One of America's top basketball coaches, Matt Painter enters his 17th year at Purdue.

He owns a 355-164 record at Purdue. He has led the Boilermakers to 12 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet 16s, three Big Ten regular-season championships, a Big Ten Tournament title, an Elite Eight, and an international gold medal.

His peers voted him as the NABC National Coach of the Year after leading a team that started with a 6-5 record to the 2019 Elite Eight.

Purdue's six straight NCAA Tournament appearances are the seventh-longest active streak in America and Purdue is one of just three teams to have a top-five seed in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments.

Off the court, his program had 68 Academic All-Big Ten honorees in his 16 previous years at Purdue, and every player but one who has exhausted his eligibility at Purdue has graduated.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• The principles that have guided Matt Painter's coaching journey
• The importance of honesty and integrity in recruiting
• The value of player development and the value of redshirting
• How to balance talent with character and work ethic in players
• How to build and maintain a strong team culture
• The role of communication and accountability within the team
• How to adapt coaching philosophy to evolving game dynamics
• The power of handling adversity and learning from mistakes in a competitive environment
  
  

Resources & Links

Matt Painter

• Website: https://www.purdue.edu/
• Website: https://purduesports.com/
• LinkedIn: Purdue University
• Twitter: @BoilerBall
• Instagram: @boilerball

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themolitorgroup/
• Website: https://www.themolitorgroup.com/

Youth sports are more than just games—they foster personal growth and shape future success. They teach values like teamwork and resilience that impact both personal and professional development. For parents, it’s a balancing act between supporting their child and trusting the coach’s role in building character. These shared experiences strengthen family bonds, while also preparing young athletes to navigate challenges both on and off the field.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan, the authors of The Champion Sports Parent.

Our Guests

John O'Sullivan is a TEDx speaker and founder of the Changing the Game Project, which he launched in 2012. He's the author of two bestselling books, Changing the Game and Every Moment Matters, and hosts the popular Way of Champions podcast.

A former collegiate and professional soccer player with over 20 years of coaching experience, John has worked with top organizations like the US Olympic Committee and USA Soccer. He serves on advisory boards for the Positive Coaching Alliance and the National Association for Physical Literacy.

Dr. Jerry Lynch is a former Nike-sponsored athlete and national champion who transformed his experience into a career coaching elite athletes. He has worked with NBA teams, Major League Soccer, and top universities like Duke and Stanford.

Dr. Lynch, author of 15 books, founded the Way of Champions, a performance consulting group. Recognized as one of the top in his field, he focuses on leadership, culture building, and personal growth in sports and life.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Key lessons from the book "The Champion Sports Parent"
• The importance of allowing children to experience failure
• The power of self-awareness and reflection in parenting
• How to balance discipline and enjoyment
• How to navigate pressure and expectations in youth sports
• The crucial role of trust and communication with coaches
• How sports can drive personal growth and family bonding

Resources & Links

John O'Sullivan and Jerry Lynch

• Website: https://changingthegameproject.com/

• Website: www.wayofchampions.com

• Get the Book: The Champion Sports Parent

• Way of Champions Podcast on Apple Podcast

• Jerry’s LinkedIn

• John’s LinkedIn

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themolitorgroup/

• Website: https://www.themolitorgroup.com/

As a former University of Tennessee Assistant Coach and now a Founding Partner of Axiom Wealth Management, Mark Pancratz knows the value of developing and connecting leaders.

During his seven years with Coach Bruce Pearl at UT, Mark worked specifically in player development and scouting. His ability to coach talent and enhance skills while thinking strategically set him up to shift his focus to growing a multi-million dollar financial planning service.

Mark also serves as one of the top youth basketball coaches in Knoxville. Building the next generation of leaders while equipping them to not lose themselves in a game sets him apart from many coaches. Through coaching and leading his business, Mark has had the privilege to work with other high-impact leaders, coaches and teams to grow their faith, health and wealth.

Most importantly, Mark is the lucky husband to Brooke and a father to three beautiful daughters, Charli (13) and Landri (10) and Jovi (7) - providing him with plenty of opportunities to continue coaching the sport he loves.

You can find out more about Mark through his monthly newsletter, The Starting Five at markpancratz.substack.com.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• How to fuel professional success with personal fulfillment
• How to build authentic relationships in leadership
• The importance of mentorship and support systems
• How accountability impacts coaching and long-term development
• How to navigate transitions and build meaningful connections along the way
• The role of vulnerability and transparency in effective leadership
• The significance of clear communication and expectations in relationship building
• How to empower others to reach their potential in both sports and business

Resources & Links:

• Mark’s LinkedIn
• www.axiom.nm.com
• https://markpancratz.substack.com/