Cori Close: Adjusting To New Situations, Turning Challenges Into Growth, & Leading A Life Of Impact

This week Andrew talks with UCLA Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cori Close. Last season, Cori led UCLA to its highest ranking in program history — sitting at No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll for 9 weeks. However, making a positive impact on the basketball court is just a piece of the equation for Cori. She cares deeply about having an impact on her players that extends well beyond their time with her at UCLA. In this conversation, Cori shares powerful ideas on adjusting to new situations, turning challenges into personal growth, what she learned being mentored by coaching icon John Wooden, & so much more. This episode is filled with powerful life & career lessons you don’t want to miss. 

Show Highlights: 

0:00 - Intro
3:28 - Getting into coaching
4:19 - Lessons from Coach John Wooden
6:42 - Transition to head coach role
8:01 - Continuous learning
8:18 - Overcoming personal challenges
12:39 - A meeting that changed Cori’s perspective
15:40 - Balancing struggle & joy
16:23 - Avoiding leadership “blind spots”
18:08 - Driving ownership & accountability
21:40 - Creating moments of discomfort
22:45 - Navigating complex transitions
23:55 - Reverse engineering success
25:41 - Learning from your own gaps
30:05 - Pac-12 to Big Ten transition
33:48 - What's next for Cori

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