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From the Foxhole to the Final Four: Roadmap to Coaching Greatness with Coach Bob Starkey

The Athletics Of Business

Release Date: 05/20/2026

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What keeps a coach grounded after more than 40 years, over 900 wins, 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, five consecutive Women’s Final Fours, and a national championship?

For Bob Starkey, the answer has never been about the record. 

It has always been about the relationships.

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, Ed Molitor is joined by one of the most respected assistant coaches in women’s college basketball for a conversation about leadership, preparation, connection, and the standards that build great teams.

Bob traces his coaching philosophy back to Alan Osborne, the junior high coach who invested in him not just as a player, but as a young person. From there, he shares the lessons he learned from some of the most influential leaders in sports, including Dale Brown, Don Meyer, Sue Gunter, George Raveling, Nick Saban, and John Wooden.

Those lessons shaped the way Bob approaches everything: loyalty, work ethic, initiative, preparation, failure, resilience, and the daily discipline of becoming the best version of yourself.

Bob also opens up about the personal journey that has shaped his leadership, including his wife Sherri’s battles with MS and breast cancer, and how her attitude through adversity taught him the power of perspective, gratitude, and choosing your response every single day.

From the Foxhole Test and defensive sticker helmets to journaling, rereading books, morning meditation, and the “Next Best Action” mindset, this episode is filled with practical wisdom for coaches, leaders, and anyone committed to building something real.

Because great teams are not built by talent alone.

They are built through trust, preparation, connection, accountability, and the people willing to stand in the foxhole with you.

 

OUR GUEST

Bob Starkey is one of the most accomplished assistant coaches in the history of women’s college basketball. He has been part of nearly 1,000 collegiate victories, 27 NCAA Tournaments, 10 Elite Eight appearances, and five consecutive Women’s Final Fours. In 2023, he was part of the LSU Tigers staff that won the national championship under head coach Kim Mulkey.

Bob served as acting head coach for LSU during its 2007 Final Four run and has coached at Marshall University, West Virginia State, LSU under Dale Brown, Sue Gunter, and Kim Mulkey, as well as Texas A&M under Gary Blair.

He is the author of The Art of Being an Assistant Coach and publishes Hoop Thoughts, where he shares insights on coaching, leadership, and personal development.

Bob is also deeply committed to community impact and serves on the board of directors for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, supporting the fight against cancer.

 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

  • How a junior high coach shaped Bob Starkey’s lifelong approach to leadership
  • Why the greatest coaches measure impact through relationships, not records
  • Lessons on leadership from Dale Brown, Don Meyer, George Raveling, Nick Saban, and John Wooden
  • Why loyalty, work ethic, initiative, and preparation remain timeless standards
  • How failure becomes a teacher when leaders are willing to examine it honestly
  • Why “the process” starts with controlling today and taking the next best action
  • How daily habits, reflection, reading, and journaling build consistency over time
  • Why storytelling creates buy-in, belief, and deeper connection with a team
  • What the “Foxhole Test” reveals about trust, accountability, and true teammates
  • How transformational leadership stays rooted in connection, attitude, and hard conversations

RESOURCES & LINKS 

Bob Starkey

Ed Molitor

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