These moments from our Character Coach Training reflect the heart of this ministry: people committed to prayer, presence, and walking alongside coaches, student-athletes, and families through every season.
Before they pour into a team, they pray…for one another and for the people God is entrusting to their care.
On the mountaintops, a character coach is there to celebrate and give thanks. In the valleys, they’re there to listen, pray, and help carry the weight. Through it all, they point people back to the hope and strength found in Christ.
We believe there is power in having someone on your team who cares for your soul, knows your burdens, and reminds you that you don’t have to carry them alone.
Coach, we’re talking offense this Thursday for Week 5 of the 2026 Preseason Growth Series!
Join Tee Butters, Associate Head Coach/General Manager at Providence College, as he breaks down his pace and space offensive system and shares how it created scoring opportunities and fueled offensive production at South Florida.
📅 Thursday, October 15
⏰ LIVE at 8 AM ET | 7 AM CT
There’s still time to join us! Sign up through the link below to receive the livestream link, and tag a coach who would benefit from this session.
nationsofcoaches.com/pgs/
Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.” That’s the power you have, Coach…and student athletes need mentors and strong coaches now more than ever!
Grateful to @LaVall_Jordan for this good word at our leadership clinic earlier this year!
Nations of Coaches retweeted
Nick Saban reflects on the loneliness of being a head coach and the value of having people who help you see beyond your own perspective.
“Especially once you get to be a head coach, who do you talk to?...It’s interesting sometimes that the outside perspective is a little different than your perception of what it might be. And that’s very, very helpful.”
When you’re immersed in the daily demands of leading a team, it can be difficult to recognize your own blind spots, question your assumptions, or see the toll the job is taking.
As the saying goes, it’s hard to read the label from inside the jar. People outside your day-to-day world can help you recognize what you might otherwise overlook.
Those relationships also give you space to speak honestly and work through challenges without feeling like you need to have every answer.
Coaches spend so much time investing in others. They deserve relationships where someone is invested in them.
If you’d like to build more support around you, I’m happy to help you explore what that could look like and who/what might help.
🎥: This Past Weekend with Theo Von
Meaningful growth cannot be rushed. Stay patient with your players, yourself, and the process. Keep building, Coach.
Coaches, join us tomorrow! 🏀
Ira Bowman of @AuburnMBB is joining us for our next Preseason Growth Series session, and there’s still time to sign up!
Make time to learn, grow, and invest in your coaching before the season gets underway.
📅 Tomorrow, October 8th at 8 AM EST
🔗 Sign up to watch: nationsofcoaches.com/pgs
Congratulations to Coach Jim Kessler our 2026 Jim Haney Master Coach Award recipient! 🏆
This award honors coaches who exemplify the “Master Coach,” Jesus Christ, through their leadership on and off the court, in their personal lives, families, and communities.
For more than four decades at @gracecollege Coach Kessler lived out that calling by investing in his players’ spiritual and personal growth. His legacy reaches far beyond basketball, reflecting a lifelong commitment to faith, discipleship, and service.
We’re honored to celebrate you, Coach Kessler! Well deserved!
@GraceLancers
Did you miss this past Thursday’s Preseason Growth Series with Ron Sanchez? Check out this incredible session where he breaks down pack defense! Click the link below! youtu.be/mdFHW-7MgVA?is=0gX2… via @YouTube
Supporting coaches means caring for the families walking alongside them, too.
This past weekend, more than 80 women gathered at our Canopy Wives Retreat for rest, connection, laughter, and growth with others who understand life in the coaching world.
Through retreats, Bible studies, and ongoing community, Nations of Coaches offers coaches’ wives a place to find encouragement, build friendships, and be supported throughout every season.
If you’re a coach’s wife looking for connection, or a coach wanting to help your wife get involved, head to nationsofcoaches.com/noc-wiv… to learn more!
Missed last week’s Preseason Growth Series with Stephanie Norman, Kotie Kimball, and Akeem Miskdeen? 🏀 Catch their insights on becoming a great assistant coach!
Watch here: youtu.be/xXTaWSiM6m4
Coaches, join us this Thursday for the next Nations of Coaches Preseason Growth Series session! 🏀
We’re excited to hear from Ron Sanchez, Associate Head Coach of the Baylor men’s basketball team. Set aside 45 minutes to learn, grow, and get ready for the season alongside coaches from across the country.
📅 Thursday, October 1
⏰ 8:00–8:45 AM ET
💻 Online
It’s not too late to join us! Sign up at nationsofcoaches.com/pgs
This past week, more than 80 Nations of Coaches Character Coaches from across the country gathered in Nashville for our annual Character Coach Training!
It was a powerful time of connection, encouragement, and equipping, but also an incredibly strategic time as our Character Coaches received practical tools and important training to help them serve the men’s and women’s basketball programs they walk alongside throughout the year.
These Character Coaches are stepping into locker rooms, practices, offices, and everyday moments to invest in coaches and athletes, not just in who they are on the court, but in who they are becoming off of it.
We’re incredibly grateful for every Character Coach who said YES to showing up, building relationships, and making an eternal impact in the lives of coaches and athletes across the country. Nashville was just the beginning. Now it’s time to take it back to their teams!
Nations of Coaches retweeted
Check out this preseason series that @NationofCoaches is doing. If you are a coach, it is GOLD.
youtu.be/6hbz65joauk?is=P5fn…
Our Preseason Growth Series kicked off this morning with the incredible Josh Schertz! Check out the first session here!
youtu.be/6hbz65joauk?is=G4nv…
What does it take to build DOG mentality in your players? 🏀🔥
Coach Krista Gerlich of Texas Tech shares how she develops toughness, discipline & a competitive mindset.
Get more practical insight like this during our 7-week Pre-Season Growth Series!
📅 Starts THIS THURSDAY
⏰ 8–8:45 AM ET
💻Online
💵Free
Register: nationsofcoaches.com/pgs
🏀 ONE WEEK AWAY 🏀
The season is coming fast. Before the games begin, take the time to invest in the leader, coach, and person you want to be this year.
The Nations of Coaches Pre-Season Growth Series kicks off September 17Th and for 7 weeks each Thursday morning, we’re bringing together top-performing coaches and leaders to share practical insight, proven tools, and real encouragement to help you grow on and off the court.
📅 7 weeks
💻 Online
⏰ Thursdays | 8:00–8:45 AM ET
🔥 Built for coaches at every level
💵 FREE
We start ONE WEEK from today. Register now and join us for all 7 weeks!
🔗 Click the link to sign up: nationsofcoaches.com/pgs/
Coach Josh Schertz shares why culture is essential to building a championship DNA within your team.
Want more conversations like this?
Join us for the Nations of Coaches Pre-Season Growth Series and gain incredible insight, practical tools, and encouragement from top-performing coaches and leaders in the industry, all designed to help you grow as a coach, leader, and person.
📅 The series begins September 17!
Don’t miss it. Click here to sign up for free: nationsofcoaches.com/pgs/
Nations of Coaches retweeted
What an incredible 12 weeks of fellowship, prayer, and vulnerable conversations. It all culminated in a powerful and transformative retreat at Heartland Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Grateful for the opportunity to grow in my faith, get closer to God, and share this journey with some amazing people. A special thank you to Pastors Wren Aaron, Marcus Farmer, Michal Smith, and Rob Hendrickson for their leadership, wisdom, and investment in us. LaVall Jordan & Barclay Radebaugh were remarkable leaders.
12 weeks that I’ll carry with me for a long time. 🙏🏽✝️🏀 #FREEDOM – at Birmingham, AL

















