them there alone. They provide guidance, accountability, and encouragement along the way.

Challenge without support creates anxiety.

Support without challenge creates stagnation.

Great teachers provide both.

8. They Are Authentically Themselves

One of the mistakes young coaches often make is trying to become a copy of someone they admire.

They borrow another coach’s language. Another coach’s personality. Another coach’s style of leadership.

It rarely works.

The best teachers learn from others, but they never try to become someone else. They take lessons from mentors, experiences, successes, and failures and develop their own approach.

Athletes can sense authenticity.

They know when someone is genuine and when someone is acting.

The greatest teachers are comfortable in their own skin. They teach with their own voice, lead with their own personality, and bring their own strengths to the profession.

Their influence comes from who they are, not who they are trying to imitate.

Final Thoughts

As coaches, we spend a lot of time studying training methods, technology, systems, and strategy.

Those things matter.

But at its core, coaching is teaching.

The best teachers simplify the complex. They build belief. They create clarity. They set high standards. They challenge athletes to grow while providing the support necessary to succeed.

Most importantly, they help athletes see a better version of themselves.

Years from now, athletes may forget a drill, a workout, or even a season. They rarely forget the coach who helped them become more than they thought they could be.

That is why the best coaches leave a lasting impact!

One of the benefits was the opportunity to coach young men who came from farming families. Over time, I learned there is a lot we can learn from the farmer.

Farming is not an easy life.

There are no guaranteed outcomes. Weather, flooding, drought, disease, equipment breakdowns, and rising costs can all work against you. There are no shortcuts. There are very few days off.

Yet every morning the farmer gets up and goes back to work. Why? Because he believes in the process.

He understands that success comes from doing the right things day after day, season after season. He trusts that if he plants, cultivates, and cares for the crop, eventually there will be a harvest.

That lesson stayed with me throughout my coaching career.

Many of the athletes I coached came from families that raised corn, soybeans, cattle, hogs, or dairy. When you met those families, you could see it immediately.

They had a hard nosed, matter of fact approach to life. No excuses. No entitlement. Just a willingness to go to work.

Drive through the Upper Midwest and you’ll see it. Mile after mile of farmland stretching to the horizon. There is a mentality that comes with working the land. The people who do it understand something every athlete needs to learn:

You cannot control the outcome. You can only control the work.

In many ways, athletic development follows the same rhythm as farming.

Winter is preparation.

Spring is planting.

Summer is cultivation.

Fall is harvest.

Winter is where the foundation is built. Bodies are repaired, strengthened, and prepared for the work ahead.

Spring is where the seeds are planted. Fundamentals are reinforced. Habits are introduced. Team chemistry begins to develop.

Summer is where many seasons are won or lost.

The crop doesn’t take care of itself, and neither does an athlete.

Standards must be maintained. Habits must be reinforced. Details matter. Summer is the season of cultivation.

Then comes the fall.

The season becomes the harvest.

What happens on Saturdays is rarely determined on Saturdays. It is the result of what happened in winter, spring, and summer.

The harvest simply reveals the work that came before it.

The farmer understands this.

The best athletes understand it too.

We reap what we sow.

The question is simple:

When harvest arrives, what will it reveal about the work we’ve done?

The path was relatively predictable. Athletes could count on a certain level of stability as they developed within a program.

An athlete chose a school, arrived on campus, and spent four or five years in one program developing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Relationships were built. Trust was earned. Growth took place over time.

Professional athletes have always faced uncertainty.

The difference is experience.

They have already navigated challenges. They have matured physically and emotionally. They have learned how to handle adversity.

Today’s college athlete is often facing these realities for the first time.

Today’s college athlete lives in a world of constant movement. The transfer portal, NIL opportunities, coaching changes, and roster turnover have introduced a level of uncertainty unlike anything we have seen before.

Without the right perspective, uncertainty can create anxiety, fear, distraction, and poor decision making.

The athletes who handle uncertainty best are the ones who develop the skills necessary to stay grounded when circumstances change.

The challenge is not eliminating uncertainty.

The challenge is learning how to perform in the middle of it.

Stay Present

One of the greatest challenges for athletes today is managing where they place their attention.

Many spend too much time replaying mistakes from the past or worrying about what may happen in the future. They think about playing time, roster decisions, transfer possibilities, NIL opportunities, or situations that may never happen at all.

Whether you are the new player entering a program or a new player is entering yours, it is easy to start playing out every possible scenario.

That mental exercise rarely helps.

More often than not, it becomes a distraction from the work that needs to be done today.

The problem is that performance does not happen in the past.

It does not happen in the future.

