Philosophy 101: Mastering the Art of Coaching:

Developing the Soft Skills for Coaching.

Your Instructor


Steve Magness & Jonathan Marcus
Steve Magness & Jonathan Marcus

STEVE MAGNESS is the bestselling author of Peak Performance: Take Advantage of the New Science of Success and The Science of Running. He is a coach to some of the top distance runners in the world, having coached numerous athletes to top 15 at the World Championships and Olympic Games. As well as having coached six Top 10 performances at a major Marathon (Boston, NYC, Chicago). He's coached athletes such as Natosha Rogers, Neely Spence-Gracey, Sara Hall, Mark English, Jackie Areson, Brian Barraza, Sarah Crouch, and many more. He currently coaches at the University of Houston. Known widely for his integration of science and practice, Magness has been on the forefront of innovation in sport. He serves as an adjunct professor of Strength and Conditioning at St. Mary's University.


JONATHAN MARCUS is the director and co-founder of High Performance West. He's developed athletes to national championships, Olympic Trials Qualifying standards, and national records. Some of the athletes he has coached include: Tara Welling, Nicole Blood, Eleanor Fulton, Mckayla Fricker, Daniel Herrera, and more. Previously Jon was the Head Cross Country Coach at Clackamas Community College and an assistant Track & Field/Cross Country Coach at Portland State, University of Portland, and Warner Pacific College. He graduated with a B.A. from Columbia University in the City of New York in 2006.


Instructers Featured In:

A Letter from Steve Magness

When I wrote The Science of Running my aim was to bridge the gap between science and training. To give a glimpse into my mind of how I think about developing training for an athlete. I was tired of seeing the same cookie cutter, brainless approach to training, so I tried to fill a need.

Once more, there's a gap in coaching.

We are consumed with becoming experts on the physiology and the technical, which is all well and good. But we've lost our teaching roots.

Coaches education is supposed to fill that gap, but it's often littered with textbook style teaching with an emphasis on rote memorization. We sit in the classroom learning about ATP or Aerobic Systems, while ignoring how to actually deal with and interact with athletes out on the track, court, or field. We forgot that we coach people, not robots, people!

This course is my attempt to fill that need.

For years, I've been asked to produce an online course or lecture series. I'm fortunate enough to speak at conventions and clinics a handful of times per year. But it costs hundreds of dollars to attend and I can only cram so much information into an hour long talk. Tired of the restraints and the cost to both organizers and attendees, here's my solution!

In over 4 HOURS of lectures, you'll develop the skills needed to take your coaching to the next level. The focus is on ALL coaches, not just runners or individual sports. I cover the art of coaching. My goal is to teach you about:

  • The Process of Coaching
  • Developing a philosophy
  • Coaching towards Independence
  • Making coaching simple
  • Learning how to learn
  • Understanding the best ways to teach
  • Making better decisions.
  • Eliminating our bias that holds us back
  • Developing a BS detector
  • Sifting through Information in our modern age
  • Harnessing the power of reflection and purpose.
  • Prevent "settling"

What you won't find are the cliche phrases and teachings that make up most coaching education systems or texts. Instead, we do a deep dive, utilizing the latest scientific research, reaching into the depths of history for lessons from philosophy, and taking advantage of the practical application of lessons learned from over a decade of coaching elite athletes at every level.

When I was in graduate school, I was fortunate enough to sign up for an obscure summer course taught by former NFL General Manager Charlie Casserly. At 7am, each summer morning, a handful of students gathered to learn how to coach. Casserly spent 6 weeks providing lessons from interacting with the best professional sports minds. It was a moment that pushed me towards coaching.

This is my feeble attempt to do Mr. Casserly's course justice.

Join me in this learning experience,

-Steve Magness

P.S. Sign Up now and you'll get exclusive Bonus content including: My Coaching Philosophy Handbook, analyzing my coaching journey through my reading trends, and an exclusive look at the full training of one of my world-class runners. Hurry, these bonuses will go away soon!


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Course Curriculum



Frequently Asked Questions


Is this course only for running/track coaches?
NO!! This course if for coaches of ANY sport. It's about coaching people! Do you coach people? then this course is for you!
What should I expect?
4+ hours of video lectures plus supplemental articles and a host of recommended reads and other resources. PLUS, interaction with me, as your teacher.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.