⏳ Read Time: 5 min

We’ve seen some of the fastest growth this newsletter has ever had in the past two months. Thanks for being here and being a part of our mission to raise the level of leadership in athletics.

Want to know more? Read about the BETTER Team and Mission here.

📌 What’s inside:

• 🏆 The myth: Winning is the only way to be remembered

• 📖 The reality: Connection can outlast championships

• 🧬 The Science: What do the fans say they want?

• 🛠️ Five ways to build lasting resonance with your community

📖 The Teams That Get Remembered

Most coaches believe that their job is to win. And it makes sense. That’s what everyone tells them.

It keeps their job. It gets headlines. Winning gets trophies. And let’s face it. Winning is good for every coach’s career in nearly every way.

Kevin and I have officially started our World Tour for 2025 (Kidding). August is a busy month for us.

We’ve both led retreats this week for the Executive Staffs at Mississippi State and Florida Gulf Coast, respectively. We have a few more of these ahead in different places. We also spoke to groups of coaches, both in person and virtually.

This is a time for strategic planning, thinking ahead, and helping leaders define what it means to elevate their brands. When you zoom out in this way, it brings the essential things into focus. You get to ask big picture questions.

• What does success really look like?

• How can you measure it?

• How do you win?

• What impacts the “bottom line” of elevating an Athletic Department?

A talking point has consistently come up:

We need to shift our barometer of success beyond wins. The teams that live on in infamy aren’t simply the ones that win. They’re the ones that connected with your community, represented them on the field, and made them feel something.

Don’t believe us?

🏀 Anecdote: Dunk City

Speaking of Florida Gulf Coast. It’s hard to mention that name without remembering this team.

Did you know that they only made it to the second week of the tournament? Dunk City lost in the Sweet 16.

What about this one?

Davidson lost in the Elite 8.

Can you name the champion of either of those seasons?

Well, as a Davidson alum, I can tell you that the ‘08 team lost to Kansas 59-57, who went on to be National Champions. But that’s cheating, every Davidson fan can tell you that. 😁 A Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush-led Kansas team went on to beat Derrick Rose, John Calipari, and the Memphis Tigers in 2008.

Louisville beat Michigan to win in 2013’s Dunk City year.

Why are the above teams the ones we remember? Because they made us all feel something. They represented things that not only their community could resonate with, but all of us.

📊 Research Insight: Shared Identity

It’s easy to assume that fans remember teams primarily for winning championships.
But Nielsen’s 2022 Fans Are Changing the Game report shows something deeper is at work.

In their study, Nielsen found that “community pride” and “shared identity” rival on-field success as drivers of long-term fan loyalty and engagement. Fans don’t just engage with teams that win — they engage with teams that feel like them.

The report also highlights that today’s fans are building their connection to teams in more ways than ever: co-watching, social media interaction, and community events. In other words, they’re not just watching; they’re engaging with the story of the team.

This means your program’s ability to resonate with your community’s values — grit, joy, creativity, resilience — can create a bond that outlasts any single season’s record. A winning season is memorable; a team that makes people proud is unforgettable.

Back to Steph Curry. Not every Davidson fan became a Warriors fan just because of Steph. Don’t get us wrong — he’s an incredible ambassador (maybe even the best). But they’ve all become Warriors fans because they feel represented every time Steph takes the floor.

🛠️ Putting It All Together:

✅ Five Ways for Coaches and Athletic Directors to Build a Team Their Community Remembers

1. Know Your People, On and Off the Roster

   • Spend intentional time learning what your community values most — toughness, joy, humility, creativity. Then make sure your decisions reflect those traits in how your team plays or your department operates.

   • “Does your community see itself in the decisions you’re making?”

2. Build an Identity, Not Just a Playbook

   • Your X’s and O’s matter, but what do you want people to say about your team after they watch you play? Build practice habits and in-game behaviors that reinforce that identity.

3. Let Personalities Shine

   • Give your athletes moments to share their stories publicly — in team talks, with media, on social channels. Don’t hide your team’s human side behind generic “coach-speak.”

   • Fans can’t love what they don’t know.

4. Lead the Way in Community Presence

   • You go first. If you show up at local events, schools, or service projects, your players will follow your lead — and your community will feel it’s your team, not just the school’s team.

5. Frame Every Achievement as a Shared Win

   • Know your community and what they’re about

   • Know yourself and your team and anchor your identity in your values

   • Be open about it.

🏁 Conclusion: There is a Higher Ceiling Than Winning

The truth is, most teams — even good ones — fade into history once the final buzzer sounds.
The ones people remember are the ones that leave their community feeling proud, inspired, and connected.
Winning matters. But resonance lasts longer. Build that.

🧱 Build Your Culture on Purpose

Most coaches know the kind of culture they want.
But when is it time to teach it, reinforce it, and make it visible?
That’s where it breaks down.

That’s why we built the Culture Playbook—a simple, customizable system you can use to make your culture clear and coachable from Day 1.

It’s packed with short, practical tools and team exercises that take your values off the wall and bring them to life.
The same tools used by programs like Mississippi State, Florida State, and even teams at Microsoft and Google.

👉 Want to see how it works? Access a free trial explicitly built for:

No sales pitch. Just the system that backs up what you’ve been building.

🛠️ Want to win more? Know Yourself First.

Just last week, nearly 60 leaders signed up for our 5-day leadership course based on your Voice!

It will be sent to your inbox starting the Monday after you take the assessment and run for that week.

The assessment takes 10-15 minutes. Take it below.