The Highest Level Podcast with Evan Burk

Coach Patrick Murphy is the Head Softball Coach at the University of Alabama. His career accomplishments rank among the very best in college sports, with a career winning percentage of 78%, winning the National Championship in 2012, and leading the Crimson Tide softball team to the NCAA tournament for a remarkable 22 straight years. He talks about building the culture of his program by prioritizing the person first, and the athlete second.    Read Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn how the best teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

Tyler Johnson is a mental skills and performance coach and host of the Elev8 Podcast. His primarily focus is working with student-athletes and coaches to elevate attitudes and potential through a focus of strength and balance of mind. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Tyler about coach Mark Farley and the rise of the Northern Iowa football program, how leaders can develop team trust, and the intangibles of self in elite leaders and high performers. Check out Evan's appearance on the Elev8 podcast that Tyler hosts, and follow Tyler on Instagram and Twitter Read Evan's book, Finding Intangibles, to learn how the best teams are built and the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

Hunter Sims is the Director of Athletics at Howard Payne University, where he spent 6 years as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach of the school's football program before his promotion into the AD role. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Hunter about appreciating the “invisible paychecks” coaches receive, how he developed his one-year onboarding program to help 1st time head coaches successfully transition into an unfamiliar role, and what he looks for when he's hiring a head coach to lead one of Howard Payne's athletic programs. https://hpusports.com/staff-directory/hunter-sims/142 EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at  https://yourbusinesspodcast.net  

  Joan Ryan is the senior media advisor for the San Francisco Giants and the author of the book "Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team Chemistry." In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Joan about team chemistry and how it affects performance, why trust among teammates and co-workers is crucial to building great chemistry, and how relationships influence the team dynamics within the locker room. EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at  https://yourbusinesspodcast.net  

Brian Decker is the Director of Team Development for the Indianapolis Colts and was previously Commander of Special Forces Assessment and Selection for the U.S. military.  In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Brian about his model for talent assessment, how character is the bridge between talent and performance, and how the Colts' see the culture of their team as a competitive advantage.  Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at  https://yourbusinesspodcast.net  

Kelvin is an 11-year NFL player currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals, and is also a two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee for his volunteer and charity work. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Kelvin about his success in professional football despite being an “undersized” NFL Offensive Tackle, the great leadership ability of Mike Tomlin and Todd Bowles, and leaving a legacy of serving others in his community. Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com Edited and Produced by Mark McDonald. Launch your podcast at  https://yourbusinesspodcast.net      

Steve Mellor is a performance coach, former college swim coach , and host of the Career Competitor podcast. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Steve about his competitive swim career, his transition to becoming a career and executive coach, and setting a minimum standard to achieve sustained success. https://careercompetitor.com/ Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com  

Mitch Ford is a former basketball coach with experience working as an NBA player development coach with the Dallas Mavericks and a Front office assistant with the Charlotte Hornets. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Mitch about how a NBA coaching legend helped him get his start in the NBA, working first-hand with great NBA players Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, and the commonalities among the best cultures in the NBA Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com  

Brittni Donaldson is a former NBA assistant coach and data analyst with the Toronto Raptors and currently serves as the Director of Coaching Development for the Hamilton Honey Badgers, and co-founder of Strata Athletics. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Brittni about coaching across genders as a female NBA coach, the factors that are ignored when evaluating NBA talent, and winning an NBA championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com

Alan Stein Jr. is a speaker, author, and performance coach who spent 15 years working with the highest-performing basketball players on the planet, including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Kobe Bryant. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Alan about how he embraced being “the warm-up guy” to set the foundation for his career, how great athletes raise their game by focusing on the basics, and how professional basketball players hone their mental management techniques to sustain their game in basketball and in life. Buy Alan's book, Sustain Your Game Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com -- Tune into this episode to hear: How does one become a basketball performance coach? How performance coaching differs from Strength & Conditioning Working with Great NBA players early in their careers Starting his career as the “warm up guy” “Star where you are” and the value of accepting your role Social Media and placing self-worth internally Avoiding the comparison game How the people that surround you influence your own performance Dealing with negativity in your life and having compassion for others Alan's new book, Sustain Your Game

