November 6, 2025 • Athletic Administration • Coaching

Hall of Fame coaches share how they led their teams to greatness

by Bruce Knittle, Hall of Fame inducted high school coach

In a chosen profession, what could be better than having vast sources of knowledge and expertise readily available to benefit from? With coaching, there are role models in every sport who possess elite skillsets, and lessons can be derived if wanted. Are there any better examples than those who were inducted into the Hall of Fame in their respective sport?

Being admitted to the Hall of Fame as a player, coach, or administrator is as high a professional honor as can be bestowed on an individual. It recognizes those as having achieved at the highest levels, and their path, if followed, can help others reach for greater heights.

Below are a few specific concepts that have proven essential to Hall of Fame inductees, and which coaches can assimilate into their own programs.

Having trust and accountability in a program is a fundamental tenet of successful coaches, and without them, a team is not on a firm footing. These two components are intertwined and crucial for success on any level. Pat Summit, the former Hall of Fame basketball coach, might have said it best when she stated, ”Accountability is essential to personal growth, as well as team growth. If you don’t admit a mistake, and take responsibility for it, you’re bound to make the same mistake again”.

Accountability applies to the entire team, but it is the coach, as the leader, who sets an example for the entire program. He or she needs to set a standard for the team of mutual responsibility.

If team members cannot trust their leaders, this often leads to underperformance. And there is no better way to build trust than for a coach to stand up in front of the team and admit mistakes.

Handling adversity is something every coach has to deal with. Misfortunes and difficulties are as much a part of a coach’s job as anything else. Whether it is because of injuries, a multitude of losses, or a myriad of other factors, a coach has to have the mindset to manage these issues.

Acclaimed Hall of Fame football coach Nick Saban, notably stated many times, “There can be no great victories in life unless you overcome adversity”. He also talked about how responding to a loss is of prime importance in learning how to build team success.

The coach, as a role model of the team, has to lead the way in showing how to respond when misfortune arises. Saban related how a team reacts to adversity can define their outcomes going forward. By establishing a culture of support, the coach creates an environment where team members help each other, especially during difficult periods.

Many of the top coaches maintain as much stability in their programs as possible during uncertain times. Players need to know that even though there might be negativity surrounding their team, the coaches are remaining strong, which sends a powerful message for the athletes to respond similarly.

The relationship between coaches and athletic department administrators is another point of relevance to leaders of successful programs. This is an underappreciated alliance, but of utmost importance for successful teams. And both parties need to foster this relationship for the betterment of the program.

Skip Bertman, the legendary former baseball coach at Louisiana State University, has a different perspective on this topic than most. After he retired as coach at LSU, he transitioned to athletic director at the school, where he was also highly successful. As a coach, he commented, “Fortunately, I had support from our administration and was able to move forward”. As a previous athletic director at the same school, he also realized that continuing with plans is a two-way street, in that coaches and athletic administrators must assist each other.

Bertman knew, as do many others, that a partnership needs to be formed with shared objectives. While the roles of an athletic director and coach are quite different, there has to be a clear understanding of what each individual is responsible for and the support that will be provided.

Player development is an additional principle that successful coaches prioritize. They focus on the process of improving players through goal-oriented fundamentals and knowing what is needed for athletes to perform at their highest levels. Every individual has distinct abilities, and this process needs to be clearly communicated to the players.

Bob Hurley Sr, the legendary former high school basketball coach, always had as a top priority his players’ development. Talking at a Nike coaching clinic, he espoused, “The goal is to get better every day, and to make players responsible for their mood and energy, not the coaches. Hurley realized that players were responsible for their own progress, along with help from coaches.

Top coaches know that developing players on and off the court helps lead to a winning program. It is often an ongoing process, with active participation from the coach and the player. As Hurley stated, it takes both being on the same page to accomplish success. No matter how proactive a coach is, the athlete has to be willing to accept coaching and work on shared goals.

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Therefore, while Hall of Fame coaches come from diverse sports, they also share many of the same beliefs that lead to success. There are also common themes among these coaches that can apply at all levels. One familiar issue they all seem to agree on is having a strong positive culture, which is reflected in all the above principles.

If one can sum up the lessons imparted from these Hall of Fame coaches, there will not be any talk of “magic” or “secret” formulas. Instead, these are all valued truths, and when practiced and embraced, will lead to greater achievement for any coach.