EP. 171: "Always another mountain" with Ripon Coach Lauren Busalacchi

Lauren Busalacchi is entering her 14th season as the head women’s basketball coach at Ripon College, after spending three years as an assistant and two years as a part-time assistant. During her time at Ripon, she has built one of the most successful programs in the Midwest, winning eight consecutive Midwest Conference championships, making five NCAA Tournament appearances, and earning induction into the Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025. She has also been named the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association’s Private College Coach of the Year twice and has led her staff to seven consecutive Coaching Staff of the Year honors.But this conversation isn't really about the championships.It's about what happened when Lauren realized that X's and O's weren't enough.After struggling early in her tenure—including a 2–21 season—Lauren recognized that building a successful program required something deeper: an intentional culture. That led her to the Tribal Leadership model, which now provides the framework for the language, behaviors, and culture within Ripon's program.Lauren and I talk about what it means to intentionally build culture, how coaches can teach athletes to respond to adversity, and why mental toughness can't simply be demanded—it has to be trained.We also dig into two concepts that have become important parts of the Ripon program: E + R = O and the Chinese proverb, “Behind the mountains, there are more mountains.”Lauren believes one of the most important responsibilities of leadership is to continually help and challenge people to respond better. We may not control the events we experience in life, but we do have control over our responses—and those responses affect everyone around us.We talk about vulnerability, asking for help, player ownership, leadership, adversity, family, faith, and the ongoing challenge of becoming better leaders and coaches.Because no matter how much success you've had, you never really arrive.There is always a next mountain.Connect with Lauren & Ripon College Women's BasketballFacebook: Ripon College Women's BasketballInstagram: @riponwomensbasketballConnect with Coach Matt Thomann & Mental Mettle CoachingMental Mettle Coaching: [email protected] Mettle Coaching helps athletes, coaches, and educators develop the mental skills necessary to handle adversity, build confidence, and perform at their best.Forge Your Mettle.