Kurt Hester never wanted the spotlight. He wanted impact.

As D1 Training’s former Director of Coaching, Kurt helped shape not just how athletes trained, but how coaches coached and, more importantly, how they cared. In 2025, just months before his passing, Kurt joined D1 Founder and CEO Will Bartholomew on stage at the D1 Coach Summit in New Orleans. That conversation captured the heart of who Kurt was and what he stood for.

During that conversation, Will announced that D1's annual top strength and conditioning coach award would be renamed the "Kurt Hester Award."

When Kurt passed away in the fall of 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer, the D1 family—and the broader athletic performance world—lost a giant. The clips below are excerpts from that Summit talk, offering timeless reminders of a legacy that continues to shape D1 Training and the coaching profession.

Knowledge Matters, But People Matter More

Kurt believed growth as a coach required constant learning, but only if that knowledge served people. Books, study, and refinement mattered, yet none of it outweighed culture.

He taught that facilities thrive when coaches invest beyond the weight room. When athletes feel known and cared for, trust is built. Real development follows.

It Has Always Been About The Athlete

Kurt’s philosophy was simple and uncompromising: it’s about the athlete. Not ego. Not outcomes. People.

He poured himself into athletes and expected the same from his staff. That standard helped launch countless coaches into college and NFL roles, not because they chased advancement, but because they learned how to serve.

Find The Person First

As his career progressed, Kurt became even more convinced that character outweighs credentials. Programming can be taught. Being a quality human must be lived.

He challenged coaches to prioritize who they are over what they know, believing the strongest staffs are built by finding the right people first.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Kurt Hester’s legacy lives on in every coach who chooses to care more, every athlete who feels seen, and every D1 facility that puts people before process.

At D1 Training, we carry that legacy forward by coaching with intention, leading with heart, and honoring what Kurt taught us:

Care deeply. Invest fully. Build people first.

Thank you, Kurt. Your impact endures.

D1 Daily is produced by Dom Bonvissuto & Nick Rampe

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