Kevin Eastman is an author, speaker and former NBA coach. Kevin has coached the game at the college and professional levels over a career spanning 35+ years, and recently published his first book, Why The Best Are the Best. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Kevin about what he learned working for with Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett's “silent work ethic”, the team concept that separated the 2008 Boston Celtics NBA championship team, and the most important components to achieving success in basketball and in life. -- Kevin's book: Why the Best are the Best Evan's Book: Finding Intangibles Tune into this episode to hear: Kevin's college coaching career prepared him for coaching in the NBA Finding his voice early in his coaching career Being a NBA assistant coach and "learning to talk in bullet points" What it was like to work for Doc Rivers How accountability was established on the Boston Celtics The Ingredients of a Championship team - 2008 Boston Celtics Adding Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and How the 2008 Celtics team came together so quickly Reggie Bullock's Development over his career Getting Players to Understand the Value of Failure Values and People: The Keys to Building a Championship Team “Coaching is leading in a highly competitive environment - and I want to know how they are doing it.”

Yogi Roth is a storyteller, a Pac-12 Networks college football analyst, former college coach, Award-Winning Filmmaker, Best-Selling Author, World-Traveler and podcast host. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Yogi about what he learned working for Pete Carroll at USC, what separates the great athletes he's worked in his career, and how he elicits a wide-range of emotions through his storytelling. -- Learn more at YogiRoth.com Yogi's books: From PA to LA, and Win Forever with Pete Carroll Evan's book: Finding Intangibles Tune into this episode to hear: How Larry Fitzgerald set himself apart as a college player at Pitt What it's like to work with Pete Carroll The common misconception of Pete Carroll Adding competitive players and coaches to the USC football team How traveling the world shaped Yogi's worldview Yogi's next chapter as a storyteller and TV football analyst Getting his big break on the Red Carpet at the ESPY's Yogi's next chapter as a storyteller and TV football analyst The trait that separate 5-star athletes that have success Yogi's upcoming children's book release -- The Highest Level was named one of the Best 5 Sports Leadership Podcasts in 2022

Dr. Rick Sessinghaus is a Mental Performance Coach, Author, Speaker, and Flow Trainer for high performance golfers. He has been a mental performance coach for some of the top amateur golfers and teams in college, and is currently the Swing and Mental coach for one of the top golfers in the world, PGA Tour winner Collin Morikawa.   In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Rick about his coaching journey with top PGA golfer Collin Morikawa, the background and mental makeup that helped separate Collin to become one of the best golfers in the game, and what it takes to master peak performance on and off the golf course.   --   Rick's book: Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game   Find Rick on FlowCode Golf Academy + his website   Evan's Book: Finding Intangibles   Episode website: https://www.coachevanburk.com/show-notes/26-rick-sessinghaus   In this episode: Rick's journey from swing coach to mental performance coach How peak performance at the highest levels of Golf has evolved in recent years Rick's coaching journey with Collin Morikawa What separated Collin Morikawa from other golfers his age as an amateur The influence of Collin's parents on his development as a person and a player How Rick helped Collin create a 4-5 year plan to become a Division 1 golfer by combining long-term focus with metrics along the way The moment of defeat where Rick knew that Collin had a chance to be great How Colin Morikawa prepares for the Masters The importance of the people that surround you in an individual sport like golf Share your favorite part and post to your Twitter or IG story and tag me @CoachEvanBurk and @RickSessinghaus so we can see and repost to our profiles and stories.

Ryan Larsen is the head football coach at Carnegie Mellon University. Coach Larsen also worked at Indiana University, Wabash, Rhodes College, and Columbia University. In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Ryan about how his elite organizational skills, creating a culture that is all about the team, and how he evaluates both the person and the player in the recruiting process.

Josh Boyd is the Assistant General Manager of the Texas Rangers, where he oversees all functions of pro player evaluation and the R & D department. Boyd has been with the Rangers since 2008 serving in roles within Player Personnel and Pro Scouting, and spent 4 seasons as an area scout with the San Diego Padres. Photo: John Gilchrist (Rotary Club of Park Cities) In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Josh about how he went from a baseball writer to Major League Scout, the skill set makes a good evaluator, and looking at how players deal with success and failure to help judge the character make up of players. Transition from baseball writer to MLB scout Learning as a San Diego Padres scout How his thinking changed in understanding of what made players successful What makes a successful scout in major league baseball How the Organization's goals and vision feed into the Player Evaluation approach Judging whether players have the drive to be great vs. just liking being a ball player How a player's fit within a system factors into team building in baseball What are you looking for beyond the game when evaluating players? Learning about players with how they handle setbacks, and success When to make exceptions and understanding acquisition cost What separated the Rangers' World Series teams from 2010 and 2011 Where Josh get's inspiration outside of baseball?  

