What got me here, won’t get me there – how the world's best sports coaches successfully adapt their expertise in different environments

In high-performance sport, sustained success increasingly hinges on a coach's ability to adapt across varied, complex, and dynamic environments. This study explores how world-class coaches develop and apply adaptive expertise (AE) across multiple high-performance settings. Framed by a pragmatic philosophy, 14 coaches (with a combined success of 55 Olympic medals and 22 World Championship medals across at least two distinct performance environments) took part in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four core themes: self-awareness (Know Thyself), contextual agility (Context is the Conductor), relational depth (Build Strong Ropes), and continuous growth (Accelerated Learning). Coaches highlighted the importance of experiential learning, reflective practice, performance safety, and cultural adaptation in developing AE. The findings offer a practical framework for developing AE and underscore its value in navigating the uncertainties and transitions inherent in high-performance sport. Implications for coach education, mentorship, and leadership in dynamic performance environments are discussed.