Jack Mullaney | Head Coach, HOKA NAZ Elite | “You were hired for your mind, your heart, your passion, your energy.”

Jan 24, 2026

Jack Mullaney, head coach of HOKA NAZ Elite and values-driven distance coach, shares how he builds culture and develops elite athletes. He talks about his five core values, the "heating the room" idea of celebrating daily inputs, training mental toughness, and routines that protect consistency and leadership energy.

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INSIGHT

Values Drive The Practice Environment

Jack Mullaney centers coaching around five core values: connection, competition, consistency, curiosity, and compassion.
He uses those values to design practice environments that prepare athletes physically and mentally for competition.

INSIGHT

Success Is Heating The Room

Mullaney defines success as "heating the room": daily injections of values that eventually produce breakthroughs.
This reframes success from outcomes to consistent, controllable inputs that shape culture and performance.

ADVICE

Celebrate Inputs, Not Just Wins

Celebrate inputs by creating team traditions like weekly shout-outs that recognize value-aligned behaviors.
Use peer recognition to sustain motivation during long stretches before visible breakthroughs.

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Our first guest interview of 2026 is Jack Mullaney. Jack is the head coach of HOKA NAZ Elite, one of the premier professional distance running teams in the world, based in Flagstaff, Arizona. His coaching journey began in sport administration, serving as an operations assistant for the University of Minnesota track & field and cross-country programs before moving to Utah State University as Director of Operations.

In 2017, Jack transitioned into coaching as an assistant coach at the University of Portland, where he spent seven seasons as a key member of one of the most successful collegiate distance programs in the country. During his time at Portland, he helped lead the men’s program to two NCAA Cross Country podium finishes and the women’s program to its highest finish in program history, while also serving as recruiting coordinator and working with athletes who went on to compete internationally.

Jack holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management, is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and a USATF Level 3 Coach. He took over as head coach of HOKA NAZ Elite in the fall of 2023, and in his first year, NAZ athletes set multiple team records across track and road events, earned a U.S. road title, placed at World Indoors and the Chicago Marathon, and produced a top-10 finish at the Olympic Games.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[7:28] — Unique Demands and Challenges as a Running Coach

[10:06] — Core Values and the 5 C's

[20:18] — "Heating the Room" Analogy

[24:53] — Leveraging Shoutouts and Recognition to Reinforce Values

[28:46] — Fireman and Heart Surgeon Mindset

[37:33] — Managing Pressure with a Clear Process and Values

[43:34] — Being on Offense vs. Defense Each Day

[54:55] — Protecting Your Well-being as the Leader

[1:00:38] — Reading and Learning from Others

[1:06:55] — Coaching to the Individual

[1:11:52] — How to Evaluate Yourself as a Coach

[1:14:57] — Quick Hitters

Learn More About Jack Mullaney:

If you’d like to learn more from Jack Mullaney, you can follow him here.

Learn More About Zach:

If you’re a coach or leader striving for more clarity, consistency, and fulfillment, feel free to sign up for a free discovery call to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/zachbrandon/discoverycall
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