Momentum Sessions is a podcast for coaches building better teams.
Host Matt Minkus talks with leading coaches and experts about the everyday work of building team culture: setting clear standards, earning trust, developing leaders, and helping athletes take ownership.
Featuring conversations with guests including Jay Bilas, Herm Edwards, Mike Candrea, and Molly Miller, each episode explores the habits, decisions, and relationships that help teams thrive, offering practical ideas you can bring to your next practice.
You’ve named your captains. How do you help them—and the rest of your team—actually learn to lead? J.P. Nerbun, founder of TOC Culture and author of The Culture Captain, explains why leadership begins with self-awareness and grows through everyday experiences. He shares how coaches can help athletes speak up, support teammates, and take responsibility when they fall short. In this episode, we explore: • How the four levels of leadership—know yourself, lead yourself, lead others, and lead the ...
8 Oct 2026
Turn Team Values Into Everyday Behaviors | Emma Doyle
Respect. Effort. Teamwork. What do those words actually look like at practice? Emma Doyle, coach and author of What Makes a Great Coach, discusses how coaches turn team values into specific behaviors athletes can understand, practice, and take ownership of. Coach EM also shares why athletes need a voice in shaping their team’s values and how coaches can guide that process through better questions and consistent reinforcement. She also explores how everyday coaching choices help athletes build...
1 Oct 2026
Coachable Doesn’t Mean Compliant | Ric Bucher
Can an athlete disagree with a coach and still be highly coachable? Ric Bucher, sports journalist and author of Coachable, shares how confidence, humility, and trust help athletes take greater responsibility for their development. He explores why asking questions can signal investment, why athletes need to understand the purpose behind their role, and what it takes to turn feedback into action. In this episode, we explore: • Why an athlete’s questions can open the door to greater commitment a...
24 Sept 2026
You Don’t Want Compliance. You Want Ownership. | Carol Hutchins
Your athletes know the rules. But what happens when you’re not in the room? Carol “Hutch” Hutchins, drawing on her years leading University of Michigan softball, shares what it takes to build a program that athletes feel responsible for. From earning trust to developing captains, she explores how coaches help players take greater responsibility for their growth, their teammates, and the standards they share. In this episode, we explore: • Why teammate accountability starts with everyday conne...
21 Sept 2026
Season 3 Trailer: From Buy-In to Ownership
You’ve explained the standards. You’ve talked about accountability. But you’re still the one doing all the reminding. How do you help your athletes take ownership? Season 3 of Momentum Sessions explores how coaches help athletes take greater responsibility for their actions, their teammates, and the culture they’re building together. Hosted by Matt Minkus, this season features conversations with: • Carol Hutchins • Ric Bucher • Emma Doyle • J.P. Nerbun • Zach Brandon • Jay Martin Together, we...
9 Jul 2026
Why Great Teams Make Leadership "Cool" | Dave Clawson
In our Season 2 finale, Dave Clawson, the former head football coach at Wake Forest, shares why leadership and character must become part of a team’s identity long before they’re needed. He explains why great programs intentionally celebrate the behaviors they want repeated and why making leadership “cool” creates teams that stay connected when pressure rises. In this episode, we discuss: • Why leadership and character should be celebrated • What actually holds teams together under pressure...
Former MLB player and current youth baseball coach Zach Lutz explains why successful programs don't chase the latest drill or coaching trend. Instead, they relentlessly reinforce the fundamentals, establish clear expectations, and create an environment where everyone understands what winning behavior looks like. In this episode, we discuss: • Why healthy cultures aren't built on star players • The importance of clear, non-negotiable standards • Why fundamentals beat gimmicks over time • Creat...
25 Jun 2026
Your Athletes Believe What They See, Not What You Say | Kerry Castillo
Leadership and high school coach Kerry Castillo explains why one of the biggest threats to team culture is the say-do gap—the distance between the standards we communicate and the behaviors we consistently model. If your body language, energy, and daily habits don't reinforce your message, athletes notice. And over time, that gap quietly erodes trust. In this episode, we discuss: • What the "say-do gap" really is • Why athletes believe actions more than words • How body language shapes team c...
18 Jun 2026
Most Teams Lose Before the Season Starts | Randy Jackson
Coach and leadership expert Randy Jackson explains why great teams focus on winning "Day Zero." It's the period before competition begins when expectations are set, relationships are built, and culture is established. Randy shares why culture matters more than strategy, how alignment impacts performance, and why getting everyone moving in the same direction is one of the most important responsibilities of a coach. In this episode, we discuss: • Why most teams lose before the season starts • C...
