Duane Carlisle

A veteran of the profession, Duane Carlisle is a long-time coach, expert, and mentor to many. From private sector to public (and back again), middle schoolers to professionals, Coach Duane Carlisle has seen and trained it all. In this episode he offers his perspectives on coaching the person, how a high performance model should work, and the business savvy side of coaching.

Show Highlights

Duane Carlisle learned early on what it meant to work hard when Coach Harry Groves and he marked the entire cross country course by setting over 500 posts along the golf course at Penn State University. “Straight hard work – roll your sleeves up, get after it, & dive in to make sure you’re doing everything to help support your student athletes.” 

Since that first job, Coach Carlisle has trained thousands of athletes all over the world. His philosophy is centered around putting people first, investing in the very people he’s trying to help. With that comes giving everything he has as a coach. Having just returned from a Pivotal Coaching mentorship, he’s always looking for opportunities to improve and develop himself as a better coach and mentor.

Since the evolution of the profession is something he’s witnessed firsthand, Duane speaks knowledgeably on the role of the high performance director/coordinator. He thinks we can improve upon the traditional American view of the director sitting atop their position and rather, they should be on the ground level collecting and disseminating information. 

Lastly, we spoke on the importance of being business savvy in coaching. Whether you’re in the private or public sector, set yourself up for both a loss of job (having 6-12 months of income saved) and for later in life! Know your options for savings/investment vehicles and take advantage of compounding interest and gains.