Pardon the Coach cover art

Pardon the Coach

Pardon the Coach

By: Nathan Pali
Listen for free

About this listen

Pardon the Coach is a leadership and sports podcast breaking down how great coaches and leaders really built winning teams—and where leadership decisions changed everything.

Leadership is messy. Coaching is complicated. And the best lessons usually happen after the play is over.

This podcast explores elite coaching, leadership through sports, and the real decisions behind championships, collapses, dynasties, and rebuilds. Each episode studies legendary coaches, iconic teams, and pivotal moments from across football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, and beyond, blending sports history, biography, and leadership analysis to reveal how leaders thought, adjusted, communicated, and led under pressure.

You’ll learn:

  • How great coaches made high-stakes leadership decisions
  • How culture and accountability shaped performance
  • How leaders handled pressure, conflict, and failure
  • How strategy evolved across seasons and careers
  • How psychology influenced motivation and trust
  • How systems created repeatable success
  • How leadership lessons emerge from mistakes as much as wins

This isn’t a highlight show or a sports debate podcast. It’s a smart, story-driven guide to coaching leadership, team culture, organizational leadership, and understanding how elite leaders navigated complexity, pressure, and people.

If you’re interested in leadership, sports leadership, coaching philosophy, team building, organizational culture, performance psychology, great coaches, and learning how the best leaders think after the whistle — this podcast is for you.

Pardon the Coach Because the best leadership lessons come after the play breaks down.

© 2026 Pardon the Coach. All rights reserved.
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Dan Gable: The Pursuit of Absolute Dominance
    Feb 15 2026
    In this episode, we explore the coaching philosophy of legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable, examining how personal tragedy and a single competitive loss shaped his relentless pursuit of perfection. We also discuss how Gable's unyielding standards and focus on extreme preparation transformed the Iowa wrestling program into a national powerhouse.Chapters00:00 Gable’s Unyielding Standard01:57 Personal Loss and Redirection03:33 The Defining Loss of 197005:32 Coaching at Iowa: Escalation08:52 Overwhelming Opponents13:59 Trusting the System & Legacy
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • How Great Leaders Reduce Uncertainty
    Jan 26 2026

    From practice scripts to halftime calls, this episode explores how Saban built calm by eliminating guesswork.

    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Newt Rockne's Football Legacy
    Feb 14 2026
    In this episode, we explore the strategic decisions and organizational brilliance of legendary football coach Newt Rockne. We discuss how he built a powerful program at Notre Dame through innovation, adaptability, and a focus on systematic excellence rather than individual talent.Chapters00:00 Rockne's Early Innovation00:22 The 1913 Army Game03:38 Building a Cohesive Program08:35 Adapting and Sustaining Excellence15:17 Confronting Complacency and Safety18:20 Rockne's Enduring Legacy
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.