We’re in Crossover Season—that time in college athletics when fall sports are wrapping up with conference and national tournaments, and winter sports are just getting underway. With the end of the season, it offers an opportunity to evaluate intentionally how it is going within individual programs….how we can improve and where things are going well. […]

Instead of a subscriber video this month, we are going to do something different. We have the first draft of our ICP Coaching Certification Course complete. It is not the final product but we want some people to test out the course for us and give feedback. So, we are giving paid subscribers free access […]

In this episode, Dustin Galyon shares a real-world coaching moment involving a senior student-athlete who skipped a team workout and responded with uncharacteristic defiance. Instead of reacting with discipline alone, Dustin leaned on years of relationship-building to have a direct, honest conversation—one that ultimately deepened trust and ended with mutual respect. The conversation explores how […]

In our book and on the podcast, we’ve talked a lot about toughness and how it connects to psychological safety. That connection sometimes causes people to push back.They hear “psychological safety” and think it” soft. Psychological safety doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. It means if you follow the rules, give full effort, […]

In Part 2, we dig deeper into how the U.S. Naval Academy develops ethical, resilient leaders—and how those same lessons apply to coaching. Jim breaks down the Academy’s leadership lab, the sophomore ethics course, and the “2 for 7” contract that defines a midshipman’s commitment. We also talk about his new book, Crucibles—what inspired it, […]

This special Best of September edition of Beyond Coaching brings together some of the most eye-opening and practical conversations we’ve had this month. From the sidelines of youth sports to the leadership labs of the Naval Academy, each guest shared powerful stories and truths that speak directly to the challenges coaches and leaders face every […]

Nick Saban, Adaptability, and the Leadership Curve A little under two years ago, Nick Saban retired. Arguably the greatest college football coach of all time, his ability to sustain success and adapt over decades is hard to match. Since his retirement, I’ve read a few books about him, including The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban: […]

Each month, Dustin and I sit down for a 10–15 minute conversation where we dig deeper into the content from our book Coaching & Leading the 21st Century Athlete. These videos dive deeper into our book with more stories, application, and nuance. This month we dive into the second half of Chapter 8 and Responding […]

In this first half of my conversation with Jim McNeal, we dive deep into what it means to lead, fail, and mentor in one of the toughest leadership pipelines in the world: the U.S. Naval Academy. Jim, a Naval Academy alum turned coach, mentor, and author, shares how he coaches high school and collegiate athletes, […]

A few weeks ago, I was watching the KU–Mizzou football game. It was the first time thes e two schools had played in almost fifteen years. Coming from a long line of crazy Jayhawk fans (not me…them ), I always pay attention to this rivalry. But what stood out to me wasn’t the intensity of […]