Take the Guesswork Out of Coaching

For years, we have treated coaching as an art, a blend of instinct, or a “gut feel.” Decisions like who starts, how to motivate a player, or whether to recruit someone often come down to quick impressions.. When it worked, we credited our intuition or gut. When it didn’t, we said they just weren’t a “fit.”

One of my favorite examples of how we “trusted” our gut to “help” one of our players while I was an associate head coach at University of Central Florida. We decided as a staff to help our starting point guard by empowering her to call more of the offense. We “felt” this would free her up mentally, but it didn’t.At the end of the regular season, as we began preparation for a conference tournament, we assessed our players and noticed that her behavioral assessment graph showed high stress.

We hadn’t  seen it in her play. When we brought her in to talk, she admitted that giving her the  “freedom” to call plays actually added stress, between that and being the “team mom.” Once we took  that decision-making off her plate, he went on to make the all-tournament team, and we earned our second NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons. Our gut had good intentions, but it let us down.

After more than two decades coaching Division I women’s basketball,including time working for three Hall of Fame coaches, two Final Fours, and multiple conference championships, I’ve learned a simple truth: you don’t have to guess. Coaching by insight is a competitive advantage.

Today, we have tools, data, and behavioral understanding to see what’s really driving performance, communication, and culture. Once you stop guessing, you start leading with confidence.

We’re now building customized approaches for each member of our team/staff. We adjust to the individuals we’re  coaching and leading.

The Cost of Guessing

Guesswork in coaching shows up everywhere.

• In recruiting, it looks like chasing talent without knowing whether a player is competitive, patient, or coachable. In player development, it’s using the same motivational approach for every athlete — when what fires one player up shuts another down. In team dynamics, it’s assuming communication breakdowns are effort issues when they’re really behavioral mismatches.

In my career, I’ve made those mistakes. I assumed effort equaled engagement. I believed leadership meant treating everyone the same. But the truth is, players aren’t motivated equally,they’re motivated differently. Once we recognize this, our teams become more connected, resilient, and consistent under pressure.

Great coaches don’t guess at motivation; they study it.

From Guessing to Knowing: Developing A Coaching Clarity Framework

We’re building a Coaching Clarity Framework, a process that combines data, behavioral science, and communication systems to take the guesswork out of coaching. It’s built on three pillars:

1. Know the Person (Behavioral Insight via DISC)

The DISC model, which I’m certified to teach as a Human Behavior Consultant, changes the way we coach. DISC helps you understand how people communicate, compete, and process stress.

• Some players thrive on challenge and control. They want results. When pressured, they can appear impatient or blunt, but they value clarity and direction.
• Some players are energetic and connection-driven. They feed off encouragement and enthusiasm but can lose focus if isolated or criticized publicly.
• Many players are loyal, dependable, and thrive in structure. They resist change at first but become the heartbeat of team culture when they feel secure.
• Some are analytical and precise. They want to know why before they act. They value preparation but may hesitate without clarity.

When you understand personality differences, you stop labeling players as “emotional” or “lazy.” You start seeing what drives their behavior, and how to reach them faster.

2. Know the Performance (Objective Data + Observation)

Coaching clarity means pairing behavioral understanding with hard data. Stats, film, and analytics show what’s happening, DISC explains why it’s happening.

If two athletes have similar skill sets, personality can be the differentiator. All things being equal, personality carries the day.

For example:

• A player’s shooting percentage drops under pressure. Data shows the dip; DISC explains that she overthinks when expectations aren’t clear. A guard stops communicating late in games. Stats can’t explain that — but knowing his profile shows he’s shutting down from conflict, not effort.

When you combine analytics with behavioral awareness, you stop seeing problems and start seeing patterns, and patterns lead to solutions.

3. Know the Process (Consistent Communication Systems)

The best teams don’t just practice plays; they practice communication.

We’ve developed exercises that connect DISC communication styles to game situations. These drills teach athletes how to talk, listen, and respond under stress in ways that fit their natural styles:

• Teaching “D” players to ask, not just tell.
• Teaching “I” players to listen through noise.
• Teaching “S” players to speak up when the moment demands it.
• Teaching “C” players to act decisively, even when things aren’t perfect.

When communication becomes a system instead of a guess, pressure reveals preparation, not panic.

Turning Insight into Action

So what does this look like day to day?

Recruiting: Build player profiles that go beyond athletic skill. Track behavioral tendencies, emotional intelligence, and communication preferences. Ask questions that reveal how an athlete responds to failure or feedback, not just how many points they can score.

In-Season Coaching: Tailor feedback and accountability. Know which players need blunt truth and which need affirmation first. Identify who needs reassurance that change won’t upend their role, and who simply needs clarity on expectations.

Staff Development: Your staff is a team too. Knowing how each member communicates and makes decisions removes friction and builds alignment. DISC-based meetings can transform how assistants, support staff, and head coaches operate under stress.

Coaching With Certainty

The art of coaching will always matter. Passion, intuition, and heart can’t be replaced. But the science of coaching, understanding human behavior, using data wisely, and communicating with purpose, makes those instincts more consistent.

Coaching isn’t about guessing who will respond, who will lead, or who will fold under pressure. It’s about knowing how to guide each athlete to their best self.

Clarity breeds confidence, and confidence wins close games.

Greg Brown

Greg Brown is a leadership coach and former NCAA Division I women’s basketball head coach with over 20 years of elite experience. He’s worked under Hall of Famers Don Meyer, Pat Summitt, and Gary Blair, contributing to Final Four runs and championship teams. Greg blends his high-performance background with expertise as a Ziglar Certified Coach and DISC Certified Consultant to help leaders and teams thrive under pressure. He specializes in building cultures of trust, clarity, and accountability. A speaker, author, and leadership consultant, Greg equips organizations to lead with purpose and perform at their best.