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This can be a special episode of The CEO Series for me because we took a visit to Notre Dame Stadium where I played football as a walk-on alongside my brother throughout the undefeated season of 2012. We went to my old stomping grounds to sit down with head coach Marcus Freeman to discuss leadership and the way, in some ways, he’s the CEO of their incredible program.
Below are some highlights of that conversation, which have been edited for length and clarity. Watch the total video above.
The coach as CEO
“A CEO is in command of a giant company, and my company happens to be Notre Dame football. At the top of the day, you are answerable for every decision that affects the people in this system and the outcomes which might be on the sector. So you do not make every decision, but you are answerable for every decision. That is vital to be sure that you understand. Throughout my coaching profession, the best satisfaction got here from seeing the players you were involved with have success.”
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The celebration video that went viral after he was hired as head coach
“It was a blur. But I remember walking out of that door and seeing the team going crazy — all I wanted to do was hug them. It wasn’t a few speech. It was a probability to have fun and be along with your guys, right? I tell them on a regular basis: I’m a teammate. I is likely to be the captain, but I’m a teammate. I understand the stuff you’re going through. I’m on this fight with you. And I feel they respect that they usually understand that. Walking out that door is a moment I’ll always remember and one I’ll cherish ceaselessly.”
The meaning of his mantra “Select Hard”
“It began a few years ago once I was within the Notre Dame weight room and was understanding as our players were being pushed hard. And I remember considering that you would be able to select to undergo the motions or you’ll be able to select to go as hard as you’ll be able to. And that is once I got here up with this considered ‘Select Hard.’ We put up an indication you see whenever you walk into this constructing that claims ‘Select Hard.’ Because whenever you walk into Notre Dame football, you’ve to have that mindset. We’re going to select hard today in practice, select hard today in meetings, select hard today in the load room. And for the players, you are going to be challenged within the classroom, right? You are going to be at school with a number of the most intelligent people on this world. And it’s difficult, but ultimately you have chosen to come here so select hard, accept it, and know that the rewards from selecting hard each day cannot be found anywhere else.”
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Problem-solving philosophy
“When a team is not winning, loads of people say, trust the method. My mantra is: fix the method. I spend loads of time evaluating all the pieces we were doing. Why aren’t we playing higher? What are we doing schematically? Is there something our players don’t understand? Losses occur and it’s a component of life. But they hurt. As a pacesetter, you don’t need to have too many. Fix it with urgency.”
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Retaining players within the age of the transfer portal
“Look, when you’re the CEO of an organization, you bought to pay your employees, right? Now in the event that they can go some other place and make lots more cash, regardless of what form of company you are running, they are going to probably leave. So now we have to be sure that that our players can maximize the opportunities of name, image and likeness. That is vital, but what else keeps them at Notre Dame? What else attracts them here? And you have to consider it is your culture. You have to consider it’s the way in which they’re treated. Do they enjoy being a part of your program? That is so vital. And that is a message for myself and our other coaches. Let’s be sure that that as hard as we push them, as demanding as we’re, we are usually not demeaning. We would like them to enjoy being a component of this team and all the opportunities that the University of Notre Dame provides.”
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