Sept. 14, 2015
By David Dawson
After watching head coach Tim Corbin turn the Vanderbilt baseball program into one of the best in the nation, one main question has emerged: What is the formula behind his success?
Corbin — who led the Commodores to a national title in 2014 and a runner-up finish this past season — will share some insight on that topic on Sept. 29, when Well Placed Smile presents “Coffee with Coach Corbin.”
Corbin will speak on “Building and Sustaining a Successful Culture” during the event, which will be held at Well Placed Smile from 7-8:30 a.m. Business leaders, coaches, parents, athletes and fans are all invited to attend. Tickets are $100 per person. To register, click HERE.
John Ingram, the Chairman and CEO of Ingram Content Group and a member of Vanderbilt University’s Board of Trust, will serve as the moderator.
“I am thrilled to join Coach Corbin at Well Placed Smile to speak about, in my opinion, one of the most important topics in sports and business — developing and sustaining a successful culture,” said Ingram.
“Whether in business or sports, we all strive in different ways to create environments where the people we value the most can learn, grow, and be successful. Yet this is really challenging at times,” said Ingram. “Why do some companies fail and others succeed long term? How do some sports programs continue to win year after year after year? I believe much has to do with the culture created and sustained by the leaders. And Coach Corbin is one of the greatest leaders I have ever seen. He has figured out the recipe; where expectations to succeed on the field are high but the expectations for professionalism, service to others, and class as young men are even higher.”
Corbin, who is entering his 14th season with the Commodores, was named National Coach of the Year in 2014 after guiding the Commodores to the NCAA championship — the first national title captured by a men’s team in school history. Corbin owns a record of 567-271 at VU and his .677 winning percentage is the best in program history among coaches with 100 games or more.
With his incredible run of success at Vanderbilt, Corbin has developed a reputation as one of the top motivators in the sports world — on any level — and he has served as a keynote speaker in events all over the nation. He recently shared his philosophies with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Eagles.
“Our team at Well Placed Smile is so excited to host Coach Corbin for a morning of great discussion and learning,” said Caroline (Williams) Hipps, a former star on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team and now the director of business development at Well Placed Smile. “In my opinion, a major part of developing culture is developing people, and he makes each person he coaches and meets feel and believe they are valued. His ability to motivate, discipline and teach while at the same time remain humble, genuine, and empathetic is something I think we can all learn from, no matter the profession we are in.”
During her time at VU, Hipps found out, firsthand, that Corbin is all about positive reinforcement and building relationships.
“From the first time I met him over 10 years ago as a freshman basketball player at Vanderbilt, he has been someone I admire and respect so much,” said Hipps. “I remember receiving an email from him on the morning after a game congratulating me on a great night and urging me to keep up the hard work. I didn’t even know he knew my name, yet he took the time to send a warm congratulations! And I later heard how he did this for other teammates and other Vanderbilt athletes. From this, I learned the importance of taking time to recognize others and what that does for someone’s confidence.”
The morning event at Well Placed Smile is a rare opportunity to hear two of Nashville’s finest leaders in Coach Corbin and John Ingram speak on a topic that resonates so deeply with any profession and any sport.
