The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life

Our great coach on this episode is John Speraw.John is an American Volleyball coach. He played volleyball for UCLA and was part of 2 NCAA championship teams. After graduating he worked as an Assistant coach at UCLA before moving to UC Irvine as the head coach in 2002. Over 10 years he there he lead the team to 3 NCAA championships. In 2012 he returned to UCLA and has led the team to 2 NCAA championshps. He was an assistant coach for the USA Men at 2008 Olympics when the team won Gold. He subsequently led the team to Bronze medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. He presently serves as the serves as the President and CEO of USA VolleyballHere are 3 self-reflective questions based on the interview:1. What are one or two strengths I naturally bring to a team, and how could I use them more intentionally?2. what routine or mindset could help me stay composed and useful in high pressure moments?3. Who has helped me see a possibility for myself that I could not yet see, and how can I now do that for someone else?If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

This episode is a recording of our book club. The book we discuss is Why Die? The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty, 'Maker of Champions' by Graem Sims (Author).Percy Cerutty was an Australian athletics coach who transformed distance running in the 1950s and 1960s. Based at his rugged Portsea training camp, he developed the Stotan philosophy, blending Stoic discipline, Spartan toughness, natural diets, sand-hill running, weight training and intellectual growth. Best known for coaching Herb Elliott to world records and Olympic gold, Cerutty inspired athletes to pursue physical excellence and personal mastery. Our discussion is led by Dr David Turner, a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom, and we are also joined by Andrew Gunn the author of Percy Cerutty: Life Lessons From A Remarkable Coach by Andrew Gunn.I scribbled down these 3 self-reflective questions:· Where in my life could I benefit from choosing growth over comfort?· What is one challenge I have already overcome that shows I am capable of reinvention?· How do I personally measure success: by outward achievement, or by how far I have come from where I started? If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe 

Our great coach on this episode is Adam Voges.As a cricketer Adam represented Australia at Test, One Day and T20 level. In 2017 he became the coach of the Western Australia team and the Perth ScorchersHe would ultimately go to lead them a three-peat of Sheffield Shield titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as well as guiding WA to the one-day trophy in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. As well as winning the BBL twice.Here are 3 self-reflective questions I took from the interview:• Where am I trying to do too much myself, instead of trusting and empowering the people around me?• Do the people I lead feel genuinely brought along on the journey, or am I asking them to follow decisions they had no part in shaping?• When pressure rises, do I become more helpful and clear — or do my emotions make the situation harder for others?If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

Todays episode is on The Magic of Sports and I am joined by the 92 year old Dr George Selleck who has just written a terrific new book by the same name. In 1956 he was drafted by the NBAs Philadelphia Warriors. He rejected the offer though and went to have a long and distinguished career as a psychologist and coach. He is a member of multiple Halls of Fame including Stanford Athletic, is the founder of 3 not for profits focused on sports and education and this current book is his 5th.We are joined for the discussion by Georges friend Alan Gregerman who is the bestselling author of the book “The Wisdom of Ignorance.”Here are three self-reflective questions to take away from this episode:1. Where in my life am I treating sport, work, or leadership as only a competition, when it could also be a place for growth, belonging, learning, and joy?2. What kind of environment do I create for the people around me, and does it help them grow as human beings, not just perform better?3. When I face setbacks or big decisions, how deliberately do I pause, reflect, and listen to my head, body, and gut before choosing my next step?vIf you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Dom Starsia is an American Lacross coach.As a player he represented the USA at the 1978 World Lacross Championship, while coaching in a variety of roles at his alma mater Brown University. In 1982 he came the head coach men's lacrosse team and led them to 2 Ivy League Championships. He then moved to the University of Virginia in 1993 and over 23 seasons led the Cavaliers to 4 NCAA championships. He retired in 2016 as the winningest division 1 men's lacrosse coach. He was inducted into the Lacross Hall of Fame in 2008.Here are three self-reflective questions based on the interview:1. Where in my life am I trying to copy someone else’s style instead of trusting my own authentic way of leading or contributing?2. What does “toughness as consistency” look like for me?3. when could I choose more positive or patient language?If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

Our great coach on this episode is Mike DunlapMike is a basketball coach who has led teams in US Colleges, the NBA and in Australia. He was also an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks when then they defeated the Phoenix Suns to win their first NBA Championship in 2021. I first interviewed Mike in 2022, and since then we stayed in contact and he has appeared on the podcast in 2 other episodes, the first on Great Teams culture and then On Leadership. Over that time Mike has shared some of his poerty with me – and I was recently able to get some time with him where he shared some of his poerty and we discussed the coaching and leadership themes that run through it. It’s a very personal interview where Mike shares some of the deeper stories from his life and I hope you find it as fascinating and insightful as I did.Where am I currently measuring success too narrowly by outcomes, and what “victory beyond the scoreboard” might I be overlooking?How well do I balance high standards with joy — and do I pause long enough to recognise the “good” that may be the gateway to great?What does my inner voice sound like under pressure, and what practices help me quiet the chatter enough to respond with awareness rather than react automatically?If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com and if you would like to receive our newsletter with 5 ideas to help you improve your leadership, then sign up at: https://thegreatcoaches.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Our great coach on this episode is Kath Tetley.Kath is a Netball coach. She started her career as the first paid employee of Netball New South Wales in 1998 when the Commonwealth Bank Trophy began. She then progressed through roles working for Australian Netball while coaching at the state level. She then took on coaching roles with the newly formed GWS Fury and NSW state teams. In parallel she moved into the General Manager role with the Sydney Swifts. Then in 2024 she was appointed as the head coach of the Scottland National team, known as the Thistles and is helping prepare them for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2027 World Cup.1.    How does Kath Tetley’s willingness to acknowledge her own gaps challenge traditional ideas of what strong leadership looks like?2.    What does Tetley’s approach to difficult conversations reveal about the role of empathy in high-performance coaching?3.    How does Tetley’s emotional journey—from doubt and retreat to connection and trust—show the importance of vulnerability in leadership?If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

This episode is a recording of our book club. The book we discuss is Sum It Up by Pat Summitt Pat was an American basketball player who won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics and then transitioned into coaching leading the USA team to a Gold at the at the 1984 Olympics. However its as the coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012 that she is most famous. Over her career she amassed 1098 wins and led the team to 8 NCAA championships. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of fame in 1999, was named the Naismith Basketball coach of the century in 2000. After 38 years leading to Tennessee, she retired from coaching at the age of 59 due to a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. She would eventually pass away in 2016 at the age of 64. Our discussion is led by Dr David Turner, a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom.If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com