Craig Bundy is an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer whose impact on players, teams, and communities transcends the football field. Coach Bundy “sees the big picture” in sports, focusing on not just wins and losses, but upon the ways we can grow the good through teamwork and competition. In this episode of SGG, we discussed: 1.  The impact that his high school football coach had on his life. 2.  Becoming a head high school coach “way, way too early.” 3.  What he learned when he left coaching to try a career in sales. 4.  Learning the game at the University of Illinois and other stops along his journey. 5.  When yelling is necessary. 6.  Seeing the big picture when working with kids. 7.  Communicating with parents. 8.  The Best Buddies partnership. 9.  The “Team Together” concept – which emphasizes selflessness. 10.  How service-related work can contribute to winning on the field. 11.  The unique role of football in individual and community lives.

Jeff Duncan Andrade is widely revered as a leading professor and dynamic speaker. He’s also a public school teacher, author of books and articles, and the founder of a school. But did you know that he was also a championship-winning high school basketball coach and, before that, an elite athlete? In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  How travel basketball opened the world (and universities) to him beginning in middle school. 2.  How sports revealed his “inner math and science nerd.” 3.  Developing an identity, becoming a better person, and having fun in sports. 4.  What he wished coaches would have helped him understand. 5.  The end of his college athletics dream…and Dr. Harry Edwards’ life-changing hour with him. 6.  Why he (literally) burned his college sports gear. 7.  The good and bad aspects of the trend toward more coaches being “institutionally detached.” 8.  Why schools should recruit teachers of color with coaching backgrounds. 9.  Why he asks leading university schools of education if they have consulted with their football and basketball coaches. 10.  “Presence is profound.” 11.  The multigenerational “community participation” lessons that schools should learn from sports and churches.

Paul Chryst is the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin. He’s led the team to great heights, both on the field and off. Recognized as a leading mind in the game, Coach Chryst serves as a model from whom other coaches in Wisconsin and beyond can learn. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  Shattering the backboard during a high school basketball game. 2.  Noticing high school football programs that have organized “systems” and passion around their programs. 3.  His impressions of the benefits and potential problems associated with the growing private coaching industry. 4.  Being the “young guy in the staff room” for many of his formative years as a coach. 5.  What he looks for when hiring young coaches. 6.  How he organized all the coaching information he picked up over the years. 7.  Deek Pollard’s motto: “It’ll feel better after it quits hurting” … and Coach Chryst’s emphasis on working hard and having fun together. 8.  Why he wanders among the players during each day’s pre-practice stretching time. 9.  Starting over on Sundays each week during the season. 10.  Listening to other coaches, and asking the right questions at the right time. 11.  Continually seeking new and better ways to coach and lead. 12.  “Football brings us all together, but at the end, if all we have is football, then we’ve missed something.”

Paula Wilkins is the head coach of the University of Wisconsin’s women’s soccer team. After competing at Division 1 and national levels, she’s been a successful coach in major college soccer – at both Penn State and Wisconsin. Coach Wilkins is full of wisdom. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  The advantages of playing soccer with boys until age 16. 2.  Her first soccer coach – and his long-term impact on her trajectory. 3.  The ways her college coach trusted her – and prepared her for a coaching future. 4.  The characteristics of successful youth soccer coaches – including honesty. 5.  Learning about recruits from opposing club coaches and opposing club players. 6.  Looking for a special talent/skill in a young player, and how the skill shows when times are tough. 7.  The changes she made in 2013-14, including improvements in communication. 8.  Defining effort. 9.  Her everyday habit of touching base with each of her players during warm-ups. 10.  Writing out each day’s practice plan and theme so players know what to expect before they begin. 11.  Letting former players know about their lasting impact on the program. 12.  Getting things in order before something bad happens.

Fran McCaffery is the head basketball coach at the University of Iowa. He was the youngest Division 1 head coach in the country at Lehigh University at age 26 and has enjoyed numerous successes and accolades at multiple stops in the ensuing years. Coach Fran is one of the best. In this SGG episode, we discuss: 1.  Getting noticed and supported at a young age in Philadelphia by Sam Rines, who ended up coaching Kobe Bryant. 2.  What he’s looked for in an AAU program as a father of four kids. 3.  The funniest teammate he’s been around – and the importance of humor on a team. 4.  Team personality as part of culture. 5.  Having purposeful conversations with players who are different – and knowing how to reach each of them in meaningful ways. 6.  Basketball not being “a game of perfect.” 7.  Getting through the long winter grind of the season – and locking in on hoops while class is out of session. 8.  Building confidence in players. 9.  Being there for players when the going gets tough.

Greg Gard is the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin. As a winner of multiple conference titles and numerous awards, he’s recognized as a leader in the profession. Those who work with Coach Gard admire his skill and steadiness as a leader in Madison. In this SGG episode, we discuss: 1.  His early interests in college basketball – and why he was initially an Iowa Hawkeye fan. 2.  His experience as an eighth-grade basketball coach. 3.  Attending Bob Knight clinics as a young coach. 4.  Coaches as teachers who pay attention to detail. 5.  The importance of interpersonal communication on teams. 6.  Being vulnerable as a head coach. 7.  Developing a staff that has diverse ideas, but a unified voice. 8.  His relationships with other head coaches, including Bo Ryan, Tom Izzo, Dick Bennett, and Matt Painter. 9.  The decrease in high school coaches working inside the schools. 10.  “Being where your feet are” – paying attention to the job in front of you – not other jobs you covet down the line. 11.  Researching the intangibles of potential recruits. 12.  Where he sits (and why) when he attends a high school game to recruit. 13.  Why he talks to secretaries and janitors at the schools he visits. 14.  Seeking quality family time as opposed to chasing “balance.”

