Sean Hayes, Director of Athletic Performance for Volleyball, Men’s Tennis, and Men’s Swimming at the University of Georgia, joins the show in his 17th season with the Bulldogs. Coach Hayes spent more than a decade with Men’s Basketball at Georgia, and his path also includes stops with the Buffalo Bills, Clemson, Harvard, and Tulsa.

We dive into what he learned running 41 teams by himself as the first Director at Harvard, the wake-up call Mike Boyle delivered to him as an intern, how he kickstarts his own self-discipline after 30 years in the field, and why he set a goal to back squat 315 before his daughter graduated.

Coach Hayes also breaks down how he has stayed at Georgia for seventeen years and why he has chosen to stay, what he learned adapting to a coaching change, the importance of letting career progression happen organically, and why you should work to make yourself irreplaceable wherever you are.

We also get into laser focused prioritization, why he leans on his staff instead of trying to have all the answers, the changes he has made to his volleyball team's training this season with post-practice lifting, and the honest reflection on what he sacrificed with his oldest daughter along the way.

🔗Check out more from Coach Hayes👇

Instagram: @coachshayes

This podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.

Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.

👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here].

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:57 Seventeen Years at Georgia and the Path There

04:20 Running 41 Sports Solo at Harvard

09:38 Building a Program From Scratch

12:32 What Hard Early Years Teach You

13:53 The Mike Boyle Wake-Up Call

16:54 Kickstarting Your Own Self-Discipline

18:45 Setting a Back Squat Goal at 52

20:41 Finding a Second Mountain

23:59 Why He Has Stayed at Georgia

25:34 Not Tying Your Identity to the Sport You Work With

26:50 Ingraining Yourself in the Department

28:52 Keeping Ego Out of Career Decisions

31:23 Adapting to a Coaching Change

36:24 Turning Defensiveness Into Growth

39:18 Career Advice for Young Coaches in Today's Landscape

44:42 Make Yourself Irreplaceable

46:09 Goal Setting and Laser Focused Prioritization

49:18 Changing Volleyball Training to Post-Practice Lifting

52:02 Reflection, Vulnerability, and Leaning on Staff

54:41 Isometrics, Plyos, and Getting Uncomfortable

59:59 What Helped His Career but Cost Him at Home

01:03:52 When He Is Closest to His Purpose

EP 70: Sean Hayes | Make Yourself Irreplaceable

The Strength In Numbers Podcast

EP 70: Sean Hayes | Make Yourself Irreplaceable