The VICE Sports Guide To Coach Jams

Steve Kerr’s emotional paean to Pearl Jam’s most feelingful ballad resurfaces online from time to time, and we can expect to see it again as the NBA’s Coach of the Year leads his Golden State Warriors in pursuit of their second NBA title in as many years. It means something, surely, that despite his role as the head futurist on the forward-thinking Warriors, the music of Steve Kerr’s heart is still Pearl Jam, songs of great emotion and frankly appalling diction that were created when Kerr was still a player winning championships for the Chicago Bulls. It’s a pleasingly human irony—he may lead a revolutionary team, but Kerr still finds comfort in the sounds of an era when musicians with relief-pitcher goatees and burlap hats gave voice to the needs and frustrations of other men with similar facial hair by making guttural keening sounds and taking unhurried guitar solos.

There’s an admirable honesty in that, but also an implied question—what do Kerr’s peers in the coaching profession listen to when it’s time for them to get in touch with things deeper than winning or losing? As you might expect from a diverse group that ranges from scratchy-voiced white men in their forties to even scratchier-voiced white men in their seventies, other coaches’ musical inspiration covers a wide spectrum. Here are those songs, which these leaders pass along to their players as a dictum and a gift.

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I’m a (Sammy) Hagar guy. Just like to noodle with my smoker and jam the Red Rocker. — Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals head coach.
I like rock music. All of it. All a celebration. Bonnie Raitt. Chili Peppers. Tove Lo. Johnny Depp shot me his Luxurious Rabies demo. A++ TY for asking. — Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks head coach
I’ll pretty much take all comers provided it’s got a beat and explicitly sexual themes, but I can tell you that the first dance Michelle and I shared at our wedding was to “Tush” by ZZ Top. — Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills head coach
To achieve what I call “a decision state,” I require music that brings into equilibrium my inner self and my external surroundings. Because of the personal journeys I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy—in the far east, in the American southwest with Luc Longley, and also within through the writings of Paulo Coelho and the supervised use of ayahuasca—I have achieved a state in which my being vibrates at the same frequency and rhythm as “Sadeness” by Enigma. So there you are. — Phil Jackson, former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers head coach

I can tell you who I don’t like: Wale, Patti Smith, people who only like T’Pau singles. I hate Happy Mondays. Bez is an ass. — Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings Head Coach
I have not bought a record since Mazzy Star’s last one. — Mike Tice, Offensive Line Coach Oakland Raiders
The winds of pop music are fickle. And guys who’ve played for me know I am disciplined, but also kind of a softie. I don’t think yelling and getting mad are ever productive. All that said, I WILL BE DIPPED IN SHIT if you try to tell me that Gotye’s “Someone I Used to Know” is over. Let me tell you something: I’m not done enjoying it yet. I love it to pieces. And the guy who pulled up next to my vehicle yesterday on the way out of CVS will attest to that. — Dick Vermeil, former NFL head coach
The sounds of John Williams movie scores fill my Nissan Versa, exclusively. I live my life accordingly. — Ned Yost, Kansas City Royals Manager
You know the jingle from the Cellino & Barnes commercials? In-jur-y A-ttorneys? I like that one. Pretty catchy. — Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts head coach
Kevin Costner should make a record. That’s who. — Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos Head Coach
Jimmy Buffett, man. Is there anything else? Also a lot of Dean Koontz audio books. — Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams Head Coach
When I managed, I’d play Sinatra all the time. I didn’t say I liked Sinatra. But I’d listen all the time…What don’t you get? — Bobby Valentine former major league baseball manager
Has anyone said Buffett? — Jay Gruden, Washington NFL Team head coach
Was a big Teena Marie fan. JBJ is close to my heart, obviously. I have nothing further. — Bill Belichick, New England Patriots Head Coach