Dickey Simpkins is an NBA Scout, TV Analyst, and 3-time World Champion as a former NBA player. He led Providence College to a Big East title his senior year in college, played on 3 championships teams with 4 Hall of Famers on the late 1990's Chicago Bulls, and has served as an NBA scout for the Charlotte Hornets and currently for the Washington Wizards. In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Dickey about the winning culture on the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson, how his daily approach earned the respect of Michael Jordan, and using his playing experiences in his current role as an NBA Scout and TV Analyst. Standing out at Providence College under Rick Barnes The instant change in intensity once Michael Jordan re-joined to the Bulls in 1995 How Michael Jordan taking ownership for losing to Orlando in the ‘95 Playoffs was a defining moment for winning the next 3 Titles How Dickey evolved as a player under Phil Jackson and playing with MJ What set the 90's Bulls' team culture apart “Know Your Role, Embrace your role, and Star in Your Role” Being a part of the infamous “Sprewell/Carlesimo Choke” Warriors Watching Phil Jackson's leadership and the unseen things he noticed How Phil Jackson managed personalities and egos Using his playing experiences in his scouting and evaluation of players Understanding how situations impact the success of players

This special edition episode of The Highest Level features a keynote speech I delivered recently at a national leadership conference entitled "The NFL Approach to Building Winning Teams". This speech was the closing keynote at the American Society of Crime Lab Directors national leadership symposium on August 26, 2021 to an audience of leaders and directors in the forensic science community. In this keynote, I break down the realities of building teams in highly competitive environments and share the 4 elements crucial for any successful organization to create a championship culture, whether in sports, business, or beyond. If you're interested in having me speak at any upcoming event, please email me at: evan@coachevanburk.com.

Cody Royle is an author, speaker, podcast host and football coach. He served as the head coach of AFL Team Canada, the men's national program for Australian Rules football, and author of the books "The Tough Stuff" and "Where Others Won't" In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Cody about his work as a coach for head coach's, developing traits on high performing teams, and his podcast and books on people and leadership strategies.

Coach Mark Richt served as the head football coach for the University of Georgia and the University of Miami, as well as a longtime assistant coach for the Florida State University Seminoles under his mentor, Bobby Bowden where he was part of 2 National Championship teams. In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Coach Richt about learning under Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden, impactful relationships with players built on discipline and compassion, and a coach's responsibility to set the example for teaching players how to become a man, husband, and father. How Howard Schnellenberger set high expectation at the University of Miami His 1st job at Florida State and developing confidence as a coach Earning Coach Bobby Bowden's trust The elevation of the Florida State football program How they avoided complacency during FSU's all-time great run His mentality going into his 1st head coaching job at Georgia The elevation of the Georgia football program Building resiliency within the program, with players, and "Finishing the Drill" at Georgia How the Georgia program evolved over 15 years Returning to his alma mater as head football coach Commonalties of the great teams he was a part of The importance of getting the buy-in of the players Teaching players how to be young men

Coach Matt Doherty served as the head basketball coach for 4 college programs: Notre Dame, his alma mater North Carolina, FAU, and SMU. He played at the University of North Carolina under legendary head coach Dean Smith and is the author of the book "Rebound: From Pain to Passion". In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Coach Doherty about learning under Dean Smith and Roy Williams, the need for every leader to be vulnerable and embrace the truth, and how his book uses his own failures as a coach to teach leadership lessons for any audience. Tune into this episode to hear: Playing under Coach Dean Smith at North Carolina How Coach Smith held the team accountable to his core values Developing as an assistant coach at Davidson and the University of Kansas Writing a book to teach through his failures The importance of being a lifelong learner How George W. Bush handled his days as President of the United States Managing change and the 1st 90 days of starting a new role Having a “truth teller” on your staff Looking for players who can embrace the truth and are open to being coached “The Art of Coaching” - Always evolving and adapting to change

Jared Sandler is a play-by-play announcer and studio host for MLB's Texas Rangers. Before commentating in Major League Baseball, he broadcasted in the minor leagues and for USC athletics as a college student. In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Jared about his path as a broadcaster, his front row seat on the Pete Carroll era of USC football, and the unique perspective broadcasting gives him on how leaders and winning teams operate. Jared's desire to become a broadcaster The Path of a Broadcaster Highlight of his broadcasting career he shared with his father Toughest aspects of the job What Pete Carroll was really like at USC A broadcasters perspective into teams and how they operate Broadcasting for his favorite team Not settling for “my numbers” The social dynamics of the clubhouse

