All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own. The blog is not an official publication of any City of Melrose institution.
Steve Kerr Coaching Gold🥇
— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) March 4, 2026
“How are you going to coach your team?”
The #1 job of a coach is to create and build culture.
Culture is:
1. What you allow
2. What you emphasize
3. Every Day!
Culture Wins!pic.twitter.com/iYLURXeZFH
My opinion doesn't matter. Outsiders don't matter. Years ago, I had a chance to talk briefly with Coach Ed Beattie who led Winnacunnet to seven state basketball titles. Most impressive? He said, "The deal is between the players and me."
He meant that what matters most is "in house." You play for each other - not for a community, a school, or your family. Beattie acknowledged that New Hampshire allowed for coaching outside the season, which creates a different dynamic.
In the video, Kerr emphasizes, "protect the team." What coaches and players do outside the practice facility and games matters. "Represent."
Sport and life distill to "character and competence." Because of the intensity of competition in both sport and life, it's hard to be "low character, high competence."
Here's Chat GPT Plus (AI) enhancement:
Character vs Competence Matrix
| High Competence | Low Competence | |
|---|---|---|
| High Character | High Character / High Competence Reliable leaders who elevate teams. Examples often cited: • Tim Duncan • Drew Brees • Maya Moore | High Character / Low Competence Excellent teammates who work hard but may lack elite ability. Examples might include: • End-of-bench players known for culture and leadership • Walk-ons who become team captains despite limited playing time |
| Low Character | Low Character / High Competence Talented players whose behavior damages teams. Examples often debated: • Antonio Brown • Kyrie Irving (sometimes cited due to team disruption debates) | Low Character / Low Competence Players who neither help performance nor culture. Examples would include: • Fringe professional athletes later convicted of serious crimes • Players removed from teams for disciplinary issues |
Leadership Interpretation (How Coaches Think About It)
Coaches generally handle each quadrant differently.
High Character / High Competence
Build the program around them.
These athletes:
-
set standards
-
model behavior
-
influence teammates
They become culture carriers.
High Competence / Low Character
Short-term temptation, long-term risk.
Teams sometimes tolerate these players because of talent, but they can:
-
fracture locker rooms
-
undermine accountability
-
destabilize leadership hierarchy
Many championship coaches eventually remove them.
High Character / Low Competence
Culture builders.
These players often become:
-
captains
-
glue guys
-
future coaches
They raise practice quality and team cohesion.
Low Character / Low Competence
Easy decision.
These players rarely last long in strong programs.
As the saying goes:
“If someone hurts both the culture and the scoreboard, the decision makes itself.”
A Simple Coaching Rule
Many successful coaches quietly follow this principle:
| Category | Coaching Action |
|---|---|
| High Character + High Competence | Build around |
| High Competence + Low Character | Manage carefully |
| High Character + Low Competence | Develop and value |
| Low Character + Low Competence | Remove |
A Line That Fits Your Coaching Philosophy
You could summarize the matrix for athletes this way:
Talent may win games, but character determines how many you can win together.
Talent wins games, but character determines how many you can win together.
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