19. Blake Smart - Memphis

So for the last 12 years, you've been at Memphis.

This past season, you guys have an incredible year.

You know, I've talked to you kind of off air about, you know, expectations heading into the spring, some things clicked for you guys.

What are some things that you've learned about yourself? And then this is a two-part question.

Second part is, What's something that you believed as a young coach that you completely disagree with today? So are there any kind of like misconception that you had about like leading a team that is not true of you, you know, in 2026?

You know, I think when I was a young coach, like I said, I was pretty staunch in the way that I wanted to do things.

I was also fresh out of grad school.

And so, you know, you've read a lot of books about how to build culture and how to do this and that in school.

And some of it applied.

One of my favorite stories is at the end of my first semester of coaching,

you

know, fresh out of grad school, I had everyone complete a survey.

And that was a terrible idea.

I wanted to learn about what I had not done well, what I had done well, where I could get better.

And these boys just absolutely roasted me.

I mean...

About everything, whether it was in my control or not, and I got so mad.

It was not productive, and it ultimately set us back.

So, yeah, I've learned that feedback is great.

You probably need to have a good relationship if you're going to ask for feedback.

I hadn't earned it from them, again, being the fourth coach in a year, and sort of set myself up for, for failure there.

But, um, I think one thing I've really learned is there's the hard and fast rules.

There's, there's culture, there's standards.

Those don't change how you get there.

Can there can be some wiggle room and you gotta meet each guy where he's at.