Episode 177: Coaching 4 Character | Coach Will Rey on 50 Years of Building Better People

What does it mean to coach for character—and what does that look like in everyday practice?

In Episode 177 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with Coach Will Rey, head varsity basketball coach at Northridge Prep School, for a conversation about building better people through athletics. Entering his 50th year of coaching, with experience at both the college and high school levels, Coach Rey brings a perspective shaped by decades of teaching, competing, and growing alongside his players.

His philosophy is straightforward: pursue excellence, compete to win, and never lose sight of the people you’re developing in the process.

Coaching for Character Means Celebrating It

One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation wasn’t simply Coach Rey’s commitment to character. It was his intentional choice to celebrate it.

An athlete dives for a loose ball. A player makes the unselfish pass. Someone misses several shots but keeps competing with purpose. For Coach Rey, these aren’t just basketball moments. They’re opportunities to connect the game to the effort, unselfishness, and resilience he wants his players to develop.

As coaches, correcting mistakes comes naturally. We notice the missed assignment, the bad pass, and the poor decision. But how intentional are we about noticing what athletes are doing well?

Coach Rey’s approach challenges us to make character development visible—not just something we discuss before the season, but something we recognize and reinforce throughout it.

Building a Culture Beyond the Scoreboard

Coach Rey starts each season by establishing the program’s purpose, standards, and expectations. Even when players return, he doesn’t assume the team’s culture will carry over automatically. Every season requires intentional work to create an environment where everyone can become their best.

We also discuss why winning shouldn’t excuse behavior a coach would correct after a loss. If effort and unselfishness matter, they must matter regardless of the final score. Coach Rey wants to win, but he refuses to let the scoreboard determine his standards.

In this episode, we explore:

• Using athletics as a vehicle for character development.
• Establishing clear team standards and shared commitments.
• Recognizing effort, resilience, unselfishness, and accountability.
• Teaching consistently through both winning and losing.
• Finding opportunities for the coach’s own character growth.

Listen to Episode 177 for a conversation that challenges coaches to look beyond what their athletes accomplish and consider who they’re becoming.

Here’s your challenge this week: Spend less time looking for mistakes to correct and more time looking for character to celebrate. That doesn’t mean abandoning accountability. It means making sure the good doesn’t go unnoticed.

Follow Coach Will Rey

• X: @coach4character
• Northridge Prep Basketball: @NRP_Hoops

Don’t Just Wish for Mentally Tough Athletes. Build Them.

Through Mental Mettle Coaching and my Ember to Inferno program, I help coaches develop practical tools for building mental toughness, strengthening team culture, and preparing athletes to respond to adversity.

Mental toughness shouldn’t be something we simply demand. It should be part of our everyday coaching—something we teach, practice, and reinforce.

Learn more at mentalmettlecoach.com, or email matt@mentalmettlecoach.com to discuss coach development for your team or organization.

How Would Jesus Coach?

I also lead a Bible study for coaches exploring how faith can shape the way we lead, teach, compete, and care for athletes. I’m not approaching it as someone with all the answers. It’s an opportunity for coaches to learn, reflect, and grow together.

Interested in joining? Email matt@mentalmettlecoach.com for more information.

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep forging your mettle.