Episode 175: "Excuses Satisfy Those Who Make Them" with Ron Spencer

What do you do when life does not go the way you planned?

Do you make excuses—or do you figure out what you can do next?

In Episode 175 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with veteran Illinois basketball coach and athletic director Ron Spencer for a conversation about adversity, accountability, leadership, and the kind of mental toughness that matters far beyond the court.

Ron has spent more than 30 years coaching basketball, won a state championship, earned multiple Coach of the Year honors, and helped rebuild struggling programs. But some of his most important lessons did not come from winning games.

They came from failure, family, illness, and learning to own his response when life got difficult.

One phrase has stayed with Ron since seventh grade:

“Excuses satisfy those who make them.”

It is not a message about denying that circumstances are hard or pretending that struggles are not real. It is a reminder to move beyond the question, “Why did this happen?” and ask the more useful question: “What can I do next?”

Ron shares the story of failing seventh grade, the toughness he learned from his mother, and the turning point that helped him take ownership of his choices. Years later, he returned to his alma mater—first as a coach and eventually as athletic director—at the same school where he once struggled academically.

The conversation also explores Ron’s coaching journey, including taking over programs that had not won in years, starting a state championship season 1–4, and rallying a team that was down 16 points during the state championship game. During a timeout, Ron wrote one question on the board:

“Is this how it’s going to end?”

But the episode becomes even more personal as Ron discusses his battle with cancer. He shares the experience of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, losing 50 pounds during treatment, and his mother’s pancreatic-cancer diagnosis during the same season. Just two days after his final chemotherapy treatment, Ron returned to coach his team.

Throughout it all, the central message remains the same: you may not control what happens to you, but you can control what you do next.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why excuses keep athletes and coaches from moving forward.
• How ownership differs from shame or self-blame.
• Turning a difficult start into a state championship season.
• Responding when the game—or life—does not go as planned.
• What Ron learned while battling cancer.
• Why coaches must model the accountability they expect from athletes.
• The importance of admitting mistakes and apologizing when you overreact.
• How athletics help young people practice resilience before larger life challenges arrive.

Ron’s story is a powerful reminder that mental toughness is not about pretending things are easy. It is about facing adversity honestly, taking responsibility for your response, and continuing to move forward.

Mental Mettle Coaching works with individual athletes, teams, coaches, and schools to develop the mental skills that help people perform, respond, and grow through adversity.

Learn more at mentalmettlelifecoaching.com.