Chris Fowler shares a must-listen message on coaching and why it's more than just a profession.
"You have been nasty and irrational and deeply personal in your criticism of coaches from time to time. If you're a sports fan, I guarantee it. I've certainly been guilty."
"But do you know why coaches choose that as a profession in the first place?"
"Almost every single one of them - because they want to help people learn, grow, and improve as people and as athletes. I promise you, that's why they get into it."
"Coaching is a calling more than a profession. Lee Corso taught me that a long time ago."
It's one of the greatest examples of being a servant leader. It's pouring yourself into the growth of other people.
"You have to have what it takes to pour yourself into others in order to make a difference. Not everybody can do that."
"Yes, they're accountable for the wins and losses. But consider that so much of that is actually beyond their control. You're accountable for it. You're responsible for it. How much do you really control it?"
"Know the grind. What each and every coach at whatever level puts into it - whether you're a coach in Little League or AAU or high school - what they put into that is so demanding on them and their loved ones."
The sacrifices are invisible and the criticism is public.
"Consider them as human beings when you rip into them."
"I promise you, at their heart, they just wanna help people. That's the greatest joy they get out of it."
Coaching is a calling.
The wins feel good.
But watching someone become who they're capable of becoming that's why they do it.
(🎥 @cbfowler)
Rick Majerus told his players in the offseason to “be back-doored all summer.”
1. Deny every pass (ear to chest, maintain vision of the ball, crack of your back toward the ball).
2. On the catch, make offensive players put the ball on the floor. The hardest thing to guard is staying in front of the ball.
“I don’t care if the offensive player is a non-shooter — play one arm’s length away as though he is the greatest shooter in the game. Nose on chest, and level that dribbler off.”
#MondayWithMajerus
Lou Holtz turned around 4 programs within 2-3 years using the same 5 rules.
• Arkansas: 5-5-1 to 11-1.
• Notre Dame: 5-6 to 12-0.
• South Carolina: 0-11 to 8-4.
Not with new talent or more money - just 5 rules.
Simple, repeatable, and powerful.
(📌Bookmark this)
Transactional vs. Transformational Coaching…
Dan Hurley shared a story about asking Geno Auriemma for advice after a rough start last season. Geno didn’t mince words:
“Listen, if the only gratification and the only part of coaching that excites you is winning the national championship, then you’ve lost your way, buddy! Where’s the joy in the things that you’ve always been about as a coach before you went on the championship run, like relationships with your players, like helping people get better, like making your team the best it can be. Be a coach, man. This is when you really need to be a leader. This team isn’t as good as last year’s, so what the hell are you going to do about it? Are you going home? Are you going to let this thing unravel?”
That’s the tension every coach feels:
Transactional vs. Transformational.
Transactional coaching is outcome-obsessed. It’s about the wins, the losses, the trophies. The problem? When results don’t come, your purpose crumbles with them.
Transformational coaching is different. It’s about people. It’s about growth. It’s about building something that lasts, whether the scoreboard agrees with you or not.
And this is why mentorship matters so much in coaching.
Left on our own, it’s easy to drift into a transactional mode without even realizing it.
A trusted mentor can pull us back to center and remind us why we started coaching in the first place.
To build relationships.
To develop players as people.
To make teams the best they can be.
Wins matter. But they’re not the why.
The why is impact.
The why is growth.
The why is leaving your players better than you found them.
The process is the prize. Stay grounded. Stay on the path.
Always remember your why.
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Live lighter, love louder, and never miss a chance to encourage, appreciate, and uplift the people around you.
Which actions from this list are you going to put into action in 2026? 👇
Why Coaching Is Harder Than People Think (A Holiday Reminder)…
Because coaching isn’t just about plays, drills, or game nights.
It’s about people.
It’s about walking into practice every day and managing emotions you didn’t create but are responsible for.
Your own.
Your players.
Your assistants.
Parents.
Administrators.
Fans.
It’s about teaching kids who are all at different stages.
Different maturity levels.
Different confidence levels.
Different home situations.
And somehow holding them to the same standards while still meeting them where they are.
It’s about decisions that look simple from the stands but feel heavy from the sideline.
Who plays.
When.
Why.
How you communicate it.
And how that decision might land on a 16-year-old who ties their identity to minutes.
It’s about losing sleep over kids who won’t buy in.
Over conversations you need to have.
Over mistakes you replay in your head long after everyone else moved on.
It’s about being judged by people who see the outcome, not the process.
The scoreboard, not the hours.
The result, not the relationships.
And yet, you show up again.
You plan. You teach. You model. You care.
As the season slows and the holidays arrive, this is the reminder:
What you do matters.
Even when it goes unseen.
Even when it feels heavy.
Even when it’s hard.
Coaching is about influence. And influence lasts longer than any season.
That’s why coaching is harder than people think. And also why it matters so much.
As the year winds down, I hope you find a little rest, a little perspective, and a lot of pride in the work you’re doing.
🎄Happy Holidays, Coach.