#201: Coaching America's Best - Army West Point Head Coach Joe Alberici and Naval Academy Head Coach Joe Amplo
The Jedburgh PodcastShow Notes
For one day, the rivalry shifts from the battlefield to the lacrosse field. Green Berets. Navy SEALs. America's most elite special operations forces compete with the same intensity, discipline, and commitment to excellence that defines their military careers. But when the final whistle blows, the score becomes secondary to the brotherhood.
Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Army Head Coach Joe Alberici and Navy Head Coach Joe Amplo just hours before the teams took the field. While the rivalry between Army and Navy is one of the greatest traditions in sports, both coaches know the game has always represented something much bigger than winning. Every practice, every workout, and every lesson on the lacrosse field is preparing young men and women to lead under pressure, overcome adversity, and serve their country with honor.
Our conversation examines how service academy athletics develops leaders ready to fight and win our nation’s wars. Coach Alberici and Coach Amplo explain why competition, accountability, and resilience are not just traits of great athletes - they are the same qualities required to lead in combat.
As kickoff approaches, the focus shifts from strategy to mindset. Compete relentlessly. Trust your training. Focus on the next play. Because whether it's on the lacrosse field, on a Special Forces ODA or SEAL platoon, success is built on discipline, accountability, and teammates who refuse to let each other fail.
Army and Navy compete to make each other better because one day these young men and women will stand together in defense of America.
Highlights: 0:00 Introduction 2:02 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic 2:39 Preparing for the Game 5:34 Playing at USMA & USN 14:01 Ownership & Accountability 17:03 Pregame Message
Quotes: “The excitement and desire to be a part of this again from the community was incredible.” “My number one job is to keep you from yourself.” “I have such a love, respect, and aberration for a young person just to be looking at these academies.” “Both of our institutions uncover the best version of the human being that’s inside.” “They have to be good humans who contribute to society because even their military service is going to end at some point.” “You’re always looking to mentor.” “Great leaders hold themselves to the higher standard as consistent as they possibly can.” “The best leaders hold each other and others to that standard consistently.” “Each day we tell a young man we’re trying to build you a masterpiece.” “Before you hold others accountable, you got to hold yourself accountable.” “Go back to the basics.” “Let’s just make sure we’re getting onto the next play.”
The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.
Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.
More from The Jedburgh Podcast
On September 11, 2001, America was attacked. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost. As night fell, the world waited as America planned their response. Within weeks, a small force of Green Berets, CIA Paramilitary Case Officers, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment flight crews and Army Rangers would launch one of the most extraordinary unconventional warfare campaigns in military history.
Speed of innovation will be the deciding factor on today’s battlefields. The technology soldiers need to survive and win cannot take years to field. For generations, one of the Army’s greatest challenges has been closing the distance between the soldier who identifies a need and the acquisition system responsible for delivering the solution.
The battlefield is changing faster than ever before. Drones can find you. Technology can expose you. America’s adversaries are adapting in weeks instead of years. For U.S. Army Special Forces, rapid evolution while maintaining the people, partnerships, and culture that have made Special Forces effective for generations is the key to success on today’s battlefield.
Before ground forces can advance, the battlefield has to be shaped. Air defenses have to come down. Enemy weapons have to be destroyed. And the adversaries' will to combat America has to be lessened. This is the job of field artillery; a branch of the US Army where speed, distance, precision, and results determine who controls the battlefield before ground forces ever make contact.
Every Green Beret, Civil Affairs soldier, and Psychological Operations soldier starts somewhere. Before they can operate in the world’s most complex environments, they have to prove they can think, adapt, lead, and perform when the standard is uncompromising. At the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, the mission is simple to say and extraordinarily difficult to execute: build the world’s best special operators, then continue making them better.