Taylor Jenkins is the head coach of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. Before becoming a head coach, Jenkins cut his teeth as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks. In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Taylor about developing his coaching voice as a young NBA coach, earning trust and respect in the locker room, and developing relationships that challenge growth within the Grizzlies' organization. Wearing suits as a youth basketball coach while attending Penn The desire to coach naturally grew with each experience How Taylor found his coaching voice and coaching identity "Living in the Grey" and learning to coach in the NBA The intentional development of coaches within the Spurs organization Coach Mike Budenholzer putting his own spin on the Spurs' culture Earning trust and respect with players in Memphis How are we going to: 1) Work together and 2) Play together Ignoring rising expectations and embracing the progression year to year Using organizational skills to prioritize and increase efficiency

Michael Lombardi is a former NFL executive, author, and podcast host. His football career spans over 3 decades, where he served as an NFL executive with the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders. He is the Author of the book Gridiron Genius, co-founded and writes for the daily newsletter “The Daily Coach”, and hosts his own podcast "The GM Shuffle". In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Michael about learning football from Bill Walsh early in his career, Bill Belichick's ability to simplify the complex, and how leaders can find the right players when building a team. -- Buy Evan's book, Finding Intangibles EVAN BURK is an author, speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures. Learn more about having Evan come speak to your team by visiting his website, or email him at: evan@coachevanburk.com In this Episode: 2:00 | Learning football from Bill Walsh early in his career 4:30 | What defined Michael's early success 5:45 | Bill Walsh's Standard of Performance 7:45 | How Michael is still growing as a leader 9:00 | The simplicity of the system with Bill Belichick 10:15 | Admitting mistakes creates accountability 13:00 | How Belichick evolved as a leader over the years 14:45 | Belichick getting players aligned to the culture 16:30 | Finding the right players vs. collecting talent 18:15 | Assessing character in player evaluation 21:00 | Finding superb system players vs. star players 24:15 | How teams can build a resilient culture 28:00 | Understanding why you win and why you lose 31:30 | What makes writing so meaningful? -- Full Episode Show Notes Connect with Michael Lombardi on Twitter @mlombardinfl, read his book "Gridiron Genius", and listen to his TEDx talk "Leadership is Destroying Culture"

Blaine Scully is a recently retired professional and international rugby player. His comprehensive leadership experience includes being captain of the United States Rugby team from 2016-2019, co-founding the US Rugby Players Association, working as a broadcast analyst with NBC Sports, and advising a number of sport technology companies. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Blaine about the foundation for success that was built in college at the University of California, the great team cultures he experienced in his professional rugby career overseas in the UK, and how he developed from a star player into a team leader on the US National team. 2:00 | Being a multi-sport athlete growing up 4:30 | Learning to play rugby at an older age 9:15 | Cal Rugby building the "Foundation" for Blaine as a player and person 11:20 | Blaine's leadership education and the "Constant Performance Improvement" at Cal 16:00 | The journey of transitioning into professional ruby in the UK 19:30 | Playing for two historic pro rugby clubs 23:00 | Co-founding the US Rugby Players Association 25:30 | Blaine's evolution as a leader 31:00 | Being strategic with your voice as a leader and empowering others 32:15 | Commonalities in the 4 organizations he played for 34:45 | Gratitude for the journey and "the uniqueness of the experience"

John Thomas is an executive with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, where oversees basketball development for both Minnesota's NBA and WNBA franchises. As a former NBA player, he played for the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, and his hometown Timberwolves, and was a part of the University of Minnesota's Final Four run in the 1997 NCAA Tournament his senior year in college. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with John about making the Final Four in college, his professional career in the NBA, playing overseas, and returning to the NBA, and the profound impact his basketball journey had on his own personal development. 2:00 | John's beginnings as an athlete 4:15 | Ending up at the University of Minnesota 6:00 | The essence of culture that was set by Coach Clem Haskins on the Minnesota basketball team 8:00 | Subtle ways the coaching staff built the culture 10:15 | University of Minnesota's Final Four run his senior year 14:45 | Adjusting to the NBA and the approach of NBA coaches 22:45 | Playing overseas and his journey back to the NBA 33:45| John's role as an NBA executive 38:45 | Where John focuses in his own personal growth

