Hall of Fame keynote speaker. Author. Storyteller.
For four decades, the 14-time New York Times best-selling author has studied what makes the great ones great, and he helps leaders put those lessons into action.
Few journalists can lay claim to as exciting and colorful a career as Don Yaeger. As a newspaper reporter and longtime Associate Editor at Sports Illustrated, he got to know the greatest names in sports. Then he wrote with them: more than 40 books, 14 of them New York Times best-sellers, with legends like Walter Payton, John Wooden and former Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
Today Don shares those lessons on stages around the world, coaches executives on building a culture of greatness, hosts the top-rated Corporate Competitor Podcast and serves as Publisher of Forbes Books.
Your Characteristics of Greatness presentation was overwhelmingly rated as the best motivational speech my employees had ever heard.
Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill, storytelling, that will last you a lifetime.
I have been watching and grading speeches for 30 years and this was one of the most poignant human interest and motivational speeches I have ever heard.
Your willingness to share intimate details of your own life journey made the day’s conversations even more impactful. Suffice it to say, none of us will forget your time on campus!
Don’s lessons bring coworkers back into the huddle, the dugout, or the court to find that inner-spark, competitive spirit, and desire to become great!
Don is the best storyteller I know. If I want someone to tell a story, I say go get Don Yaeger because they have such meaning and depth.
Four decades of chasing greatness, one story at a time.
1984
Graduates from Ball State University with a double major in journalism and history, then reports for the San Antonio Light and The Dallas Morning News.
1988
Becomes Capitol Bureau Chief for The Florida Times-Union in Tallahassee, the city he still calls home.
1991
Publishes Undue Process: The NCAA’s Injustice for All.
1993
Under the Tarnished Dome, written with Douglas S. Looney, makes the list.
1996
Joins Sports Illustrated, becomes an Associate Editor and spends 12 years covering the biggest names in sports.
2000
Co-writes Walter Payton’s autobiography, a New York Times best-seller.
2008
Leaves Sports Illustrated to focus on books, speaking and coaching.
2009
Writes A Game Plan for Life with John Wooden, the legendary UCLA coach who mentored him for 12 years.
2013
Begins a run of three history best-sellers with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, starting with George Washington’s Secret Six.
2016
Publishes Great Teams, the backbone of his team-culture keynotes.
2017
Teammate, with World Series champion David Ross, becomes his 10th New York Times best-seller.
2020
Launches the podcast where top executives share the lessons they learned in sports. Guests have included Condoleezza Rice, Ed Bastian and Simon Sinek.
2022
Inducted into the Ball State University Journalism Hall of Fame.
2024
Inducted into the National Speakers Association’s CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, and joins Forbes Books as Publisher.
2025
Named No. 15 on Real Leaders’ Top 50 Keynote Speakers list. Born Lucky, with Leland Vittert, becomes his 13th New York Times best-seller.
2026
Behind the Castle Walls, written with former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, becomes his 14th New York Times best-seller, the same fall Forbes Books publishes his The Business of Storytelling.
From Bob Chapek to Walter Payton, Don’s books uncover the habits and character traits of extraordinary leaders.
2026Behind the Castle Wallswith Bob Chapek
2025Born Luckywith Leland Vittert
2024Elevate and Dominatewith Deion Sanders
2017Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleanswith Brian Kilmeade
2017Teammatewith David Ross
2015Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirateswith Brian Kilmeade
2013George Washington’s Secret Sixwith Brian Kilmeade
2011Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gainwith Ryan Blair
2011Play Like You Mean Itwith Rex Ryan
2011I Beat the Oddswith Michael Oher
2007It's Not About the Truthwith Mike Pressler
2004Ya Gotta Believe!with Tug McGraw
2000Never Die Easywith Walter Payton
1993Under the Tarnished Domewith Douglas S. LooneyOver four decades, Don has sat across the table from legends in sports, business, entertainment and politics.
In his years as a reporter, the breadth of Don’s assignments was astounding. He traveled the world in pursuit of stories like these.
In 2000, Don and his Sports Illustrated colleague William Nack were finalists for the National Magazine Award in the public interest category for their cover story “Who’s Coaching Your Kid? The frightening truth about child molestation in youth sports.” It led to appearances on Dateline, 20/20 and The Oprah Winfrey Show, and to changes in the law in several states. Youth sports organizations, including Little League, began requiring background checks for coaches and volunteers.
A Game Plan for Life, written with John Wooden, was published on Coach Wooden’s 99th birthday in October 2009. The Senior, Don’s book about Mike Flynt, became a feature film starring Michael Chiklis. Movie rights to It’s Not About the Truth, his book on the Duke lacrosse case, and to Turning of the Tide, about the 1970 game between Alabama’s last all-white team and the fully integrated USC team, have also been sold. He was also Forbes.com’s most-read leadership columnist.
Don was raised in Hawaii and has lived in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Japan and Great Britain. Ball State University named him one of its “50 Graduates of Distinction” from its first century. He and his wife, Jeanette, live in Tallahassee, Florida, and have a son and a daughter.