From the Cradle of Coaches: How My Miami Roots Shape SWI

I graduated from Miami University, a place known as the “Cradle of Coaches.” It is a name that carries real meaning. From Paul Brown, Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, John Pont, Bo Schembechler, Bill Mallory, Randy Walker, John Harbaugh, and Sean McVay, Miami’s history is filled with leaders who shaped sports and influenced generations of coaches.

For me, that tradition was not just something I read about. I lived around it.

I played varsity soccer at Miami, and our locker room was in Yager Stadium. I would often walk past the Cradle of Coaches room, and sometimes I would go inside. I remember feeling inspired by what it represented. It was a reminder that coaching was about more than tactics, wins, or results. It was about leadership, people, standards, and the impact a coach can have over time.

I did not know then exactly how that influence would show up in my own work, but I can see it clearly now.

At the Sports Wellness Institute, we believe the best coaching supports the whole person. Performance matters, but it does not exist separate from well-being, trust, communication, energy, motivation, and purpose. Coaches shape environments. Those environments shape how athletes grow, respond, and perform.

Miami’s coaching tradition helped reinforce something I have carried throughout my career: strong coaches are not only builders of teams. They are builders of people.

That philosophy is at the center of SWI. Whether we are working with a school, club, coach, team, athlete, or active adult, our goal is to help people perform and live better. We use wellness coaching, behavior change science, and practical sport experience to support sustainable growth — not just short-term improvement.

We also believe wellness should fit into the rhythm of sport. It should not feel like another task added to an already full schedule. It should become part of how coaches communicate, how teams connect, how athletes recover, and how organizations create healthier environments.

Miami’s legacy continues because it evolves. Each generation learns from the past while leading in a way that fits the present. SWI is built with that same mindset: honoring the foundational lessons of sport while applying modern wellness science to the real pressures coaches, athletes, and families face today.

For me, the path from Miami to SWI feels connected. The Cradle of Coaches helped me see coaching as a responsibility to people, not just performance. It helped shape my belief that the best coaches create environments where people feel supported, challenged, and able to grow.

That belief continues to guide our work today.

Sports Wellness Institute
Where performance and well-being move forward together.