Ronnie Vinklarek is a football coach that has coached at every level of football: NFL, college, and high school. He now works as a speaker and coach, teaching audiences his success principles through the story of his own coaching journey. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Ronnie on his unique family circumstance that influenced his decision to become a coach, what he learned from working with great coaches in his career, and the traits needed to be a successful leader and a winning team. 2:00 | Unique family circumstances influencing his decision to pursue coaching 5:00 | Learning to coach by watching others 7:15 | "A great leader adheres to the people around them" 11:00 | Taking genuine care and interest in the people you lead 15:45 | What stood out about the great coaches Ronnie worked with 18:30 | Consistency is better than greatness 20:45 | Leading with an Attitude of Gratitude 22:30 | What makes a great offensive linemen? 25:15 | Team chemistry separates the really great teams 28:30 | "The Chain of Success"

Jonathan Van Horn is a National Soccer Director for Athletes in Action, where he currently works with college and professional teams on character and team development, and also hosts the SHIFT Podcast, which focuses on assisting athletes through successful transitions in sport and in life. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Jonathan about how he started working with athletes early in his career, why emotional and character development is more important now than ever, and the immense power of the stories we tell to others and ourselves. 2:00 | Starting to work with athletes transitioning out of sports 6:00 | Working a The Ohio State University with football and wrestling teams 8:45 | Emphasis on the value of relationships 12:30 | Career of mentoring athletes and working with teams 14:45 | Where athletes struggle the most? 19:00 | The Power of Stories 22:30 | Working with athletes and teams through his SHIFT course and framework 30:00 | The Importance of emotional and character development 37:00 | Looking for character and how to develop character 39:30 | Starting with "The Iceberg" when working with athletes 41:00 | Jonathan's purpose for writing the book

Jamey Rootes served as President of the NFL's Houston Texans for 20 seasons. Before joining the Texans, he was president and general manager of the Columbus Crew in the MLS, and recently published his book, "The Winning Game Plan". In this conversation, I talk to Jamey about how to create an identity as a new NFL Franchise, the habits that helped form the winning culture in Houston, and the great mentors that influenced him in his career. 2:00 | The camaraderie that helped Clemson win 2 National Championships 4:30 | Being a team executive in professional soccer 7:45 | Creating an identity as a new NFL franchise 10:15 | Leading from the front office with the Houston Texans 14:30 | Building the team culture and having the values drive behaviors 18:45 | Importance of trust in building relationships 22:00 | Admitting mistakes as a leader and utilizing After Action Reviews 25:45 | JJ Watt and Andre Johnson as "Triple Threats" 31:00 | Influence of mentors on Jamey's career 33:00 | Putting his leadership philosophy into his new book

Brendan Burger is the Director of Equipment for the Los Angeles Rams, and has spent a career working in NFL and college locker rooms with the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Rutgers University, and UCLA. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Brendan about leaving college early for his 1st NFL opportunity, developing relationships with Hall of Fame players and great coaches, and the equipment staff being the heartbeat of the team. 1:45 | What does it mean to work in Equipment for an NFL Team? 4:15 | How his 1st NFL opportunity came about before even graduating from college 10:00 | Going to work for the New York Jets 17:30 | How did the team culture change with Rex Ryan in New York? 26:30 | Rex Ryan's authentic leadership style 32:30 | Differences in NFL and college locker rooms 40:45 | 1st impressions of Sean McVay 44:45 | What stood out about the best teams and players you were around? 48:30 | Equipment as the heartbeat of the team

Marc Stcherbina is a leadership consultant and sports broadcaster, and previously played professional rugby and represented Australia on the national team during a 12-year professional career. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Marc about the great teams he played for during his professional career, the importance of fair and honest communication from leaders, and how he uses the principles learned from his playing career in his work as a consultant and coach today.   2:00 | The start to his professional rugby career 10:30 | Developing the ability to fit into any team 15:30 | The progression of his professional career 22:00 | Experiencing teams with family atmospheres and great cultures 29:00 | Are team cultures on rugby teams driven by coaches or players? 33:45 | The leaders that had the lasting impact on Marc 40:00 | The value of honest feedback 45:00 | Marc's transition into life after rugby 49:00 | "The same principles apply from rugby to any business" 53:30 | Working with the Major League Rugby

