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Shawn Michaels reflects on evolution as WWE NXT mentor

Posted: Jun 16th 2026 By: Rosanne Raphael

Shawn Michaels discussed his role and transition to taking over NXT leadership reins, and how he learned what was effective. He initially questioned whether he was suitable for the coaching and mentoring role.

Michaels told Chris Van Vliet on the Insight Podcast about his initial experience taking over and coaching NXT talents. He acknowledged that sometimes his advice doesn’t resonate immediately with the talents, which often gains value once performers experience the realities for themselves.

“I’ll say this, I don’t know if I am a great teacher. That was probably the most challenging thing about it when I came in first as a coach but I was very upfront with everybody, this is kind of my, it’s one thing to teach the basics and then share your experiences. I think what helped me teach was being able to connect with these people on such a personal level, a relationship level.”

“And I don’t know, I was kind of, in their minds, freshly out, I was still relevant. And I think that’s one of the things that makes a difference. There are times now as the years go on, we always, or at least I joke about it. And because I joke about it, because it’s true. I’ve been there now for 10 years. The athletes now, they’re so used to seeing me. I no longer walk on water.”

“Now I’m just the guy that kind of yells at the television and every now and then, gets in their face or tries to tell them this or that.”

“I’m the boss here and there. And it’s not quite the same that the things that I say may not always carry the weight that it once did at the beginning from a coaching level, but it is something that most of them, once they go up to the main roster and now they experience some of those things that I was talking about, that’s when it connects now. So now a lot of the teaching isn’t right there in the moment. It’s a couple months or a year down the road.”

Michaels joined the NXT leadership team in 2018 as producer and writer before transitioning to Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. During his tenure, he has shaped and played a key role in developing many of the performers on the main roster today.