In a study conducted at Cal State Fullerton, researchers examined the coaching philosophies of 10 of the most successful collegiate baseball coaches in NCAA Division I history. The coaches who participated combined for an average of 23.3 years of coaching experience, an overall average win percentage of .677, and an average of 6.4 appearances at the College World Series.
The three overarching objectives for the coaches in this study were to maximize potential, build a championship-level program, and change lives. Although these objectives might seem obvious or widely adopted by coaches at all levels, the true test for any coach lies in bringing them to fruition. The philosophies of these exceptionally successful coaches revealed several fundamental principles deeply ingrained in the blueprint of their perennial success.
Six Key Principles for Building a Championship Culture
1. Be consistent. When a coach’s demeanor fluctuates on and off the field, players (and potentially, assistant coaches) will be uncertain about how to behave and navigate interactions. Such inconsistencies on the part of the head coach can breed unnecessary tension within a program and have a negative influence:
“You don’t want anybody coming out to the field and thinking or feeling like, ‘Coach must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Why is he overreacting to something like that?’ When I do need to come down hard on them, they know it’s coming. When they elect not to win the day or give their best effort, they kind of expect it. You are doing it because you are trying to make them the best they can possibly be.”
— George Horton
2. Establish strong relationships. One of the cornerstones of being an effective coach is developing connections with players. Mike Fox said he wants to “get to know them personally to better understand the way they think. You’re hoping that all the information you learn about them will reveal something to help you coach them.” By prioritizing relationships, coaches can provide more individualized instruction, motivation, and guidance:
“It is the relationships that make the difference. You have to get to know them, and you have to open yourself up so that they get to know you. You have to be yourself. You have to be there for them, you have to be with them, you have to motivate them, you have to challenge them, you have to explain things to them, you have to provide leadership and then you have to be there to encourage them to continue to take the risks that eventually will lead to failure—because it is a game of failure—and they need that security from you.”
— Augie Garrido
3. Create a culture of trust, respect, and high character. These coaches nurtured the culture of their teams by behaving in the best interest of their players, making them feel important, and reinforcing specific standards of excellence both on and off the field. They inspired players to embrace the program’s philosophies and systems. Character development was integral with measures of maturity extending beyond the field.
“You have to get the players to trust you 100 percent and you have to trust them 100 percent. We have to create a mutual bond to come together to be the best team we can become. So my job is to get the players to buy into the program and the culture, to respect each other, and to trust me and my coaching staff to take them beyond what they think is possible.” — Skip Bertman
4. Establish and uphold your standards. One method these coaches discussed for strengthening their programs’ culture was providing a clear set of standards. Interestingly, coaches did not present a long list of specific rules; they implemented overarching principles they expected players to follow. By making their standards broad and simple, it gave coaches flexibility to hold players accountable for a variety of behaviors both on and off the field. Andy Lopez just wanted his guys to be “dependable.” Mike Fox wanted his players to be “coachable and teachable.” Mike Martin shared two general standards—be the best you can be and do what’s right, and provided an example:
“If I said to my shortstop, ‘I want your glove to be fingers down, field the bottom of the ball, move your feet, and he says, ‘I was told to follow the ball and rely on my hands more than my feet.’ Then I say, ‘That was what you learned at your previous program, but this is the way I want it done here.’ The next 100 ground balls he’ll practice [is] exactly how I want it done, but when a game or scrimmage starts, he reverts back to the way he used to do it.
“If I don’t say something to him, I’m letting him play like he wants to play. Then what am I going to do when the third baseman and the second baseman want to play like they want to play? I’ve got to be sure my shortstop knows that’s not what we are working on, ‘I saw you, that’s not what we are working on, don’t tell me you can’t do it, I just watched you field 100 ground balls the right way.’”
5. Emphasize doing the right thing. Although doing the right thing was often discussed as a program standard, it warranted its own category due its pervasiveness across programs. It was a simple statement coaches used to encompass the values they sought to instill in their players. Their definition of winning was not measured by actual wins, losses, or performance statistics, it was based on the concept of “doing the right thing” or “doing things the right way” both on and off the field.
“Do what is right and do your best. You are going to fail as coach and when you do, learn from it and get better. Look at the individual needs of the players and recognize how to help create an environment where they can recognize their own self-worth and maintain the highest confidence they can.”
— Augie Garrido
6. Build unity. Coaches discussed providing their teams with a common vision for what they could achieve, treating players fairly, and making decisions in the best interest of the team. They also stressed the importance of swiftly addressing any signs of selfishness or cliques within the team. Coach Lopez shared a phrase he used his entire career:
“If I hear through the grapevine that a clique is starting to form, I’ll expose it. I’ll address it they same way I did for 35 years, ‘I’m going to try and help you as an individual because you deserve it, but as soon as your actions start hurting the program, then I have to help the program and we have to remove you because the program is bigger than you, and the program is bigger than any of us.” — Andy Lopez
Coaching transcends X’s and O’s and the accumulation of talented players. It’s about nurturing potential, forging bonds, and instilling values that endure far beyond the final out. It’s not just about the wins and losses—it’s about the legacy you leave behind, measured not in trophies, but in the hearts and minds of those you inspire.