It happens right now.

Every practice. Every workout. Every meeting. Every opportunity to improve exists in the present moment.

The athletes who learn to bring their attention back to today’s work gain a tremendous advantage over those who allow their minds to wander into places they cannot influence.

The past can create regret.

The future can create anxiety.

The present is where confidence is built.

“Do not let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Control What You Can Control

Uncertainty becomes overwhelming when athletes focus on things outside their influence.

You cannot control coaching decisions.

You cannot control roster moves.

You cannot control injuries.

You cannot control what others think or say about you.

What you can control is your preparation.

You can control your effort.

You can control your attitude.

You can control your discipline.

You can control your response.

One of the most important lessons an athlete can learn is that energy is a limited resource. The more time spent worrying about things outside your control, the less energy remains for the things that actually matter.

The athletes who thrive are not the ones trying to manage every circumstance around them.

They are the ones who manage themselves.

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you.”

— Brian Tracy

Commit to Continuous Improvement

Athletes often tie their confidence to outcomes.

A starting position.

NIL opportunities.

Recognition.

An award.

The problem is that outcomes can change quickly.

Improvement is different.

Improvement belongs to you.

The most resilient athletes focus less on what they are receiving and more on who they are becoming.

They understand that every day presents an opportunity to improve physically, mentally, emotionally, or professionally.

When improvement becomes the goal, uncertainty loses much of its power.

Regardless of what is happening around you, you continue moving forward.

Over time, that mindset creates confidence.

Not because success is guaranteed.

But because you know you are doing the work necessary to become your best.

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”

— John Wooden

Conclusion

Uncertainty is not going away.

In many ways, it has become a permanent part of modern athletics.

The athletes who spend their time fighting that reality often find themselves frustrated and distracted.

The athletes who learn to navigate uncertainty gain an advantage.

They stay present.

They focus on what they can control.

They commit themselves to continuous improvement.

No athlete has ever had complete certainty about the future.

The difference today is that uncertainty is more visible than it has ever been before.

The mission, however, remains unchanged.

Show up.

Do the work.

Improve every day.

Trust your preparation.

Choose your response.

And keep moving forward.

“The mentor is not the one who walks ahead and says, ‘Follow me.’ The mentor walks beside you and says, ‘I believe in you.’”
— Simon Sinek

I’ve been very fortunate during the course of my career to work with some outstanding young people who have gone on to build tremendous careers of their own. Over 40 assistants that came through our program eventually became head strength and conditioning coaches or directors leading programs of their own. Watching that process unfold has honestly been one of the most rewarding parts of coaching for me.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor young coaches through interviews, career decisions, promotions, setbacks, failures, and major life transitions. Along the way, I’ve noticed there are certain patterns that consistently show up in people who continue to grow professionally and personally. No matter the profession — coaching, business, education, medicine, hospitality, or leadership — there are principles that apply to everybody navigating their career path.

The reality is there are really three stages to every career: the climb, impact, and legacy. Understanding where you are in that process helps bring clarity to your next decision and where your focus needs to go.

Stage One: The Climb

“Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.”
— Malcolm Gladwell

The climb is where mastery begins. It is where young professionals build habits, sharpen skills, learn professionalism, and develop the discipline required to separate themselves from the average. At this stage, there is really one question that matters when evaluating your next opportunity: Where will I grow the most?

That question simplifies everything.

Early in your career, money should not drive the decision. Titles should not drive the decision. Comfort should not drive the decision. Growth should. The best career move is usually the one that stretches you the most. You want to get around great people, great systems, high standards, accountability, structure, and leadership. You want to be in an environment that forces growth and demands more from you than you currently think you are capable of giving.

Looking back now, some of the best opportunities in my own career came from environments that challenged me daily. At the time, they probably didn’t feel comfortable or balanced, but that discomfort was exactly what I needed. Growth rarely happens inside comfort.

And during this stage, I think young people need to understand something that may not be popular to say today: work-life balance is largely a myth when you are trying to become elite. If your goal is to move to the front of the line professionally, there are going to be seasons where balance is simply not realistic. There are seasons where obsession is required.

You are trying to close the gap between where you are and what you are capable of becoming. That takes time, preparation, study, repetition, sacrifice, and energy. The people who become exceptional are usually the people willing to invest more into their growth than everybody else around them.

That does not mean neglecting your family or abandoning your values. It means understanding priorities during different seasons of life. Early in the climb, there are moments where your profession requires uncommon focus and commitment if you truly want uncommon results. The climb is not supposed to feel easy. It is supposed to challenge you.