John Mayer is unequivocally the best musician ever to live. This is facts, okay? But if he doesn’t WAKE UP, the Black Keys will take his crown. I know that’s sacrilege, ’cause they’re Ohio guys. Deal with it. Also Mike Love’s a friend. — Jim Harbaugh, University of Michigan head football Coach
I always used to think of techno as weird blippy-bloopy-meer-meer music but Nowitzki took me to Berghain a couple years back and there is nothing more eye-opening than tripping your balls off at 7am in a backroom in Berlin to some killer Nick Hoppner. You meet a part of yourself that ordinarily hides. — Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks head coach
Oh, we like to get loosey, goosey, and a little bit weird here. Wacky. No apologies. Barenaked Ladies. A bit of G-Eazy. T.M.B.G., FTW. — Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs manager
Tame Fucking Impala (makes jerk-off motion). — Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs Head Coach
Meat Loaf shined a light on young manhood for me. I consider him like a priest, a sort of high priest of youth. Speaking of young manhood, I believe that torch has been passed to Kings of Leon. Talented young men. — Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota Timberwolves new head coach
It’s not music like you call it up there, but I listen to a lot of sound effects records. My favorite is “Breaking Glass.” — Nick Saban, University of Alabama head football coach

I like this band Bauhaus, because we’re such a young team and I want these young men to realize just how dark it really is out there. — Terry Collins, Mets manager
Everyone in the locker room groans when I put on Andrew Ridgeley’s “Son of Albert” but by the time “Shake” is halfway through they’re all moving to the rhythm. — Saints head coach Sean Payton
It’s not even funny to me that people discount the Cherone-era Van Halen record. I mean, I understand it, from an academic standpoint, but it’s ignorance. Ignorance and not wanting to better yourself, your knowledge. — John Tortorella, Columbus Blue Jackets
I bet a ton of the other guys are gonna say ‘Hamilton’ but if we are talking bona fide Broadway classics you’ve still got to go with ‘Rent.’ Get back to me in twenty years and maybe we’ll see if ‘Hamilton’ is in this conversation, even. —Tom Izzo, Michigan State
I always would insist on Guillaume Dufay’s isoryhthmic motets before every game. Mostly because they bugged the fuck out of Larry [Bird], and we all thought it was funny to see him pissed off. But The Chief [Robert Parish] wound up really taking a shine to them, and I think he seriously considered starting an early music ensemble of his own when he retired. — K.C. Jones, Boston Celtics head coach, 1983-1988

Man, if I started a cover band all we’d ever play is Big Star’s “Stroke It Noel.” Just “Stroke It Noel” all night. As soon as we ended “Stroke It Noel” we’d start up another “Stroke It Noel” again. That’s kind of how I keep it in the locker room. — Jack McKeon, former Florida Marlins manager
I have six words for you: Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Yes, that’s right, Tortoise. Did I stutter? I did not. — Mike Keenan, multiple NHL franchises
I never understood why my guys would want to get all agitated by the hip-hop. By any music, really. You know what gets you loose, gets you ready to go out there? The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart. The only real danger is that you tear something laughing too hard, so you need to keep the training staff right up to speed. — Vinny Del Negro, former head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers
Everyone’s always “the Beatles or the Stones, the Beatles or the Stones?” What about the Kinks? Fellas, what about the goddamn Kinks? You know anything better than “Victoria” I’d be happy to play it before a game, but good luck. — Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat head coach
Wait, hang on. Let me talk a little bit about Savage Garden, too. And let me say, I know it’s cheesy. I’m an adult, I have ears. It’s well-crafted pop, too. —Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Want to know a little secret about Huey Lewis and the News? The News were all guys who played on Elvis Costello records. So next time you shit on the “Power of Love” … you know what, fuck it. I don’t have time for this. — Jim Leyland
If it were up to me, I would be a fry cook in New Mexico, just blasting Dick Dale surf guitar, 24-7. And I still have time to do that. The dream is alive. — Bo Ryan, former coach Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball.