Episode 27 - Coach P

This week’s episode of The Mental Matchup is with Joanne P. McCallie, also known as Coach P. Coach P is known for her successful basketball coaching career, which has spanned Auburn, Maine, Michigan State, and Duke University. She is the only coach to have won conference championships in four different conferences. Her overall record is 646-255, she has won gold medals coaching US youth basketball teams, and has been named coach of the year multiple times. Coach P is also an advocate for mental health, as she was diagnosed with manic-depressive disorder (also known as bi-polar disorder) when she was 30. She was not open about her diagnosis until more recently, and has since published a book, Secret Warrior: A Coach and a Fighter, On and Off the Court.

In the episode, we talk about how she dealt with her mental health episodes while coaching, the decisions surrounding when and how to be open about her diagnosis, how she managed her players who struggled with mental health challenges, and how she plans to be a mental health advocate moving forward. Coach P has started a mental health foundation which you can follow at @coachp4life on all social media platforms.