This is where you learn how to prepare, how to communicate, and how to lead yourself before you ever lead others. It is where you make mistakes, get corrected, adjust, and continue moving forward. The people who maximize the climb are the people who stay humble enough to keep learning.

Stage Two: Impact

“The leader’s role is to create the conditions for success.”
— Stanley McChrystal

Eventually, if you handle the climb the right way, opportunities begin to expand. You now find yourself in positions where your voice carries more weight, your responsibilities increase, and your decisions begin impacting the organization around you. This is where all the years spent learning, preparing, failing, adjusting, and growing begin to create real value.

This is the impact phase.

At this point, leadership becomes a major part of the equation because you are no longer responsible for only your own performance. Now you are responsible for helping other people perform at a higher level. You are involved in decision-making. You help shape standards. You influence culture. You help create direction.

And with that comes responsibility.

Can you make difficult decisions under pressure? Can you communicate clearly? Can you bring stability when things get difficult? Can you elevate the people around you? Can you create an environment where others can succeed?

That is what leadership really is.

At this stage, growth still matters, but now the growth is different. You are no longer simply growing technical knowledge. You are developing leadership skills, communication skills, emotional intelligence, decision-making ability, and organizational awareness. You are learning how to lead people, and that is an entirely different challenge.

The best leaders understand leadership is not about control or ego. It is about service. It is about creating an environment where people can thrive, improve, and perform at their highest level. Your impact will always be connected to your ability to positively influence others.

Stage Three: Legacy

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
— Greek Proverb

The final stage is legacy, and this is where the focus shifts from building yourself to building others. If you reach this stage, chances are there were people along the way who invested in you. Mentors. Coaches. Leaders. Teachers. People who challenged you, corrected you, believed in you, and helped shape your path.

Now it becomes your responsibility to do the same for others.

This stage requires humility because you have to be willing to let young people stand on your shoulders. You have to be willing to share lessons learned through both success and failure. And if we’re being honest, many of the greatest lessons came through failure. Most experienced leaders have scars. Mistakes. Missteps. Hard lessons. Difficult moments.

That experience matters because now you can help younger people avoid some of those same mistakes moving forward.

Real leadership at this stage means being comfortable watching others surpass you. That is the goal. Just like a good father wants to see his children grow beyond his own accomplishments, a great mentor wants to see the next generation rise higher than they did.

In the legacy phase, your greatest satisfaction comes from watching others carry the standard forward long after you are gone. Legacy is not what you accomplish for yourself. Legacy is what continues because you were there.

Wrap Up

No matter where you currently are in your career, a few things always matter. Seek growth over comfort. Get around great people and great systems. Stay humble enough to keep learning. Understand that leadership is earned through service, consistency, and accountability. And remember that your greatest long-term impact will almost always come through the people you help develop along the way.

Every career moves through seasons. The climb teaches you. Impact stretches you. Legacy allows you to give back.

The key is understanding where you are, embracing the responsibility of that stage, and continuing to move forward with purpose. Because in the end, the best careers are not built overnight. They are built one day, one decision, and one opportunity at a time.

When people react, they sit around. They feel sorry for themselves. They replay what went wrong. They beat themselves up. And in the process, they make things worse.

When people respond—the strong ones, the self-aware ones—they dig in. They go to work. They take ownership. They look at the situation for what it is and ask a better question:

How do I use this?

That’s where growth begins.

Ryan Holiday talks about a simple idea:

There is dead time and there is alive time.

Dead time is when you let time pass.
Alive time is when you use time to grow.

When Malcolm Little entered prison, he had every reason to shut down. He could have blamed the world. He could have wasted the time.

But he didn’t.

He went to work.

He read. He studied. He educated himself. He rebuilt himself.

In 1946 he walked into prison as Malcolm Little and in 1950 he walked out as Malcolm X. He had invested the time in transforming himself and he was on a mission!

That wasn’t time served.

That was alive time.

Think about a soldier preparing for deployment.

He doesn’t wait until the mission starts to get ready.

He checks his gear. Every detail. Everything in working order.

He sharpens his training. Studies. Prepares for what he might face.

And before he leaves, he spends time with the people who matter most—family, friends, his inner circle—because he knows what’s ahead.

He gets everything in order before stepping into the next phase.

That’s intentional.

Transitions happen.

In life. In sport. In business.

Jobs change. Roles shift. Doors close.

And in those moments, people reveal who they are.

Some waste the time.

Others use it.

I recall a phone conversation with Tony Dungy in 2020.

He said something that stuck with me:

If Tampa Bay didn’t happen, I may not have won a Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

In 2002 Coach Dungy was let go in Tampa Bay after 6 seasons.

He didn’t waste that experience.

He learned. He grew. He adjusted.

So when the next opportunity came, he was better. In 2007 Coach Dungy won a Super Bowl with the Colts.

This past year, there was a change at Central Michigan.

Joel Welsh had been there for years as Director of Football Performance. The situation changed. That’s part of the profession.

Joel is as good as it gets. He’s family. We worked together for five years at Iowa.

But what stood out wasn’t the change.

It was his response.

He went to work.

He expanded his impact across the athletic department. Took what they were doing in football and applied it across all sports. Dug deeper into organization, nutrition, recovery, analytics, and mental health.

He made a decision—when the next door opened, he was going to be the best version of himself.

Then he took it further.

He got in his car and went on the road.

Michigan State, Saginaw Valley State, Detroit Lions, Cincinnati. Kentucky. Tennessee. and Alabama.

He studied. He listened. He learned from people doing it at a high level.

At the same time, he coached his kids. Spent time with his family. Took care of what mattered most.

He understood something:

This wasn’t a setback.

This was alive time.

So when Pat Fitzgerald brought him to Michigan State, it wasn’t the same Joel walking in the door.

It was a better one.

Michigan State is lucky to have him!

I recently caught an interview with Sean McDermott.

One of the most respected coaches in the NFL.

He’s in a transition year right now.

And he’s making it count.

He relocated his family to Carolina. He’s on a daily schedule—training in the morning, then eight hours in the office. Studying. Researching. Digging into areas that will make him better.

He’s talking to people across industries. Learning. Staying open.

He mentioned conversations with Dan Gable.

He’s not stuck. He’s expanding.

He’s curious. He’s intentional.

He’s using the time.

That’s what the best do.

When things don’t go their way—when situations change, often outside their control—they don’t sit around.

They don’t waste it.

They respond.

They reflect.

They ask:

Where can I improve?
What can I learn?
What will make me better for the next opportunity?

Then they go to work.

Because eventually, the next door opens.

And when it does, you don’t want to hope you’re ready.

You want to know.

You want to step through confident—prepared, sharpened, different than you were before.

Don’t waste the transition.

Don’t let it become dead time.

Use it.

Attack it.

Grow through it.

Make it alive time.

You hear it all the time:

“I really like this candidate. They have a growth mindset.”

Sounds good. But what does that actually mean?

The concept was popularized by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset. At its core, a growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, learning, discipline, and persistence.

When I think of growth mindset, I think of the Greek term Euthymia. The Stoics often used the word to describe inner steadiness and peace of mind. Euthymia is the calm confidence to keep doing the right things consistently, knowing that in time, the right results will come. People with a growth mindset have euthymia in abundance. They trust that if they stay on task long enough, they will get where they want to go.

Successful people leave clues. They provide a blueprint. They operate with a standard. There is a mindset that helps launch people into the top 5 percent. They have vision. They are committed to the work. They have the grit to continually respond the right way to the ups and downs of the journey.

It is not talk. It is behavior.

What does it look like in real life? What does it look like in an athlete, a young professional, or a seasoned veteran?

Here are 5 traits that matter most.

1. They Seek Feedback

A person with a growth mindset does not take feedback as a personal attack. They see it as a tool.

“When you stop learning, you stop growing.” — Peyton Manning

Young Athlete: Wants extra reps after practice when technique is corrected.
Young Professional: Asks how they can improve after a presentation.
Veteran: Still seeks feedback after 20 years in the field.

2. They Embrace Challenges

They do not run from hard things. They understand pressure creates growth.

“To be the best, you have to compete against the best.” — Kobe Bryant

Young Athlete: Actively seeks competition.
Young Professional: Takes on a difficult project others avoid.
Veteran: Accepts new responsibilities instead of protecting comfort.

3. They Learn from Failure

Failure does not define them. It teaches them.

“We are not our failures. We are what we learn from them.” — Jim Collins

Young Athlete: Misses the game-winning shot, then returns to work the next morning.
Young Professional: Loses a sale, studies what went wrong, improves the process.
Veteran: Uses setbacks as fuel, not excuses.

4. They Stay Curious

Growth-minded people never believe they know it all.

“What’s dangerous is not to evolve.” — Jeff Bezos

Young Athlete: Watches film and studies top performers.
Young Professional: Reads, listens, and keeps learning new skills.
Veteran: Evolves with the times and continues to question old methods while discovering better ways. They embrace mentorship and pass knowledge on to others.

5. They Play The Long Game

They understand meaningful results take time. They stay committed long after others lose patience.

“Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” — Dan Gable

Young Athlete: Chooses daily development over chasing quick praise or shortcuts.

