Sports are more than just games. Competition is a classroom for the human experience. While scoreboards declare winners and losers, the real value of athletics is the lessons that transcend any field of play. Lessons like perseverance, leadership, and resilience. And coaches are the people responsible for teaching these principles to athletes and fans alike. Have you ever wondered what shaped the philosophy or leadership style of your favorite coaches? A new podcast from KSL - Coach’s Book Club - asks coaches and athletes to share how their favorite books educated, changed or inspired them. Hosts David James and Amy Donaldson are veteran journalists who’ve covered everything from Olympic triumphs to high school heartbreaks. Each month, they'll introduce you to a coach and get their book club pick. Then, we'll read the book together and discuss the characters, themes and lessons. And we want to hear your take, too. This isn't just a podcast to listen to, it's a community. So join the coach's book club!
Former basketball coach and long-time broadcast analyst Joe Cravens returns to discuss his book choice - The Last Innocents by Michael Leahy. We each share some of our favorite moments and stories from the book that explores how the 1960s Dodgers navigated tumultuous changes in the world - and the sport of baseball. From scenes where pitcher Sandy Koufax and infielder Maury Wills read each other’s hate mail to a conversation between pitcher James “Mudcat” Grant and then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy that ended up changing the lives of many people in his rural hometown, the book gives readers countless new insights and life lessons as it chronicles the Dodgers’ ascendance in baseball. Coach Cravens also shares some of his other favorite books - Our Team by Luke Epplin about the men that came together to lead the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World Series championship, and Casey Stengel: Baseball’s Greatest Character by Marty Appel. This episode is also our final episode before taking a production break. We plan to be back with more coaches and books in a couple of months. We have loved getting to know these coaches and reading the books that made them the leaders that we love. We appreciate all of the support we’ve enjoyed and we will keep you posted on our return. Until then, happy reading!
13 Jul 2026
Episode 20: Chari Hawkins and The Happiness Advantage
Olympic and Utah State track athlete Chari Hawkins joins us to talk about how reading The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor changed her life. The Idaho native talks about growing up an athlete who based her value on performance and appearance. She overcame an eating disorder and tragic loss to transform her athletic career in college, but when she failed to make the Olympic team on the timeline she expected, she found herself questioning everything, including whether she wanted to continue living. A call to a suicide hotline was the beginning of her finding new ways to define her worth and her success, and she made her Olympic Dreams come true when she earned the right to represent the U.S. in the Paris Games in 2024. She had one of the most high-profile failures at the Games, but because of the transformation she’d gone through, she became a symbol of resilience, gratitude and sportsmanship. Her story is full of wisdom and the book gives a road map for how she made lasting changes in her life. Don’t miss this incredible conversation!
6 Jul 2026
Episode 19: Joe Cravens on sports and politics
Join us for a wide-ranging, entertaining conversation with a man who has done it all - retired coach and current broadcaster, Joe Cravens. Recently inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, Cravens was a successful division one men’s basketball coach at Weber State University and after he’d retired from coaching, answered a plea to help St. Joseph Catholic High School with their girls basketball program. He talks about the difference between teaching the game to teenage girls and college men - and also what doesn’t change, regardless of skill, gender or league. Coach Cravens spent his life teaching and talking about basketball, but he grew up playing and watching Major League Baseball. He chose a book about a pivotal time in history and how baseball, specifically the Dodger team led by Jewish pitcher Sandy Koufax and African-American infielder Maury Wills, played a role in changes in baseball and society. It’s a fascinating book with a lot to teach us about modern sports, and Coach Cravens is the perfect guide. Join us in reading The Last Innocents by Michael Leahy - our July book of the month!
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