Chris Canetti is professional soccer team executive who is currently serving as the President of the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee. Canetti has previously served as a team executive in pro soccer and baseball for over 20 years, including 8 seasons as team president for the Houston Dynamo's, and 3 seasons as GM with the Rockies minor league team, New Haven Ravens. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Chris about going from clubhouse manager to the GM role of a minor league baseball team in only 3 years, Learning to be a team executive at an uncommonly young age, and how he influenced team culture from the role of team president. 2:00 | Starting out working in minor league baseball 8:00 | Learning Team Management as an Executive at a young age 11:30| Leaving baseball for Soccer 18:30 | How do you influence the team culture from the role of team executive 21:45 | Traits they looked for in the people 25:00 | What does it take to compete for a championship in the MLS? 28:00 | Experiences that stood out in Houston 31:45| Leading the World Cup bid for Houston 2026

Ben Rosenberg and Bret Levine are behavioral psychologists who study how people and teams interact with themselves, and also host “Head Games”, a light-hearted podcast focused on using the psychology of human behavior to help explain current events in professional sports. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Ben and Bret on the differences of situational and internal motivation, the methods to measure and increase team cohesion, and the importance of accepting roles in creating great team chemistry. 2:00 | Head Games: Ben + Bret backgrounds and how they first met 7:30 | The challenge of finding teams will to experiment 12:30 | Unseen traits of grit + persistence continually coming up on their podcast 17:00 | Situations + environments effecting players success or failure 19:45 | Team Chemistry and how to define it 24:30 | How do you measure team chemistry? 32:30 | How much effect one player can have on team cohesion 36:00 | Ways to increase team cohesion and the importance of accepting roles 40:30 | Teams that stand out in terms of teams chemistry 44:30 | What they've learned on their podcast over the past year?

Robert Yip is a sport psychologist and strength and conditioning coach that has worked with individual athletes and team-based sports from soccer, rugby, volleyball and Gaelic games.  He currently works as a performance coach for professional esports organizations, focused on helping players, coaches, and teams reach their peak performance. In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with Robert on his transition from traditional sports to working with professional esports organizations, the consistency in players that drives team success in all sports, and how stability in people is needed for team to build a winning culture. 1:45 | Robert's sports psychology background and his early work in Esports 7:45 | What did your work in Esports teach you about working with players? 10:15 | Challenges in developing soft skills with players and teams 16:30 | Importance of Relationships 20:15 | Creating buy-in and establishing accountability 22:15 | Culture vs. Skill: "Culture is everything" 27:15 | The great players want to be coached hard and held accountable 35:00 | "Your best player has to be representative of the culture you are trying to build" 37:20 | Team Building: Know what you want for your culture + in your players 38:30 | The people that drive culture are the consistent players 41:00 | Golden State Warriors + Having players be a model for your core values 43:15 | What has Esports gotten right about building culture? And what have they gotten wrong? 45:00 | Developing esports coaches: "There is no Bill Belichick in Esports"  

Victor Cruz began his career in scouting and player development with the Boston Red Sox, worked with agent Scott Boras in player representation for over a decade, and currently represents esports athletes through his firm, Brandy Ro Gaming. In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Victor on how major league baseball teams scout players on and off the field, the lessons he learned on how the Boston Red Sox Built a championship team from their 1st title run in 2004, and how ambition is the force that drives all great players. 1:45 | Interning with the Boston Red Sox while in college 4:45 | Working in scouting + player development with the Boston Red Sox 10:15 | Getting insight on how players were off-the-field 12:00 | "Focusing on whats going on around the game when they are not playing" 13:30 | Understanding players culturally + providing guidance to young players 15:40 | Building a championship team in Boston 20:45 | Understanding the human aspect of baseball scouting + building relationships 27:00 | How ambition drives the development of most players 32:00 | Transitioning to working with Scott Boras + player representation 37:45 | Getting into Gaming + Esports athlete representation 44:30 | Podcasting on MMA with his son -- Find "The Guillotine MMA Podcast" on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Soundcloud, and follow on twitter: @guillotine_mma and on instagram: @theguillotinemma.  Follow Victor on twitter: @_cruzvictor and on Instagram: @_cruzvictor  

