Home Podcasts The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life
The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life

The Great Coaches: Leadership & Life

Paul Barnett & Jim Woolfrey 330 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

We explore leadership through the lens of high performance sport, by interviewing great coaches from around the world, to try and find ideas to help all of us be better leaders.

Episodes

John Speraw
John Speraw Aug 20, 2026 47:08 Our great coach on this episode is John Speraw.John is an American Volleyball coach. He played volleyball for UCLA and was part of 2 NCAA championship teams. After graduating he worked as an Assistant coach at UCLA before moving to UC Irvine as the head coach in 2002. Over 10 years he there he lead the team to 3 NCAA championships. In 2012 he returned to UCLA and has led the team to 2 NCAA ch
Book Club: Percy Cerutty
Book Club: Percy Cerutty Aug 6, 2026 51:35 This episode is a recording of our book club. The book we discuss is Why Die? The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty, 'Maker of Champions' by Graem Sims (Author).Percy Cerutty was an Australian athletics coach who transformed distance running in the 1950s and 1960s. Based at his rugged Portsea training camp, he developed the Stotan philosophy, blending Stoic discipline, Spartan toughness, natural di
Mick Byrne
Mick Byrne Jul 30, 2026 1:02:18 Our great coach on this episode is Mick ByrneMick is a Rugby Coach but his career astarted as an Australian Rules Football player where he won a premiership with Hawthorn in 1983. After retirning he moved into Rugby coaching and by 1999 was an Assistant coacxh with the Australian National Team. He would then go on to join the the New Zealand National team known as the All Blacks and was with them
Adam Voges
Adam Voges Jul 23, 2026 42:40 Our great coach on this episode is Adam Voges.As a cricketer Adam represented Australia at Test, One Day and T20 level. In 2017 he became the coach of the Western Australia team and the Perth ScorchersHe would ultimately go to lead them a three-peat of Sheffield Shield titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as well as guiding WA to the one-day trophy in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. As well as winning the BBL
On The Magic of Sports
On The Magic of Sports Jul 16, 2026 44:22 Todays episode is on The Magic of Sports and I am joined by the 92 year old Dr George Selleck who has just written a terrific new book by the same name. In 1956 he was drafted by the NBAs Philadelphia Warriors. He rejected the offer though and went to have a long and distinguished career as a psychologist and coach. He is a member of multiple Halls of Fame including Stanford Athletic, is the
Dom Starsia
Dom Starsia Jul 9, 2026 41:53 Dom Starsia is an American Lacross coach.As a player he represented the USA at the 1978 World Lacross Championship, while coaching in a variety of roles at his alma mater Brown University. In 1982 he came the head coach men's lacrosse team and led them to 2 Ivy League Championships. He then moved to the University of Virginia in 1993 and over 23 seasons led the Cavaliers to 4 NCAA championshi
Mike Dunlap
Mike Dunlap Jul 2, 2026 1:13:51 Our great coach on this episode is Mike DunlapMike is a basketball coach who has led teams in US Colleges, the NBA and in Australia. He was also an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks when then they defeated the Phoenix Suns to win their first NBA Championship in 2021. I first interviewed Mike in 2022, and since then we stayed in contact and he has appeared on the podcast in 2 other episodes,
Kath Tetley
Kath Tetley Jun 25, 2026 53:16 Our great coach on this episode is Kath Tetley.Kath is a Netball coach. She started her career as the first paid employee of Netball New South Wales in 1998 when the Commonwealth Bank Trophy began. She then progressed through roles working for Australian Netball while coaching at the state level. She then took on coaching roles with the newly formed GWS Fury and NSW state teams. In parallel she mo
Book Club: Sum It Up by Pat Summitt
Book Club: Sum It Up by Pat Summitt Jun 23, 2026 43:46 This episode is a recording of our book club. The book we discuss is Sum It Up by Pat Summitt Pat was an American basketball player who won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics and then transitioned into coaching leading the USA team to a Gold at the at the 1984 Olympics. However its as the coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012 that she is most famous. Over her car
John Mitchell
John Mitchell Jun 18, 2026 40:35 Our great coach on this episode is the Rugby Union coach John Mitchell.John retired as a player in 1995 and moved into coaching straight away as a a technical adviser/forwards with the Irish National team. In 2000 he returned to NZ as the head coach of the Chiefs in Super Rugby. He then went on lead NZ national team the All Blacks from 2001 to 2003, winning two Tri Nations titles and the
Staffan Olsson
Staffan Olsson Jun 11, 2026 53:45 Our Great Coach on this episode is Handball coach Staffan Olsson.Staffan played 357 times for the Swedish national team and won a silver medal three times at the Olympic Games. In 2005 he transitioned into coaching and over the next 5 years lead Hammarby to 3 Swedish National championships.In 2008 he became the Swedish National Mens coach and led them to the silver medal at the 2012 olympics.
Joe Montemurro
Joe Montemurro Jun 4, 2026 48:02 Joe Montemurro is a Football, or as it is called in some places, Soccer coach. Joe started coaching in his late 20’s in the early 2000’s in Australia. He progressed steadily through state league teams before achieving his first international position in Papua New Guinea. He was then appointed to lead Melbourne Victory in 2014 and Melbourne City in 2015 leading them to back to back championshi

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