Young Professional: Builds skills, relationships, and credibility knowing career success compounds over time.

Veteran: Stays disciplined, keeps evolving, and understands sustained excellence is built over decades.

Conclusion

Growth mindset is not a slogan. It is not something you say in an interview.

It is how you respond to coaching, adversity, failure, learning, and daily work.

The people who keep growing are the people who stay humble, stay hungry, and stay committed to improvement.

Talent may open the door, but growth mindset separates you from the pack.

Benjamin Franklin was known for using a simple habit tracking system built around personal virtues. He created a chart and focused on improving one habit at a time while monitoring his progress each day. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, he used a step by step system built on focus, repetition, and accountability. There is a great lesson in that approach: lasting change is usually built one disciplined action at a time.

Two books that have strongly influenced my thinking on this topic are The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Atomic Habits by James Clear. Both are strongly recommended reading. They reinforce a simple truth: success is rarely one big moment. It is built through small actions repeated daily.

One of the most practical lessons from James Clear is the concept of friction. Friction is anything that makes a behavior harder to do. Reduce friction for good habits by making them easy, obvious, and convenient. Set out your workout clothes, prep healthy meals, keep a book on your pillow, place water by your bed. Increase friction for bad habits by making them inconvenient and harder to reach. Delete distracting apps, keep junk food out of the house, unplug the game system, move the phone out of the bedroom. Simple systems like this make good habits stick and bad habits tougher to choose.

The following are 10 strategies to build habits that lead to long term success.

1. Reduce Friction for Good Habits

Make good choices easier. Set out workout clothes the night before, fill your water bottle, prep meals, place vitamins on the counter. The easier it is to start, the more likely it happens.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
– James Clear

2. Increase Friction for Bad Habits

Make poor choices harder. Delete time wasting apps, unplug the game system during the week, keep junk food out of the house, move distractions out of sight.

3. Build a Strong Morning Trigger

Attach good habits to waking up. Get up, make the bed, hydrate, move your body, get light in your eyes, begin with purpose. A strong start often drives a strong day.

4. Create a PM Routine

Consistent routine contributes to good sleep. Shut screens down earlier, dim lights, prepare clothes, review your schedule, get to bed on time. Evening discipline creates morning momentum.

5. Habit Stack

Attach a new habit to one you already own. After coffee, read ten pages. After brushing teeth, stretch five minutes. After lunch, take a walk.

6. Control Your Environment

Your environment often beats willpower. Keep healthy food visible. Put books where you sit. Keep the phone out of the bedroom. Build surroundings that pull you in the right direction.

“Change might not be fast and it is not always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.”
– Charles Duhigg

7. Track the Streak

Use a calendar, checklist, or notebook. Seeing progress builds momentum. Do not break the chain.

8. Think Process Over Results

Focus less on outcomes and more on daily execution. Win the workout. Win the meal. Win the meeting. Stack enough days and results take care of themselves.

“Don’t worry about the results. Worry about the process.”
– Nick Saban

9. Make It Small Enough to Win

Start smaller than you think. One pushup. Five minutes of walking. One page of reading. Small wins remove resistance, build momentum and create identity.

10. Protect the Standard After a Miss

Everyone slips. Missing once is human. Missing twice starts a pattern. Don’t make excuses. Don’t beat yourself up, just get back on the path.

Closing Thought

Good habits are not built by motivation. They are built by design, preparation, structure, and repetition.

Do not hope for better habits. Build systems that make them happen.

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
– Marcus Aurelius

Confidence is Earned.

We bought units from Australia. At the time, only three other college football programs were using them. There was no peer-reviewed research. None of the NFL teams were using it.

We were out on a limb trying to figure out how this technology could help us gather information, train smarter, and better program for our athletes.

Fast forward to 2026, and every athlete on the field in both college football and the NFL is wearing a GPS unit. You even see GPS analytics on your TV screen during games.

That experience reinforced a lesson I have believed for a long time:

You cannot be afraid to try new things.

With greater knowledge and experience, you may stumble onto something that truly makes a difference.

Can you remember when you first got started in your profession?

How excited you were to learn.
You knew you had found your path.
You could not wait to get to work.
You were hungry.

The best leaders never lose it.

They stay curious. They stay humble. They stay in pursuit of better.

The Japanese word Shoshin means beginner’s mind.

It is the ability to approach your craft with openness, hunger, and humility even after years of success. Experience is valuable, but experience can also create blind spots. Shoshin reminds us to stay coachable.

A veteran leader with a beginner’s mind still asks:

• What can I learn today?

• What am I missing?

