Cori Close, UCLA Women's BB Head Coach—Leading with a Broom and a Shovel (RECAST)

Cori Close, UCLA Women's BB Head Coach—Leading with a Broom and a Shovel (RECAST)

March 19, 2026 · 1h 4m · Season 13 · Episode 193

About this episode

Cori Close discusses her leadership philosophy and lessons learned from her mentor, John Wooden, in this insightful interview.

In Episode 193, we are recasting our incredible interview with Cori Close, Head Coach of UCLA Women's Basketball, who talked with Phil about lessons she learned from her mentor, John Wooden, her personal "Why," what a broom and a shovel have to do with leadership, her Close Conversations, healthy conflict, gratitude, Championship Level Habits, doing the next right thing, and how work done in the dark gets revealed in the light. Specifically, Coach Close discusses: · Issues with specialization in one sport too early · How she developed her passion for soccer, basketball, and leadership, and how she got to be where she is today · Some lessons she learned while being mentored by the incomparable, John Wooden · Her personal "Why" and life mission, and how it informs her leadership · What are the things from sports that will stay with us for our whole life · Why she has a broom and a shovel in her office · How we can find and what we can learn from her Close Conversations on social media · Why healthy conflict and tension is necessary for any healthy team · A "have-to" vs. "get-to" mentality and why it matters · Creating and reaching Championship Level Habits · Doing the next right…

People in this episode

Hosts: Philip Darke, Paul Jobson

Guest: Cori Close

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UCLA Women's Basketball, UCLA

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