Chris Bono is the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin. He was a three-time All-American wrestler at Iowa State and was the NCAA champion at 150 lbs. Coach Bono has quickly developed the Wisconsin wrestling program into one of the best in the nation. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discuss: 1.  Starting wrestling as a five-year old. 2.  The difficult position he was put into as a new coach right out of college. 3.  The importance of developing deep relationships with the student-athletes. 4.  His daily routine – which starts very early (4:15am). 5.  Pearl Jam. 6.  The importance of positive habits…but also setting goals and enjoying “little successes” along the way. 7.  Why he’s changing the team’s practice schedule for the season ahead (the importance of remaining adaptable and being willing to change). 8.  How he’s responded to failures over the years: “Keep doin’!” 9.  Forcing opponents to “wrestle our style.” 10.  What’s involved with being a head coach – the “CEO” of the program. 11.  Why he asks potential recruits to send videos of a match they lost. 12.  What he pays attention to when he watches a potential recruit compete and when the recruits and their families visit campus. 13.  Keeping up with the ever-changing ways that young people communicate technologically.

Steve Jones is the head football coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin. He has won multiple championships as well as state and national coaching awards. Coach Jones also teaches leadership courses at the high school and is recognized as a dynamic speaker on leadership development. In this SGG episode, we discuss: To learn more, refer to Coach Jones’ Twitter feed; a brief article and video about the culture of Coach Jones’ program; a short article describing a couple of his keys to sustained success; and short article describing his team’s formula. 1.  His family experiences growing up – especially learning from his brother with disabilities. 2.  The impact that a fifth-grade teacher had on his life. 3.  His daily habits: reading, taking care of his mind and body, early-day inspiration, making intentional contact with people who need him. 4.  “Leading by ‘intentional’ wandering around.” 5.  Servant leadership – what it is and how it takes shape on his team. 6.  Why he doesn’t talk about winning, rather the “habits of winners.” 7.  Kimberly’s camp for kids with special needs. 8.  Centering love in the football program. 9.  Planting seeds as a leader. 10.  The unique positives offered by football. 11.  The ultimate goal of the program. 12.  Kimberly football’s mental skills program – focus on “being present.” 13.  Getting players to find their “performance number.” 14.  His struggle to enjoy the process.

Marc Skelton is an author, teacher, and renowned head basketball coach at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in New York City. His teams have won championships and his students succeed beyond their time at the school. In this episode of the SGG podcast, Coach Skelton and I discuss: 1.  Taking care of his students and players at the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in New York. 2.  Overlaps in teaching and coaching. 3.  Being authentic to “who I am” as a coach. 4.  The New York Times article about his team. 5.  His “Trojan Horse Theory” of basketball. 6.  Players making transitions to their post-basketball lives. 7.  The importance of self-care for coaches. 8.  What he’s learning these days. 9.  Watching Brad Stevens coach.

Mark Lusic is a teacher and the head football coach at Amherst High School in Wisconsin. By developing an intensive weight training program, developing deep relationships, and building a winning culture, he’s led Amherst to four state championships and built one of the most respected programs in the state. In this episode of SGG, we discuss: 1.  Learning from Coach John Koronkiewicz about how to listen and develop relationships. 2.  Does “scheme” win games? (no) What does? 3.  Make your average players good, your good players great, and your great players “studs.” 4.  What does the team talk about in the weight room? 5.  Developing a team identity, sticking to it, and putting time into practicing it. 6.  The 600, 800, and 1000 pound clubs.  7.  How kids develop confidence through weightlifting. (see excerpt from student essay below) 8.  Kids needing football more than football needs them. 9.  Asking kids to “pay it forward” one day. 10.  It’s all about the players. 11.  Why he asks his team, “Are you satisfied?” after each game. 12.  His annual “life review.” 13.  Knowing what to do on 3rd and 1. 14.  Being ok with not always knowing the answer right away. Excerpt from Amherst HS student essay on how weightlifting built his confidence: "I didn’t always believe in myself. It finally clicked last year. To understand how I found my confidence, you need to know that I have always been a scrawny kid. I wanted to get stronger, so I started going to the weight room in the mornings in middle school. However, I never really saw or felt the results I wanted. Every morning, I would see everyone lifting heavier than me. Even though I felt like giving up, I continued waking up extra early every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and lifting. This went on until Junior year. I knew I was improving, but I thought it wasn’t much. Junior year was when I figured it out. I stopped comparing myself to everyone else lifting. The only person I compared myself to was who I was the day before. I realized that I am myself, and no one else has any effect on me. Although I still don’t really look like it, I became much stronger than I ever had. I worked hard to improve myself every day. At the end of the year, we had max out week, which is when we do as much weight as we can for one rep for bench, squat, and deadlift. All I wanted since I started lifting was to make it to the six hundred pound club, which is where your combined maxes added up to at least six hundred. I managed to get 165 pounds for bench press. For squat, I maxed out at 225, and, for deadlift, I maxed out at 275. If you do the math, those numbers add up to 665 pounds. I finally accomplished my goal from middle school. I got my numbers written on the paper in the weight room and a t-shirt, which I wear proudly. My confidence spread through my life. I felt more confident with my school work. Whether it was someone I normally did not talk to or a complete stranger, I found it easier to talk to people. I also found it easier to ask for help. I always try to learn from my mistakes, but this helped me learn to ask for help, so that I did not have to make mistakes that could be prevented."