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3 Ways You Can Coach Like Pop
Gregg Popovich, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, stepped down last week due to health issues.
Coach Popovich is a man I greatly admire.
He had an atypical path to the NBA.
He was not a former player, he was hired after a lengthy stay in Division III. It is hard to carve out any kind of career in the NBA with those roots.
But my admiration for him does not come from his record number of wins or his multiple championships. Coach Popovich is a man who thrived because of great relationships and truly prioritized developing players as humans first and foremost.
He has frequently highlighted that this is one of the main factors that has sustained an incredibly successful and long coaching career. He has been the Spurs coach for 29 years. During that time, the Vancouver/ Memphis Grizzlies have had 17 different head coaches.
I have heard countless interviews with current and former players who raved about Coach Pop's impact on their lives. None of them mentioned the wins and championships. Few mentioned basketball at all.
His priority has been the humans he coaches and helping them grow.
At all levels, wins and losses are the standard by which a coach is judged. Sure, results are part of the story. But only a part.
Gregg Popovich has left a far bigger legacy on the NBA than his 5 NBA championships and 1422 wins.
While Coach Popovich is a 1 of 1, there are some strategies that all coaches can employ to help them build better people.
Here are three simple tools you can borrow from Pop that have nothing to do with basketball at all:
Tool #1: Be Curious & Build Relationships
This is Coach Pop's superpower.
His curiosity allowed him to understand what mattered to and motivated his athletes. Both on and off the floor.
It made his athletes feel valued and seen.
Coaches and athletes benefit enormously from cultivating curiosity and building strong coach-athlete relationships, not only in terms of performance but also in long-term development and well-being.
According to research by Côté & Gilbert (2009), effective coaching involves developing athletes in three dimensions: performance, personal growth, and psychosocial well-being.
All of which are amplified through a coach’s genuine curiosity and investment in learning alongside their athletes.
Strong coach-athlete relationships are also a critical foundation for confidence, motivation, and resilience.
The coach-athlete relationship model developed by Jowett & Cockerill (2003) emphasizes closeness, commitment, and complementarity. These three pillars predict both athletic satisfaction and success.
Athletes who feel emotionally connected to their coach are more likely to take risks, push through adversity, and grow as leaders.
The great news is that it is low-hanging fruit. It's just you investing time to ask your athletes about their lives and genuinely listening to their answers.
Tool #2: Discuss Topics that are bigger than Sport.
Coach Popovich dedicated time to tackling big topics with his athletes.
Each member of the team was also asked to present on a topic outside of basketball. Paddy Mills, an indigenous Australian, educated his team about the challenges his people have faced in Australia. Others discussed current issues like Gun Control, Mental Health and Violence in Inner Cities.
All of them felt seen, heard and valued.
When coaches create emotionally safe environments, they permit athletes to wrestle with real-life issues. (When working with younger athletes, I would recommend Coach led discussions.)
Young people are dealing with a myriad of complicated topics that they might not feel comfortable discussing with their parents. Anxiety, body image and identity, social media, parental pressure, navigating the evolving world of college sports and NIL and toxic definitions of masculinity are all important topics that can benefit athletes as people.
If you are working with teens, I will offer two pieces of advice.
Let parents know in advance what you are going to discuss. This can prevent meetings, emails and phone calls from parents who might object to their child being involved in these discussions.
I would also encourage you to be thoroughly prepared and avoid pushing your point of view. Attempting to address these topics without being prepared can lead to more meetings.
No coach on earth is looking for more meetings.
Research by Bean et al. (2018) shows that athletes are more likely to internalize values like integrity, respect, and empathy when coaches engage in intentional character-building conversations and model vulnerability. In these moments, curiosity becomes a coaching superpower, allowing you insight and understanding of how your athletes see their world.
When athletes feel heard and supported, they're more willing to talk about the pressures they face: the comparison culture of Instagram, the silent expectations to “man up,” or the fear of not looking the part.
According to Martinek & Hellison (2016), character development in sport thrives when coaches connect beyond performance and give athletes space to reflect on who they’re becoming, not just how they’re playing.
By showing interest in the human behind the athlete, you help young people build self-awareness, challenge harmful norms, and step into adulthood with clarity, courage, and compassion.
If you coach young men, I would highly recommend checking out Kip Ioane's work at Teams of Men. He is dedicated to character development work that specifically addresses toxic masculinity
His website offers great resources. You can check him out here.
Tool #3: Having a Clear Understanding of Who He Is
One of the things I like best about Coach Popovich is that he is unapologetically himself.
He doesn't care if you disagree with his politics or stance on social issues. Your opinion doesn't matter. He is grounded by the fact that he knows who he is and is comfortable in his own skin.
When coaches have a clear understanding of who they are — including their core values, personal “why,” and signature strengths they show up with greater clarity, confidence, and consistency in their roles.
This internal alignment not only enhances leadership effectiveness but also significantly boosts personal satisfaction and longevity in the profession. Research by Gould, Collins, Lauer, & Chung (2007) found that coaches who are grounded in a clearly defined coaching philosophy are more resilient under pressure and better equipped to navigate the highs and lows of competitive sport.
Instead of reacting to every challenge or external opinion, they make decisions based on internal principles, which reduces stress, prevents value conflict, and contributes to a deeper sense of purpose.
This self-awareness also has a profound ripple effect on athlete development. According to Côté & Gilbert (2009), coaching effectiveness is built on three pillars: professional knowledge, interpersonal knowledge, and intrapersonal knowledge. When you cultivate intrapersonal knowledge by reflecting on who you are and what you stand for, it leads to strong, trusting relationships with athletes.
Modelling authenticity and vulnerability creates a psychologically safe environment where athletes feel seen, heard, and supported not just as performers, but as people. (It's almost like there is a recurring theme.)
Crucially, self-aware coaches also experience greater fulfillment in their work.
They are less likely to burn out because their coaching is an expression of who they are, not just a job they perform. Studies on coach well-being (e.g., Bentzen, Lemyre, & Kenttä, 2016) emphasize that purpose-driven coaching, aligned with personal values, is a protective factor against burnout.
In other words, when coaches know who they are and why they coach, they are more energized, more connected, and more effective for their athletes and themselves.
So, if you want to be more like Coach Popovich, focus on building better people. It combats burnout and leads to more wins!
The Inner Game of Coaching: Leading from the Inside Out- A Free Webinar
Thursday May 29th @ 7:00pm MST
You became a coach to make a difference, to lead, to serve, and to bring out the best in others. But too often, the demands of the role pull you in every direction, leaving little time to reflect on who you are and why you coach. That clarity is not a luxury, it’s the foundation of lasting impact.
Whether you're a seasoned coach or just starting your journey, this webinar will equip you with the tools to coach with greater authenticity, build stronger relationships, and lead with purpose.
Reserve your spot here:
Fight Burnout. Build Better People. Win More Games.
How can I help you on your coaching journey?
Let's work together.
I help coaches thrive.
I would love to help you or your team build a competitive advantage. Here are a few ways I can help:
- Consult with your team or coaching staff
- Teach mental skills to your team via Zoom
- Work 1 on 1 with coaches
- Work 1 on 1 with athletes
Check out my website here
Shoot me an email, I love to talk coaching and see how I can help you.
Coaching is hard, let's make it easier.
Send me an email at jasonpayne@evolutionmpc.com
Thanks for reading and have a great week.
