Coaches are important educational leaders in our schools, communities, and universities. The Sport and the Growing Good (SGG) podcast provides embedded, front-line insights on winning and positive development. The SGG podcast can be heard here and on all major podcast platforms.

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.”