🏀 Can You Love Your Team? Lessons from Paula Krueger at Northern State
What does it really mean to love your team as a coach?
In this episode of the Significant Coaching Podcast, Matt Rogers sits down with Paula Krueger, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Northern State University, for a real and reflective conversation on coaching, growth, and perspective.
A question Paula was once asked in an interview—“Can you love your team?”—has stayed with her throughout her career and continues to shape how she leads today.
This conversation dives into:
- How that question became a foundation of her coaching philosophy
- Why coaches can’t build their identity solely around the game
- The importance of seeing a coach’s full body of work, not just one season
- Lessons learned from stepping away—and coming back better
- How she approaches player development through staff, detail, and trust
- The role of mental performance and simple tools to help athletes reset during games
Paula also shares powerful moments from her journey—like the advice that helped her leave a team she loved: “Don’t ever take or stay for a roster.”
This is a conversation about more than basketball. It’s about identity, relationships, and becoming a better coach by becoming a more complete person.
👉 Learn more about Paula Krueger: https://nsuwolves.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/paula-krueger/1598
