What Makes a Great Coach: Building the Pyramid from the Ground Up

Let’s play a game. Picture the best coach you’ve ever had.

Maybe they had killer cues—like, “drive your elbows through the ceiling” right before your best clean ever. Maybe they always had the perfect playlist for your 6:30 a.m. grind. Maybe they explained movement mechanics with the clarity of a TED Talk and the energy of a caffeinated golden retriever.

But when you zoom out—when you think about what made them stick in your memory—it probably wasn’t those things. Not alone, anyway. It was something deeper. A sense that they saw you. Got you. Knew just how to hold space for your process, whether that meant pushing harder or just showing up at all.

That’s what this article is about—and what a great conversation with one of my coaches recently reminded me of. We were hashing out what actually matters in coaching. Not what looks cool on social media, not what other coaches geek out about—but what helps real people get real results.

What emerged was a sort of “Coach’s Pyramid,” a riff on the CrossFit theoretical hierarchy of development. That original pyramid starts with nutrition and ends in sport—reminding us that the flashy stuff rests on a much deeper foundation. Our version does the same thing, but for what makes a coach great instead of an athlete.

Tier 5: Cues, Drills & the Coach as Technician

This is often what people think makes someone a great coach—those slick one-liners, clever tactile cues, spicy EMOMs with a clever name. And yes, they matter, especially at higher levels.

But for the average member just trying to feel better, look better, or keep up with their kids, these things are often background noise. It takes a certain amount of experience and understanding just to “get it.” And let’s be honest: often the only people who really notice a world-class cue are other coaches.

This is the insider language of coaching, and while it’s a valuable tool in the kit, it’s the tip of the iceberg—not the foundation.

Tier 4: Motivation & Vibes

This is where a lot of people think coaching begins—and sometimes ends. The hype voice. The “you got this!” at just the right moment. The playlist that slaps. The vibe.

And look, we’re not saying vibes don’t matter. A space that feels fun, welcoming, and energized is absolutely better than one that’s cold, chaotic, or indifferent. But when people think motivation is the core of great coaching, they’re missing the plot.

Real motivation doesn’t come from a coach’s volume or charisma. It comes from the environment—from autonomy, competence, and connection (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Those aren’t built with hype—they’re built with consistency, safety, and belonging. Great vibes support great coaching, but they can’t replace it.

Motivation and vibes are fragile if they’re not resting on something deeper. Think of them as the paint on the walls. Yes, paint helps create the atmosphere. But if the walls themselves aren’t sturdy—if the foundation isn’t solid—it doesn’t matter what color they are.

This is the most visible layer, and because of that, it often gets the most attention. But don’t be fooled: you can’t vibe your way out of chaos, lack of clarity, or indifference. (If someone wants to pass the message to certain government officials I’d be grateful.)

Tier 3: Communication & Education

This is where a lot of coaches unintentionally drop the ball. You might crush it during the 7:00am class, but if members don’t know why you’re programming a deload week or what to expect in next month’s cycle, they’re operating in the dark.

Transparent, consistent communication builds trust—and trust breeds adherence. According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, clear communication and educational touchpoints improve health behavior outcomes by up to 35% (Noar et al., 2007).

But here’s the tricky part: we can’t dump all our knowledge on day one. It’s tempting. You want to explain the glycolytic pathway, the difference between intensity and volume, why the deload week matters. But if you unleash the firehose too early, people tune out or feel overwhelmed.

Education, done right, is a slow drip. A nudge. A conversation. It happens in the margins—during warm-ups, in newsletters (hey there), in casual post-class chats. According to educational psychology research, learning retention is highest when information is delivered in context and through dialogue, not monologue (Merriam & Bierema, 2013).

We owe it to our members to be their guide, not just their rep-counter.

Tier 2: Logistics & Organization

This is the “invisible” coaching—until it isn’t. When logistics go right, nobody notices. But when they go wrong? It’s all anyone notices.

Think: confusing sign-up processes, poorly laid-out equipment, class schedules that don’t line up to people’s lives. These things don’t just frustrate people—they quietly erode trust. A study in the Harvard Business Review found that even minor logistical frictions significantly reduce customer satisfaction and retention (Berry, Carbone, & Haeckel, 2002).

Think of this tier as “invisible coaching.” When logistics run smoothly, they almost disappear—but when they don’t, they dominate the experience. Clean, predictable systems create psychological ease. And psychological ease builds the space for physical challenge.

Tier 1: personal Connection

Here it is. The base. The big one. The thing everything else is built on: person to person connection.

When someone walks into your gym, they want more than fitness. They want to be seen. They want to feel like someone gives a damn whether they showed up. And the data backs this up: a study from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that a supportive coaching relationship significantly increases program adherence and long-term success (Moore et al., 2016).

It’s not about being best friends with every client. It’s about being present. Remembering their name. Noticing when they’re a little quieter than usual. Asking “what’s going on?” and really meaning it. People want to feel like coaches have their backs- not just celebrating their wins but showing care and investment when those wins are just a pipe dream.

When we get this part right—when we make our clients feel like they matter—everything else becomes possible.

Don’t Invert the Pyramid

Just like athletes confuse CrossFit-the-sport with CrossFit-the-method, coaches sometimes focus too much on the tip of the pyramid. Fancy cues and Instagrammable workouts get all the attention, but they don’t build trust, or joy, or commitment.

Too often coaches make members “come to us.” We have the movements, the cues, the truth, and people should want to engage with that, and if they don’t that’s their problem. Wrong, bucko- we can’t peer down from the top of our pyramid of eleeeeeeet fitnezz/coaching skillz. You gotta get down there, where the people are.

Great coaching starts at the bottom—with connection—and builds up from there.

So the next time you walk into a gym, ask yourself: Is this place built from the ground up? Or is it balancing upside-down on a flashy but fragile tip?

Because real coaching? It’s not just what you say. It’s how you make people feel—and how well you’ve laid the foundation before you even open your mouth.

Citations:

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist.
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice.
Berry, L. L., Carbone, L. P., & Haeckel, S. H. (2002). Managing the total customer experience. Harvard Business Review.
Moore, M., Jackson, E., & Tschannen-Moran, B. (2016). Coaching psychology and the transformation of the individual. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.