Matt Doherty | Executive Leadership Coach & Former D1 Basketball Coach | "Rebounding and Failing Forward"

Mar 2, 2026

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In this episode of Win More, Live Better, Zach sits down with Coach Matt Doherty, an executive leadership coach, keynote speaker, and former Division I head coach for a candid conversation on leadership and the art of rebounding forward.

Matt’s leadership journey began as a starter on the 1982 National Championship team at North Carolina, playing alongside Michael Jordan under the legendary Dean Smith. He later became the Head Coach at Notre Dame and North Carolina, leading UNC to the 2001 ACC Regular Season Championship and earning AP National Coach of the Year honors.

He also served as head coach at FAU and SMU, and has worked with ESPN, the Indiana Pacers, and the Atlantic 10 Conference. Today, he guides corporations, C-suite leaders, sales executives, and sports coaches to strengthen leadership skills, culture, and team dynamics. Committed to his personal mission to “Learn & Grow” every day, Matt has further sharpened his leadership lens through experiences at the UVA Darden School of Business and The Wharton School.

In this conversation, Matt reflects on the lessons behind his book Rebound, unpacking the realities of public pressure, identity loss, and resilience for coaches. He shares practical leadership frameworks including his “Six Knows” and the organizational triangle of talent, systems, and culture.

Here's some notable highlights from our conversation:
[4:17] — Rebound Forward

[10:25] — Landmines in Coaching

[15:06] — What I Do vs. Who I Am

[23:49] — The "Six Knows" of Leadership

[35:41] — The Organizational Triangle

[44:27] — Every Leader Needs a Coach

[49:48] — Morning Routines & Coach Yourself First

Learn More About Matt:

You can learn more about Matt and his work on his website 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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You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.