,

Right now, as the Women’s NCAA Final Four is set, we’re watching four of the best minds in basketball lead their teams at the highest level. 

But their success isn’t random—it’s the direct result of the cultures they’ve built, the standards they’ve set, and the leadership they’ve embodied every single day.

In the clips below, you’ll hear from Cori Close (UCLA), Dawn Staley (South Carolina), Geno Auriemma (UConn), and Vic Schaefer (Texas)—four coaches who have taken different paths to the same destination: sustained, elite success.

Each of them has a unique approach, but they all reinforce the same truth—winning isn’t about luck or talent alone. It’s about mindset, preparation, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Discover how these Final Four coaches lead their teams to victory:

Cori Close - UCLA

Handling Pressure

High performers don’t crumble under pressure—they transform it into freedom. 

The key insight from Coach Cori Close in this video, is that when you stack intentional experiences, and build preparation into your process, you shift from reacting to owning the moment.

She shares the story of elite athlete Alana Beard, whose career proves this principle. Before the biggest games of her life, she asked herself two questions: Did I master my craft? & Was I an elite teammate?

If the answer was yes, she gave herself permission to play in freedom and surrender the result. 

This is the difference between reactive players and transformational players. The best don’t focus on controlling the outcome; they focus on controlling their input. 

Freedom comes when preparation meets trust. And that’s not just a game-time principle—it’s a life principle.

Dawn Staley - USC

Great cultures don’t happen by accident—they are built with intention.

Coach Dawn Staley is laying out the foundation of a winning culture—one that isn’t just about basketball but about shaping a team where people feel heard, connected, and accountable.

In this interview clip, she discusses the importance of Discipline but claims that the real game-changer is communication. Not just coaches talking at players, but players engaging, giving feedback, and taking ownership of the process.

A true team culture isn’t just about working hard together—it’s about being real together. Tough conversations aren’t avoided; they’re embraced. Everyone has a voice, and feedback is honest, direct, and productive, with trust being at the core of it all.

This is the difference between a program that just exists and one that dominates. Culture isn’t words on a wall—it’s a living, breathing system of shared accountability, communication, and ownership. And when you get that right, the results take care of themselves.

Geno Auriemma - UCONN

Success isn’t a mystery—it’s a choice.

In the clip above, Coach Geno Auriemma lays out a simple but powerful framework for how results happen. 

The world constantly tries to convince people that success should be easy, that talent alone is enough, or that simply showing up guarantees rewards. But that’s not reality.

Think about school. If you do average work, you get a C—because that’s what average means. Want a B? You put in more effort. Want an A? You sacrifice, do what others won’t, and go beyond expectations.

Coach Geno is laying out the fundamental truth of success: it’s not given, it’s earned. And the biggest mistake young athletes—and people in general—make is assuming they’ll get elite results with only average effort.

Excellence is a decision. You can choose to be average. You can choose to be above average. Or you can choose to be world-class. But you don’t get the rewards of greatness without embracing the cost.

Vic Schaefer - UT Austin

Winning isn’t about circumstances—it’s about standards.

Coach Vic Schaefer understands a truth that separates great leaders from average ones: There’s always a job to be done, no matter the score, no matter the situation.

A big mistake people make—whether in sports, business, or life—is tying their effort to the outcome instead of the process. 

In his clinic, Coach Schaefer talks about how when he took over at Mississippi State, the team wasn’t just losing—they were getting blown out.

But instead of panicking, he focused on small victories. If they couldn't win the game, they could win the possession. If they couldn’t make the shot, they could execute the play. 

Most teams, most people can’t get past “hard.” They don’t buy in. They don’t want to defend. They don’t want to grind. But winning isn’t easy—if it were, everyone would do it.

Coach believes that the key to consistent excellence is not just playing to win but building a culture that refuses to lose.

While each of these elite coaches has a distinct approach to leadership, they all drive toward the same goal—building a culture of excellence.

Thank you Coaches, AStepUp,  the WSGBCA, and the THSCA for these clips.

Never get out-coached,

The Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches Helping Coaches