• Is there a better way to teach this?

That mindset keeps people sharp.

The opposite of beginner’s mind is arrogance.

Thinking you already know.
Thinking you have arrived.

The last thing you want to hear from leadership is:

“Well, that is the way we have always done it.”

The Japanese word Kaizen means continuous improvement.

Small gains made consistently over time.

Toyota Motor Corporation built one of the great manufacturing systems in the world around this principle. Their culture empowered employees at every level to identify problems, improve processes, eliminate waste, and make the system better every day.

Not one giant breakthrough. Thousands of small improvements stacked together.

That is how winning programs are built to elevate performance.

• Better meetings

• Better communication

• Better methods

Small edges become major advantages.

In Good to Great, Jim Collins wrote:

“Good is the enemy of great.”

Many people stop growing because things are good enough.

Great leaders never settle there.

They understand the 90/10 principle:

• 90% is your foundation

• Values, fundamentals, standards, and what consistently works

• 10% is reserved for growth

• Experiment, test, learn, and adapt

• Edit, add, delete, and strengthen the whole system

I was fortunate to be in the same position for 21 years in college football.

Most staffs turn over every three to five years.

We had continuity. We had a tremendous opportunity to evolve and continually push the envelope with progressive training methods.

We always had our fundamentals. The basics. The core principles that anchored the program.

But we also protected a portion of the system for growth.

Every year we tested ideas, explored methods, and studied training techniques that we had not used before.

Some things failed quickly, and we moved on.

Other ideas started as experiments and eventually became part of our foundation.

That is how good programs continue to grow and become great programs.

The best are in a constant state of questioning, learning, and evolving.

Built to Perform

I am watching the Masters Tournament on Sunday afternoon. I flip it on and see the final grouping is Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young.

I hadn’t followed closely the first few days, the announcers mention Young’s awful start, so I went back and looked at the scorecards.

Cam Young opens his tournament with a 40 on the front nine Thursday.
+4 through nine holes.

This is the Masters.
One of the biggest stages in the sport.
And he gets punched early.

It’s so easy to allow a moment like this to spiral into a disaster. How did Cam Young claw his way back to the final grouping on Sunday?

I think about the famous Mike Tyson quote:

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

My mind goes to Super Bowl LI.
Down 28-3 deep into the 3^rd quarter.
The sideline message was simple.

ONE score at a time.

Then back to 2004 when the Red Sox were down 3 games to 0 to the Yankees in the ALCS. No team in history had ever come back from that deficit.

Kevin Millar walking around saying:

“Don’t let us win one.”

That’s how it starts! Get the first ONE!

The Body of the Comeback

• Stop digging.
  When you find yourself in a hole, the best way to get out of it is to stop digging! You made a mistake. Own it. Then move on. No replay. No excuses. No carryover.

• Respond. Do not react.
  Reaction is emotional. Response is disciplined. Take a breath. Reset your eyes. Get your mind right. What is the next right action? Execute that.

• Win the next moment.
  Not the game. Not the round. Not the scoreboard. The next rep. The next play. The next hole. Narrow your focus to the next step that you can wrap your head around and execute.

• Talk to yourself like a leader.
  Your inner voice matters. Be your own best coach. Clear. Direct. Positive. If you wouldn’t say it to a teammate, don’t say it to yourself.

• Fall back on your fundamentals.
  When pressure hits, go simple. Technique. Footwork. Alignment. Basics win when everything speeds up. Brilliant at the basics.

Wrap Up

Comebacks are not built on emotion.
They are built on discipline.

They are built on presence.
They are built on belief.

You flush it.
You respond.
You simplify.
You stack one win at a time.

And you stay in the fight long enough to give yourself a chance.

As Jón Páll Sigmarsson said:

“It is better to have a bad start and a good end than a good start and a bad end.”

Stay in it.
Finish it.

Confidence is earned.

“A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”

In coaching, I’d take that a step further. It’s not just your success on the line — it’s theirs.

Early in my career, I had a lot to learn.

I was driven. I knew what I wanted. I had a vision for where we needed to go. But I wasn’t always the best listener. I was more focused on delivering information than receiving it.

Tough to admit, but it’s the truth — and the truth is where growth begins.

Along the way — through experience and humility — I learned something that changed everything about how I coach:

Individual conversations with athletes are critical to making the positive impact needed to transform people and performance.

That realization is the foundation of what I now call PAC.

P — Be Present

Being present is more than showing up physically. It means bringing your full attention into that moment with another human being.

Engaging body language. Eye contact. Genuine listening. No phone. No distraction. No interruptions. No agenda beyond the person in front of you.

