On today’s coaching episode, I’m chatting with Will and Samantha Palmer, both coaches for the Florida Gators. Will serves as the Associate Head Coach for cross country and Assistant Coach for track and field, while Samantha is an Assistant Coach for cross country. Before coming to Florida, they were both at the University of Alabama, where they played a big role in leading the team to a third-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Will’s coaching career also includes stints at Georgetown, Western Kentucky, and Iowa, and Samantha was previously an assistant coach at the University of Toledo.
Samantha is an accomplished runner herself, having qualified for the US Marathon Olympic Trials in both 2016 and 2020. She also qualified for the 10,000 meters at the 2020 Olympic Trials. I love the dynamic of having a husband and wife coaching duo—it’s not something you see very often—and we talk a little bit about that in this episode. They’re also expecting their second child, so we dive into how they balance family life with coaching.
In our conversation, we dig into the culture they work hard to build within their teams, what they prioritize to create a successful environment for their athletes, and how they foster a sense of value for every single person, especially when you’ve got star athletes like Parker Valby on your roster. There’s so much valuable insight about coaching philosophies, team dynamics, and balancing career and family in this episode. I really enjoyed getting to know Will and Samantha, and I know you will too!
What we talked about:
5:00- Catching up about the Florida Gators
6:25- Being a married coaching duo while raising a family
11:05- The decision to coach at Florida
25:00- Making sure every athlete feels valued on the team
32:00- Coaching Parker Valby
41:00- Favorite moments as a coach
43:30- Volume for each athlete
54:45- End of podcast questions
Show notes:
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