Kevin Kush, aka Coach Kush, has been involved in coaching and teaching for over 30 years. He spent 21 of those years working with at-risk youth at Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. As a head football coach, he compiled a remarkable record of 164 wins and just 58 losses with 13 of those teams finishing in the top 10. Kevin now shares his experiences with a variety of groups including teachers, youth organizations, and companies.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Marketing and Business Education, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in Vocational and Adult Education.
Coach Kush has been featured on ABC World News Tonight as their Person of the Week, and is the author of two books, The 100-Yard Classroom and A Piece of the Puzzle: Eight Traits of a Quality Teammate.
“A Piece of the Puzzle: Eight Traits of a Quality Teammate”
Audience: Any Team, Group, or Organization
This is Kevin’s signature speech and the title of one of his books. How well do the members of your organization or team work together? Are you a smooth, well-oiled machine or a fractured collection of in-it-for-yourself individuals? In a straight forward no-excuses style, Kevin Kush discusses eight traits that can turn any group or organization into a cohesive, high-performing team. Including; respecting everyone, handling adversity, adapting to change, the importance of having high energy and being accountable. Coach Kush’s passion for performance is contagious and will help lead your team to greater productivity and success!
“The 100-Yard Classroom”
Audience: Educators/Coaches working with students or young adults
Moving kids from point “A” to point “B” is the goal of all teachers, coaches and parents. In this inspirational and practical presentation, Kevin explains his dynamic strategies for motivating youth to individual and team achievement. Coach Kush achieved tremendous success with his Boys Town football teams comprised of youth who had academic, behavioral and emotional problems. Many had never played organized sports. Kevin’s strategies can succeed for you whether you work with students in a classroom, on a school athletic team or in a weekend recreational league.
“Doors of Opportunity”
Audience: Youth grades 7-12
In this presentation, Coach Kush cuts right to the chase and lays it on the line as only a coach can! He discusses; the importance of choosing the right friends, how to set goals, overcoming adversity, making decisions big and small, and the importance of respecting everyone. Young people need direction to get through the doors of opportunity in front of them and Kevin shows them the way in this energy-filled talk!
“Playing on God’s Team”
Audience: Christians from 9 to 99!
Speaking from the heart, Kevin draws an analogy between playing on a football team and working hard every day to make it on God’s team. Who is your head coach? The Bible is your playbook. You don’t know how much time is on the clock! What is your defensive game plan against temptation? These are all concepts that Kevin discusses in a truly unique scripture-filled presentation.
“Leadership in Layman’s Terms”
Leadership does not have to be complicated. Regardless of industry, the task of leading is the same…helping people move from point “A” to point “B”. In a straightforward, no-nonsense approach, Kevin will provide both current and future leaders the needed tools to add to their leadership toolbox. Participants will leave the session with new concepts they can implement immediately with their team, along with a renewed will to WIN! Key components include:
• Building Trust
• Developing Unity
• Embracing Change
• Coaching for Improvement
• Owning Your Personal & Professional Development
• AND MORE…
TEAMMATE TRAINING | 3-Hour Workshop
Audience: Any Team, Group or Organization
TEAMMATE TRAINING expands the principles from, “A Piece of the Puzzle: Eight Traits of a Quality Teammate” by facilitating a workshop with learning activities and sharing within smaller groups. This is a wonderful program for organizations who want to help their employees understand and adopt the practices necessary to become TEAMMATES and improve company culture.
The 100-Yard Classroom
With passion, humor and empathy, Kevin Kush reminds readers why they work with young people and what they can do to inject high expectations and energy into their classrooms (wherever that classroom may be). Buy Here
A Piece of the Puzzle: Eight Traits of a Quality Teammate
How well do the members of your educational team or learning community work together? Are you a smooth, well-oiled machine? In a straightforward, no-excuses style, author and former coach Kevin Kush outlines eight traits that can turn any group or organization into a cohesive, high-performing team. Buy Here
“Coach Kush spoke at our Annual Employee Recognition Banquet. Coach Kush’s presentation skills are outstanding as the attendees intently listened to his energetic, emotional and positive message. Numerous attendees commented that his message on teamwork and being the best you can be in life and for your organization was on target. I highly recommend organizations to utilize Coach Kush as their featured speaker at their organizational events.”
Bruce Vitosh, General Manager & CEO, Norris Public Power District
“Kevin Kush was contracted through MidAmerica Speakers Bureau for our first day of bringing teachers back into the building. I also asked him to address our athletes before their practice that day. Kevin was amazing with the teachers as he almost hit every professional development topic for the year. The motivation was felt by all the teachers to get them ready to start the year! We are still stunned by how he individualized our professional development on the fly. Then he did the same thing with our athletes! Using his keys to being a good teammate, he personalized his message to uplift our teams. He scanned the room and individualized the message to inspire each athlete and their circumstance! Never have we had a speaker that moved our students to come up after the speech, shake their hand, and thank them for their message. Kevin scored a touchdown in our school!”
