Coachable

What separates the greatest athletes from the rest? Coachability.

“This book is for athletes, parents, coaches, and leaders who understand that growth doesn’t happen alone.”—Mike Krzyzewski, former head coach, U.S. Military Academy, Duke University, and USA Basketball

“A unique, impactful, and long-overdue book that draws on decades of reporting to explain what really distinguishes the great ones.”—Sam Walker, author of The Captain Class

“Coachable is rooted in the belief that improvement is a shared journey. I’ve seen firsthand that the best players—and the best leaders—are the ones who remain teachable.”—Kevin Love, NBA Champion and five-time NBA All-Star

“A blueprint for anyone who wants to find the 2 percent difference that makes greatness.”—Sally Jenkins, author of The Right Call

Sports analyst Ric Bucher has spent the last three decades surrounded by some of the greatest athletes of our time. Over the years, he became obsessed with the ultimate question in sports and life: Which traits separate the best from the rest? He began asking that question, and the same answer kept coming back again and again from greats like Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Diana Taurasi, Brandi Chastain, and Stephen Curry: I was coachable. 

Coachable? Yes, coachable. Of all the possible markers that contributed to their greatness, coachability emerged as the surprising X factor. So Bucher set out to explore this often overlooked aspect of the careers of every major athlete he could access and found stories that these stars have never revealed.

Coachable is organized around the 10 Truths of Coachability that every athlete, team leader, manager, coach, and parent needs to know. Each truth is dissected and illuminated through exclusive interviews and stories from legendary coaches like Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, and Coach K; all-time greats like Stephen Curry and Landon Donovan; the rising stars of tomorrow, like Rose Zhang and Paolo Banchero; and some of the athletes most known for maximizing their talent, like Fred VanVleet and Richard Jefferson. Taken together, the stories and insights in Coachable are a fascinating window into how we can improve at whatever we do.