The Coaching Mindset in Education
Throughout my life, sports and education have been intimately linked. As someone who organized a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for 15 years and spent countless hours on both the court and in the classroom, I’ve come to see that many of the skills a great coach uses to guide a team to victory are the very same qualities needed to lead a school to success. Coaching isn’t just about X’s and O’s or drills—it’s about relationships, motivation, and developing individual strengths for the good of the group. In this blog, I’ll explore how adopting coaching principles can help principals and school leaders become more effective, inspire their staff, and ultimately elevate student outcomes.
Building Trust and Relationships
One of the first lessons I learned on the basketball court was that players perform their best when they trust their coach. Trust doesn’t happen overnight; it’s built through consistency, honesty, and genuine care. In a school setting, building trust with teachers, staff, and students is equally important. As a principal, I make it a priority to be visible in hallways, to greet staff and students by name, and to follow through on my commitments—whether that’s supporting a teacher’s request for resources or acknowledging a student’s achievements.
When educators feel that their leader listens to their concerns and supports their growth, they are more willing to take risks in the classroom. Similarly, students who trust their principal are more likely to engage, ask questions, and work hard. Just as a basketball coach invests time in getting to know each player’s strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations, a school leader must invest time in relationships to foster a positive, collaborative climate.
Establishing Clear Goals and Vision
Coaches rarely take the court without a game plan, and they always establish clear goals for both individual players and the team as a whole. In education, a principal must likewise set a vision and communicate it effectively. When our staff and students know exactly what we’re aiming for—whether it’s closing achievement gaps, improving graduation rates, or enhancing school culture—they can align their daily work with those objectives.
I encourage teachers to set both short-term and long-term goals for their students, much like a coach sets incremental performance targets for athletes. For instance, if our goal is to increase reading proficiency by a certain percentage, we break it down into quarterly benchmarks, monitor progress through assessments, and adjust instruction as needed. By keeping goals visible—posting them in the teacher’s lounge or sharing them with families at open houses—we create a shared sense of purpose that drives collective effort.
Communicating with Clarity and Consistency
Effective coaches are masters of communication. They provide clear instructions, give timely feedback, and ensure that every player understands their role. In school leadership, communication is equally critical. From daily announcements to staff meetings, clarity and consistency determine whether initiatives succeed or falter.
In my experience, one of the most important communication strategies is the regular “huddle”—a brief, focused meeting with staff to discuss progress, celebrate successes, and address challenges. During these huddles, I encourage open dialogue: teachers share innovative strategies that worked in their classrooms, and I provide updates on district priorities or scheduling changes. By maintaining a consistent communication schedule, we reduce misunderstandings and keep everyone invested in our collective goals.
Emphasizing Continuous Feedback and Reflection
On the basketball court, a coach offers constant feedback—“Great box-out!” or “Stay low on defense!”—and immediately adjusts strategy based on what they see. Similarly, principals must provide ongoing feedback to teachers and support their professional growth. Formal evaluations are necessary, but informal walkthroughs and regular check-ins are where real growth happens.
I make a point of visiting classrooms frequently, not to “judge” but to observe and offer constructive feedback. After a walkthrough, I’ll share one or two strengths I noticed and one area for growth, then follow up a week later to see how those strategies are going. This cycle of feedback and reflection mirrors the way a coach reviews game film with players and helps teachers refine their practice on a weekly basis.
Cultivating Resilience and Adaptability
Every coach knows that not every game will go as planned. Injuries occur, opponents surprise you, and momentum shifts. In those moments, coaches teach resilience—how to keep pushing, adjust strategy, and stay focused on the next play. School leadership also requires that same resilience and adaptability, especially when unexpected challenges arise.
Whether it’s a sudden staffing shortage, a technology failure, or changes in state assessments, principals need to respond quickly, communicate transparently, and keep morale high. I recall a semester when our school faced a significant budget cut just as we were rolling out a new literacy initiative. Rather than canceling the program, we adjusted timelines, sought community partnerships for supplemental resources, and rallied our team around creative solutions. Just as a coach draws up a new play when the original one isn’t working, I learned to pivot and find alternative paths to our goals.
Empowering Individual Strengths for Team Success
A great coach recognizes that each player brings unique skills to the team—one might excel at shooting three-pointers, another at playing lockdown defense. The coach’s job is to position each player where they can maximize their strengths while supporting teammates. In schools, principals should view teachers and staff through that same lens: identifying individual talents and aligning them with roles that benefit the entire school community.
For example, if a teacher is exceptionally skilled at integrating technology into lessons, I might invite them to lead a professional development session for their colleagues. If another staff member is a natural mentor, I pair them with new teachers as part of our induction program. By leveraging individual strengths, we create a balanced, high-performing school team—much like a coach builds a championship roster.
Celebrating Successes and Learning from Losses
Coaches know that celebrating a win isn’t just about trophies; it’s about reinforcing behaviors that led to success. Likewise, principals must recognize and celebrate victories—whether it’s improved test scores, a successful school event, or a teacher’s creative lesson plan. These celebrations reinforce a positive culture and motivate staff and students to strive for further success.
Conversely, coaches view losses as learning opportunities—analyzing what went wrong and how to improve. After a difficult school year—perhaps one marked by high teacher turnover or disappointing academic results—it’s important to conduct a “postmortem”: assembling the team, reviewing data, and openly discussing both strengths and weaknesses. By framing setbacks as a chance for growth, we cultivate a resilient mindset that carries over into future challenges.
Leading with the Heart of a Coach
Coaching and school leadership may operate on different stages, but the underlying principles are remarkably similar. Whether I’m drawing up plays on the basketball court or developing a strategic plan for our school, the essence of leadership remains relationship-driven, goal-oriented, and adaptable. By applying coaching techniques—building trust, setting clear objectives, communicating effectively, providing ongoing feedback, fostering resilience, leveraging individual strengths, and celebrating success—principals can transform their schools into teams that perform at their highest potential.
As someone who has seen firsthand how coaching principles can elevate a team’s performance, I challenge my fellow educators to step onto the court of school leadership with that same mindset. When we lead with the heart of a coach, we empower our teachers, inspire our students, and position our schools for lasting success.