Jay D. Lutt, PK-3 Principal & Superintendent, Westwood Community School District, Sloan, Iowa
“Coach Kush did an amazing job of engaging our 7-12 student body, which says a lot considering they all have cell phones in their pockets! The message was spot on and exactly what our students needed to hear. I would highly recommend Coach Kush to any school district interested in a dynamic, down-to-earth speaker.”
Jen Hagen, Secondary Principal, St. Paul Public Schools
“Barry and Tyler, Coach Kush’s message is simple, but it resonates across all areas of business and life. He delivers it with confidence and enthusiasm. He is a very inspiring speaker who makes you want to be a better teammate. Also, thanks to you and MidAmerica Speakers Bureau for making the entire process of bringing Kevin to TD Ameritrade so simple!”
Sandra Ash, Director, TD Ameritrade
“Barry and Tyler, just a note to let you know that Coach Kush did a wonderful job presenting ‘A Piece of the Puzzle…’ at our two dealer update meetings in Kearney and Lincoln. I can tell you without reservation that Kevin hit it out of the park at both locations! Our team loved his enthusiasm and his eight key points to being a successful teammate. I know I, and several of our staff and dealers, will keep Kevin’s eight bullet points in our planners and will revisit them often. Thanks again for booking Kevin for us…he was outstanding!”
Jon Ivey, Sr. Business Representative, BASF
“Coach Kush delivered an enthusiastic and energetic presentation that was both motivating and encouraging! The ‘Doors of Opportunity’ speech was very relatable and hit home with both our students and staff. The student body was highly engaged and truly listened to what Coach had to say. I believe his presentation had a positive impact on the students, and I would be honored to have him speak again at our school. Thank you, Coach, for just an outstanding presentation!”
Casey Conner, Homer High School, Homer, NE
“Kevin Kush’s speech ‘A Piece of the Puzzle…’ he delivered at our Harms Oil Company Christmas Party was exceptional! ALL of the responses we heard from employees and guests were extremely positive. His presentation was very well delivered and quite inspiring! In fact, Duane Harms, the company owner, was so impressed he had us purchase all 240 books Kevin brought with him that night. Again, thank you so much MidAmerica Speakers Bureau for coordinating this event with us!”
Peggy Lippert, Harms Oil Company
“In my profession as a financial planner, I have had the opportunity to hear countless speakers at many events. These speakers span the range of motivation to detail-oriented content and usually have left the audience with a temporary good feeling about their talk. I would rank Kevin Kush’s presentation as one of the most heartfelt and genuine talks I have ever heard, and only wish that more would take his message to heart and practice what he has perfected. I can hardly wait to read his book!”
Ron L. Bazata, CFP, PDG, Rotary International
“At our Nebraska State Education Conference Kevin Kush. After his speech, I heard several attendees make comments such as, ‘Kevin was mesmerizing!’ We received so many extremely positive comments about his talk, ‘A Piece of the Puzzle…’ There were over 1,000 superintendents and school board members in attendance, and I can honestly say I did not hear a single negative comment! As Barry Carlson, owner of MidAmerica Speakers Bureau, and I were visiting afterward, we both agreed that Kevin might be the best-kept secret in Nebraska! I would not hesitate in the least to recommend Coach Kush to other organizations who are looking for a powerful, professional, compassionate speaker, and one who understands what it takes to build an effective organization full of great teammates! Thank you, Coach Kush, for a dynamite presentation!”
Sharon Endorf, Event Manager, Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB)
“Wow! Coach Kush delivered! He was such a dynamic speaker and his message fit perfectly with our culture. It was great watching the audience become so engaged! Our event was about owning your personal and professional development. Kevin finished the event with a tool kit that we can all utilize every day to be our best. Thanks to Coach and MidAmerica Speakers Bureau for helping make our event a huge success!”
Kevin Riley, Superintendent, Gretna, Nebraska
“An audience of over 1,000 sales professionals were blown away by Coach’s enthusiasm and approach to business and life. We would highly recommend Kevin for any corporate speaking event large or small.”
Yahoo! Inc.
“I can’t thank you enough for what was an engaging, informative and extremely entertaining keynote! The group loved it and it was the perfect addition to our event. Consider us among your biggest fans and please feel free to use us as a reference for any future clients.”
Lending Tree
“Barry and Tyler, I wanted to reach out and personally thank you for helping us secure Kevin Kush for our recent Trade Show. Kevin is a dynamic speaker that infuses humor and personal stories into his motivating presentations. During his keynote at our event, I took a quick look around the room and everyone was completely engaged and several were literally on the edge of their seats! I found his presentation to be relevant to our diverse group from the multi-family industry and the suppliers that support the industry. Everyone walked away with a feeling that they could contribute more and make a difference every day. Each day is a new opportunity! I heard more than one person talking about asking Coach Kush to present for their own companies. This speaks volumes to me as there are a lot of motivational speakers out there. I know that without a doubt, Kevin makes a difference not only with the students he works with but also to the audiences who have the opportunity to hear him speak!”
Rhonda Pederson, Executive Director, Apartment Association of Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