When you are truly present with an athlete, they feel it immediately. They know — at that moment — that they are the most important person in the world to you. That you are there for them. That you believe in them. That you have their absolute best interest in mind.

They are seen. They are heard. You care.

Never underestimate how rare that feeling is for a young person. For many of them, it may be one of the few times in their life someone has shown up for them that completely. That is the power of presence.

A — Be Aware

Awareness is a deep understanding of where this student-athlete is at this exact moment in their life.

It means knowing their background. Their history. The experiences — good and bad — that shaped them before they ever walked into your building. It means asking yourself: What do they need from me right now?

How can I listen without judgment? No assumptions. How can I identify the issue and provide clear, collaborative feedback that genuinely helps this person move forward?

Every athlete carries a story. Awareness means honoring that story before you try to add a new chapter.

C — Connect

When you are present and aware, you give yourself the best possible opportunity to truly connect.

Connection is not built in team meetings. It is not built in group settings. It is built one honest conversation at a time — often in the most difficult of moments.

Difficult conversations are not something to avoid. They are often the most necessary ones. They are where real trust is forged. An athlete who knows you will tell them the truth — delivered with care and respect — will run through a wall for you. That relationship is built deliberately, one conversation at a time.

Recognize the Moment

When one of these conversations is about to happen, recognize it for what it is.

Take a breath. Slow down. Remind yourself: conversations like this can make or break a relationship. Come in with empathy first. Come in curious. Come in ready to listen more than you speak.

Be present. Be aware. Then connect.

Fast Forward to Today

This morning I had breakfast with a guy I coached 20 years ago. I have another one scheduled tomorrow. Athletes come back, sometimes decades later, they now have kids of their own and their lens has widened. They bring up a conversation. A specific moment. Something I said, or something I asked. When athletes circle back you know your impact was transformational and there is nothing more rewarding in coaching.

As a coach, you may have a dozen of these conversations in a single day. But as an athlete, they may have only had a couple of dozen of these truly meaningful one-on-one interactions across an entire four-year career. Think about that. Each one carries enormous weight. Each one is an opportunity you cannot afford to take lightly.

These conversations are critical to building transformative relationships that lead to long-term success — on the field, and far beyond it. Long after the games are over, what your athletes will carry with them is how you made them feel in those moments.

Show up for them. Fully. Every time.

“Athletes don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

PAC is how you demonstrate that care.

Present. Aware. Connect.

People know if you believe in them. You do not have to say much. They can feel it. Athletes are smart, they know when it’s real, they can see through a phony. If I see the potential in an athlete and have great expectations, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The minute a coach believes an athlete can perform at a higher level, that athlete immediately improves the chances of elevating performance and meeting expectations. That belief changes how I coach, how I communicate, and what I demand. And they feel it.

But it must be real. Early on, I thought my job was to push performance, to get more out of guys. Over time, I realized that it is not really it. My job is to help them believe in themselves. Not by telling them, but by putting them in situations where they must prove something to themselves and then helping them work through it.

You cannot hand someone confidence. You challenge them, encourage them, and hold the standard. When they come out the other side, they start to see it. Then they start to feel it. Then they start to expect it.

That is when it flips. Once they believe in themselves, performance takes care of itself.

At the end of the day, leadership isn’t about elevating yourself. It is about elevating the people around you. And if you do it right, they will know. They got to know you believe in them.

As coaches, we are always looking for real-life examples to share with our athletes. Although my experience was primarily in football, I routinely looked to other sports and other areas of life to find lessons that translate. Last weekend provided one of those opportunities.

I have always enjoyed the NCAA Wrestling Finals. Raising our family in the state of Iowa exposed us to the sport early. All three of our boys wrestled through junior high. One continued through high school and on to Division I wrestling. We also had a front-row seat to the University of Iowa wrestling program, one of the most storied in the history of the sport.

This past weekend, the NCAA Championships were held in Cleveland, Ohio.

One of the unique aspects I enjoy most is seeing the families sitting mat-side during the finals. Having lived that path, my heart always goes out to them. You think about the sacrifice and commitment that has been poured into that wrestler from those around him. Practices. Travel. Weekends. Diet. Training. The ups and downs. The adversity.

There is no other sport like it. You go out there by yourself. No teammates. Nobody else to blame. You either win or you lose. You can stand out there in front of the entire crowd and get pinned, and it is all on you.

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”
— Dan Gable

That is why there may be no greater teacher of accountability.

One of the most powerful moments from the weekend came from Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State. He referenced Saint Francis, talking about the connection between the physical, the mind, and the soul. He spoke to the journey. The work. The sacrifice. The realization that the goal is not the destination. It is the daily disciplines, habits, and standards that lead to success on the mat and beyond.

As I observed the post-match interviews, there were five key points that seemed to be consistent across the board with the wrestlers as they were interviewed after winning their weight class.

1. Family

Nobody does this alone.

There are many people who have sacrificed along the way. Parents. Siblings. Youth coaches. High school coaches. Club coaches.

One moment that stood out was Aden Valencia speaking about his sister, Nyla Valencia. After three ACL injuries ended her career, he carried that with him onto the mat. He was not just wrestling for himself. He was representing his family. Representing her.

That is what this sport does. It connects purpose to something bigger than yourself.

2. The Team Behind the Individual

Although wrestling is an individual sport, the journey is not.

Repeatedly, the champions talked about their teammates and their coaches. The gratitude they have for the group they came from. The room that pushed them. The people who made them better.

They understand something that matters.

You may compete alone, but you are never built alone.

They represent their program. They carry it with them. And they are grateful for it.

3. Doing Hard Things

“It has been terrible and incredible all at once.”
— Isaac Trumble, North Carolina State

That quote says everything.

Repeatedly, these wrestlers talked about doing hard things. The long road. Wrestling as a kid. Continuing to show up year after year.

Wrestling is a battle of attrition.

Along the way, it presents opportunity after opportunity to quit. To step away.

But the ones who keep showing up are the ones who get good.

Not overnight, but through commitment, sacrifice and resilience.

4. Standards and Fundamentals

“I’ve been doing this my whole life.”
— Luke Lilledahl, Penn State

“I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.”
— Sergio Vega, Ohio State

“I just had to do what I do every day.”
— Jax Forrest, Oklahoma State

This is the standard.

Once you have developed a standard of excellence, when you step into the bright lights of the big stage, you do not have to do anything remarkable.

You just need to show up and be yourself.

It is about fundamentals. It is about how you operate on a daily basis.

These champions have built that standard over time. Day after day.

So when the moment came, they did not rise to it.

They simply stayed true to who they already were.

That is how they won.

5. The Spiritual Component

This was a common theme.

I have never been one to push religion on people. That is personal.

But many of these wrestlers spoke about something bigger than themselves.

Faith. Purpose. Belief.

What stands out is what it gives them.

Perspective.
Strength.
The ability to stay in the fight.

However you define it, that is your choice.

But if it helps you become a better person, and perform at a higher level, it’s a good thing.

And clearly, for many of these champions, it has been part of their journey.

At the end of the day, what you saw on that mat was not just talent.

It was years of discipline.
It was standards built over time.
It was people who refused to quit.

That is the lesson.

The performance is just the result.

The process is what makes the champion.

Not what you say. Not what you post. Not what you claim. The standard you live every day.

You see it in how a person prepares. You see it in how they respond under pressure. You see it in whether people trust them when it matters. The best performers are not guessing. They are not hoping. They are ready.

If you want to build a real standard, it starts with how you show up.

1. Show Up Every Day
Not just being there. Being ready. Locked in. Prepared to go. Anyone can punch the clock. Not everyone is ready to perform. The people who separate themselves do not wait for the right mood or the right circumstances. They decide ahead of time who they are going to be. Then they show up that way every day.

“Success isn’t owned. It’s leased. And rent is due every day.”
– J.J. Watt

2. Keep Improving
You are either getting better or you are falling behind. There is no middle ground. The best stay curious. They ask questions. They study. They learn from others. They want to understand why things work, not just how to do them. Knowing how gets you through the day. Knowing why puts you in position to lead.

“I think the biggest thing is always trying to get better every day.”
– Tom Brady

3. Follow Through with Excellence
Talk is easy. Finishing is hard. The best finish. They handle what is in front of them. They do what they said they were going to do. Every time. That builds trust. That builds credibility. Your people need to know they can count on you. That comes from consistency, not words.

“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.”
– Pat Riley

4. Do More Than Expected
Average is crowded. If you want to separate, you have to do more. A little more effort. A little more focus. A little more attention to detail. That adds up. Over time, it becomes the difference. Good enough is never good enough if you want to lead.

“The enemy of great is good”
– Jim Collins

5. Inspire Others
The standard is not just about you. It is about what your presence does for the people around you. The best leaders raise the standard. They bring consistency. They bring energy. They bring clarity. People follow what they see. Not what they hear.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
– John Quincy Adams

At the end of the day, the standard is not a speech. It is not a slogan. It is not something you claim.

It is something you prove.

You can’t fake it….everyone around you knows if it is real or not.

Confidence is Earned