Episode Details

Phill Drobnick (@CoachPhill) recently retired as the National Team Director at USA Curling after the 2026 Milan Olympics, bringing an end to nearly two decades of coaching experience at the international level. Since 2005, Phill has been instrumental in guiding Team USA to international success, including notable achievements at the Olympics and World Championships. Phill's coaching highlights include guiding Team USA to the Junior Men's World Championship in 2008, and more recently, orchestrating the unforgettable gold medal win for Team Shuster at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. That victory was the U.S.'s first-ever Olympic gold in curling. He was back in Pyeongchang in 2023, where Korey Dropkin and Cory Christensen clinched the first-ever Mixed Doubles World Championship for the U.S.

Phill also had his share of learning experiences, including serving as Head Coach at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he gained valuable insights through the team's challenges. This experience informed his subsequent role as Project 2018 National Coach, where he worked with athletes identified as potential Olympians. His promotion to Men's National Coach in 2014 saw him leading Team Shuster into the 2018 Olympic Games. From 2018 to 2022, Phill served as the Men's and Mixed Doubles National Coach, and at the 2022 Olympics, he was the National Coach for the Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles teams.

In our discussion today we take a deep dive into the intricacies of curling, the intense training the athletes do, and evne cover someof the highlights and lowlights of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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