Coaching Reflection: What We Miss When We Worship “Masterclass Lists”
Let’s start here: Kirby Smart has enjoyed a ton of success as Georgia’s head football coach. That’s just fact.
And let’s also add that he may have said these things in a clinic somewhere, and the person who posted this list on X may have been there to accurately write them all down. I don’t know. So to be clear — this isn’t a critique of Coach Smart personally, because I can’t guarantee these are his actual words or beliefs.
What I do think, though, is that a lot of coaches would analyze this list and take it as some version of gospel. And that’s where I start to pause.
I don’t disagree with the whole list. In fact, some parts align with how I approach leading young men. But I’d challenge any coach reading it to take a critical eye to each phrase, not just a highlighter.
In my own deep dive, I think there are three main categories where lists like this—if unexamined—can actually make us worse at our jobs:
The Language of Dominance
The Myth of Grind Culture
The Misunderstanding of Leadership & Growth
I know which bullet point I think fist into each category, and how a single word swap or sentence reframe could completely change my level of alignment. Because words matter. What we say in front of players shapes how they define toughness, leadership, and even self-worth.
And honestly, I also think 18-point lists are too damn long. Even if they’re all gold, you lose your audience after three to five.
If you’re in season right now — don’t take this on yet. File it away and schedule time in the offseason to dig into it with your staff. If you’re not in season, I think this exercise is worth your time.
Coach Prompt:
Pick three statements from the Kirby Smart list that you’ve said — or could easily see yourself saying — out loud to your players.
Now ask:
What feeling does that sentence create in a young man hearing it for the first time?
Does it invite curiosity or compliance?
Does it demand toughness or develop it?
The goal isn’t to cancel the statement — it’s to refine it so the message builds men, not myths.
Staff Prompt:
In your next staff meeting, divide the 18 bullets into the three categories I listed:
The Language of Dominance
The Myth of Grind Culture
Misunderstood Leadership & Growth
Debate where each belongs. You’ll find where your program’s unspoken beliefs live — and whether those beliefs are helping or harming your players’ development.