Paul Svagdis is entering his 19th season as the Head Baseball Coach for Azusa Pacific University. Before arriving at Azusa, he spent 6 seasons as the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, and in 25 years as a college head coach holds over 600 wins and has been named PacWest coach of the year each of the last 3 seasons. In this interview, Evan Burk speaks with Paul on how he uses his football mentality in his approach to coaching baseball, finding leadership potential in the recruiting process, and how having a player that sets the standard is a crucial element on all his great teams. 1:40 | What has impressed you most about your players over the past year since the canceled 2020 season? 4:10 | Teaching baseball over zoom + keeping players engaged in a virtual world 8:30 | Bringing the football mentality to his baseball coaching 12:30 | The adaptation + difference in how he led early in his coaching career to now 16:45 | Recruiting: Worrying less about results and more about how they handled the results 20:40 | Building the team mindset + culture - Does resiliency come from recruiting, or from the coaching staff? 22:30 | Shifting the Culture at Azusa - What stood out to you as the things that really helped flip that culture? 28:20 | Having a Player that sets the standard 33:15 | Being purposeful in his approach to recruiting + asking the right questions 38:45 | What are you looking for when looking at a potential prospect? 42:15 | Are there exceptions that you make in your evaluation? Or pretty rigid in your evaluation process? 44:50 | NFL Team Building: Putting guys in the right system 49:15 | Reflecting on the ability to take teams from good to great 55:20 | What goes into a good baseball nickname?

Clif Carroll is in his first season as the Head Coach for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Men's basketball team, after having previously served as the head coach at McMurry University and Sul Ross University, and had the privilege to spend his early career working under two Hall of Fame coaches, Steve Green at South Plains College and Bobby Knight at Texas Tech. In this interview, Evan Burk speaks with Clif on how Bobby Knight's 3x5 index card influenced his approach to coaching, the way his recruiting philosophy changed after having kids, and the lessons of Texas BBQ restaurants he uses to lead his team. 2:00 | Learning from working under Coach Bobby Knight at Texas Tech 4:30 | What stood out about Coach Knight's leadership? 5:45 | What Clif learned from Bobby Knight - The simplicity of a 3x5 Index Card 8:30 | Coach Leach at Texas Tech and Learning the Air Raid Offense 9:45 | Other sources of inspiration like country music + BBQ restaurants 11:30 | "Great coaches can coach anything" 13:20 | Chris Beard as a young assistant at Texas 16:30 | Using Authenticity in his coaching 20:15 | "Part of being authentic is knowing your weaknesses" 24:10 | Social Media + The "Generation of Celebrity" changing how coaches deal with players 27:00 | Coaches now have to really coach up Loyalty, Community, interaction between the kids 29:30 | Finding intangible traits in the players in recruiting 32:15 | "Circling up the Player" + gathering information 34:30 | How having kids changed his coaching and view of recruiting 35:45 | "I have been really looking for players that are high achievers" 36:45 | Sul Ross and his mentality taking that job. 44:15 | Mentality taking over the UMHB Program 49:30 | The Early Success putting his culture in place at UMHB 52:30 | Expanding his player's horizons with Country Music

Dr. Alex Auerbach joined the Toronto Raptors as the Director of Wellness and Development in May 2020, after spending the previous two years serving as the Director of Clinical and Sport Psychology for the University of Arizona. Alex is a former football coach-turned-sports psychologist who specializes in sport and performance psychology, and has worked with elite athletes at every level of competition including NCAA Division 1 colleges, multiple professional sports organizations, and Olympic athletes over the past decade. In this interview, Evan Burk speaks with Alex about how leaders can maximize their leadership potential and feel more comfortable in their roles. They discuss: 2:15 | Alex's leadership evolution over his career 4:45 | How organizations and leaders can develop relationships with their people 7:00 | Trusting your instincts as a young leader 9:00 | Real leadership = doing what you need to do for somebody else to be the best 14:00 | Building trust through consistency 17:30 | The importance of honesty and integrity with your team 19:00 | People wanting honesty from their leaders 21:30 | Developing a Self-Reflection practice to improve your leadership 22:15 | Where Alex sees coaches can make improvements 27:00 | Differences in leadership from players vs. coaches 31:00 | The value of radical transparency in people that surround coaches 34:30 | "Not everyone has earned a right to have a voice in the culture" 37:30 | Alex's decision-making process and how he makes tough decisions Connect with Alex: Twitter  

Steve Stigall played college football at the University of Texas, worked as a member of the football coaching staffs at UT and SMU, and currently serves as a Pastor at the Eastside Community Church in Dallas, Texas. In our conversation, we dive into what led to the rise of UT football under Mack Brown and his leadership, the culture change he experienced first-hand during his time with SMU football, and the moment he knew it was time for a career transition.