11 Jun 2026
You Said It. That Doesn't Mean They Heard It. | Betsy Butterick
Most coaches assume communication happened because they delivered the message. But athletes don't respond to what was said. They respond to what they heard, understood, and believed. In this conversation, communication specialist Betsy Butterick explains why many of the frustrations coaches experience stem from what she calls the "illusion of understanding," which is the belief that everyone is on the same page when they actually aren't. In this episode, we discuss: • The illusion of understa...
4 Jun 2026
Top Programs Are Built in Small Daily Moments | Molly Miller
Arizona State women's basketball coach Molly Miller shares how elite cultures are built through consistent habits, intentional standards, and everyday interactions that compound over time. In this episode, we discuss: • The habits that create sustainable success • How consistency builds trust within a team • The role of standards in long-term culture building • Why little things become big things over time 🎧 This conversation originally took place inside Momentum Sessions, a free community fo...
2 Jun 2026
Season 2 Trailer: Leadership Under Pressure
Momentum Sessions returns with a new season of conversations on culture, leadership, and building teams that last. Last season, we explored why culture matters. This season, we're going deeper into the daily interactions, communication habits, leadership behaviors, and standards that shape successful teams. Featuring conversations with: • Molly Miller • Dave Clawson • Betsy Butterick • Randy Jackson • Kerry Castillo • Zach Lutz We'll explore topics like: ✔ Why winning programs are built throu...
30 Apr 2026
Why Most Team Culture Doesn’t Stick (And What Actually Works) | Greg Berge
By now, you’ve heard it from multiple angles: Culture matters. Standards matter. Leadership matters. Relationships matter. But here’s the real challenge: Why doesn’t it stick? In this conversation, coach Greg Berge breaks down culture in the simplest way possible. He explains why most teams struggle with consistency and how great programs turn culture from an idea into something athletes actually experience. If you’ve ever felt like your team understands what matters (but doesn’t consistently...
23 Apr 2026
Stop Coaching the Player—Start Coaching the Person | Mike Candrea
Legendary softball coach Mike Candrea shares the foundation behind his success, including the three traits every great coach must develop: competence, compassion, and caring. He explains why relationships drive performance and how understanding your athletes as people changes everything about how they show up. If you want to build stronger connections, better trust, and a more resilient team, this episode will challenge how you think about coaching. In this episode, we cover: Why coachi...
16 Apr 2026
Most Coaches Get This Wrong About Motivation | Herm Edwards
In this conversation, legendary NFL coach and ESPN analyst Herm Edwards explains how great teams are built when players take ownership and why the best coaches know when to be encouragers instead of just disciplinarians. In this episode, we cover: Why hope is a coach’s greatest gift How to know when to encourage versus discipline The balance of being coach-fed and player-led The importance of letting players feel ownership and leadership🎧 This conversation originally...
9 Apr 2026
Hard Work Is Killing Your Team’s Culture | Tony Holler
Most coaches believe that when things aren’t working, the answer is simple: do more. But what if that mindset is actually hurting your team’s culture? In this conversation, track coach and performance innovator Tony Holler shares the moment that changed everything: when his own son didn’t want to be part of the team. That experience led him to rethink what “hard work” actually means and how traditional approaches can quietly damage buy-in, trust, and long-term performance. In this episode, we...
2 Apr 2026
Standards Inspire. Rules Restrict. | Rob Miller
Leadership expert Rob Miller explains why culture lives at “3 feet,” not 30,000 feet. He breaks down the difference between rules and standards and how great programs define specific behaviors that athletes can actually execute. If your team understands what you want but isn’t consistently showing it, this episode will help you close that gap. In this episode, we cover: Why vague standards lead to inconsistent teams The difference between rules and standards How to define beha...
26 Mar 2026
Culture Isn’t What You Say; It’s What You Tolerate | Jay Bilas
ESPN analyst and former Duke basketball player Jay Bilas breaks down why culture isn’t what you say; it’s what you tolerate. He shares how standards are actually enforced, how coaches unintentionally shape behavior, and why emotional control starts with leadership at the top. In this episode, we cover: Why talent is overrated without standards How coaches unintentionally reinforce the wrong behaviors Why your demeanor teaches more than your words What ac...
23 Mar 2026
Season 1 Trailer: Culture Before Talent
Momentum Sessions kicks off with a deep dive into what actually makes teams successful. Hosted by Matt Minkus and featuring thought leaders in season one like Jay Bilas, Herm Edwards, Mike Candrea, and others, we explore how culture is the true foundation of every successful team. Join us as we unpack real-world insights and practical strategies, setting the stage for our first season: Culture Before Talent. About Momentum Sessions Momentum Sessions is a free, private community where coaches...
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