#222 "You've Got to Taste the Mud!" How to Become a Better Coach with EPL and Serie A Coach Carlo Cornacchia

Way of Champions Podcast

Carlo Cornacchia is a long time friend and coaching collaborator, and has both played and coached at the highest levels the game of soccer has to offer. He played professionally in Italy for clubs such as Napoli, Atalanta and Cagliari, and the last few years he has been a part of legendary coach Claudio Ranieri's staff at Fulham in the English Premier League, Nancy in France, and both Roma and Sampdoria in Italy. They recently wrapped up a 9th place finish in Serie A with Sampdoria, punching far above their weight and budget during the most trying of seasons.

In our chat today, Carlo and John discuss how players and the game have changed from his playing days, what are the qualities of exceptional coaches such as Ranieri, how to connect with players at any level, and how young coaches transitioning from their playing days must pay their dues, and "taste the mud" as he says. What is great about Carlo is that not only has he coached internationals in front of massive crowds on the world's biggest stage, but he has also coached JV high school and youth soccer in the US, so he has an appreciation of the game at every level. Buckle in for a great ride!

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Way of Champions Conference 2021

This weeks podcast is brought to you by the 2021 Way of Champions Leadership Conference, August 21-22, being held virtually this year. We have put together a lineup that is out of this world for our event, and just added Tara VanDerveer, the legendary Stanford Women’s Basketball coach who just broke Pat Summits all time wins record on NCAA hoops. Other guest speakers include Steve Kerr of the Warriors, Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz, multiple time NCAA Champion coaches Anson Dorrance, Cindy Timchal, and Jenny Levy, and mindfulness expert George Mumford. Click here to learn more or register before we sell out!

Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:

• Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don’t have to crash your car trying to take notes!
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• Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time
• Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences.

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