The Mental Habits of Elite Coaches | Rustin Dodd & Elise Devlin, The Athletic | Episode 460

Making athletes work harder is one thing. Making athletes better is something else entirely — and Rustin Dodd draws that line clearly in this episode.

In part two of JP Nerbun's conversation with Rustin Dodd and Elise Devlin of The Athletic's Peak section, the discussion moves from habits and rituals into the heart of transformational coaching. Elise covers Dan Quinn's player PowerPoint presentations, Lisa Bluder's deep-dive into understanding Caitlin Clark, and what Tara Vanderveer's lasting player relationships reveal about the longevity of great coaching. Rustin breaks down the energy cost of being a coach and why the coaches who last build support systems around themselves. The episode closes with John Harbaugh's accountability frame and why "shoot the ball" might be the most important thing a coach can say.

For coaches who want to understand what separates the ones athletes call ten years later from the ones they just remember.

Chapters

(00:00) Intro: Studying Great Coaches(01:30) The Best Part of the Job(03:09) The Common Trait of Great Leaders(06:54) Getting to Know Your Players(10:10) Tough Conversations and Real Relationships(12:00) Who Would You Want to Be Coached By(13:57) Tom Izzo and the Power of Intensity(15:07) Who Would You Want as a Teammate(18:40) Jared McCain and the Inner Game of Tennis(19:47) The Origin of Executive Coaching(21:15) Sports and Business Culture Feed Each Other(22:25) What Coaches Do to Be at Their Best(24:09) Ownership as a Leadership Skill(24:56) Who Would You Invite to Dinner(29:36) Final Advice: Curiosity and Optimism(31:23) Shoot the Ball: Trust as a Coaching Metaphor

TOC 3-2-1

3 Quotes | 2 Questions | 1 ResourceYour fast-track to the episode's most actionable ideas.

"Being a coach that can get your players to work harder is easier than being a coach that can make them better. At the most basic level, it's giving people confidence."— Rustin Dodd

"When you are losing a lot of energy and you have not a lot left, take what you do have left and give it to other people and it'll come back to you multiplied."— Elise Devlin

"There's no better feeling than when your coach yells shoot it. I think about that as a metaphor — it's some level of trust, putting confidence in the person."— Rustin Dodd

2 Questions for Your Team

Q1: Think about a player you know well enough to coach hard — and one you don't. What would it take to close that gap this week?

Q2: When did you last own a bad day in front of your team? What did that cost you — and what did it build?

1 Resource to Go Deeper

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy GallweyThe origin text for the entire executive coaching industry — referenced in this episode as foundational reading for understanding the inner life of an athlete. Jared McCain reads it. Steve Kerr coaches from it.Available on Amazon

Key Takeaways

• Making Athletes Better Is Different from Making Them Work Harder
• The Deeper You Know Your Athletes, the Better You Can Lead Them
• Tough Conversations Only Land When the Relationship Is Real
• Coaches Need a Support System Too
• Ownership Is a Leadership Skill
• Curiosity Is a Long-Term Coaching Practice

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