Culture is a huge part of building a basketball program. With the basketball season getting underway, the following information is about how we go about building our culture. The .pdf below shares the information from a lecture given at a recent basketball clinic. Building a Culture Within Your Program … [Read more...]
Coach Bess’ Precepts of Basketball Coaching
At a used book store recently, I purchased a copy of a book titled, "Gene Bess: College Basketball's Winningest Coach". I couldn't tell much about the book as it was still in shrink wrap, but since it was basketball-related and I like to read ... well, now I have it. As I started reading the book, there is a spot in the first chapter where the author shares Coach Bess' precepts for coaching. I want to share these with you because I think they are important rules and reminders for … [Read more...]
The Compensations of Inspirational Basketball Coaching
We share the following inspirational basketball coaching concepts from Forrest C. "Phog" Allen's book, My Basket-Ball Bible. Written in 1924, this book and Allen's ideas are still relevant today. I love learning from those who have come before us! Inspirational Coaching: Compensations Never lose sight of your opportunity to direct by personal example, not only the habits of your men, but their reflected habits in a vast coterie of boy-worshipers. Always strive to be worthy of the trust … [Read more...]
Team Captain Description & Application
This is an application we use for team captains. Many teams look for captains to lead off-season and summer workouts and others yet give captains a huge role during the season. This page contains our "job description" for what it means to be a captain. The Word document which you can also download includes the "job application" which will be completed by those players who are desiring to be a captain. Team Captains Job Description Captains should have great character and emulate … [Read more...]
Expectations of a Basketball Coach
As an Athletic Director, I have the unique responsibility of coaching coaches. I am lucky that I have many wonderful coaches working for me, and I feel that we run a very good athletic department. I have learned that the success of coaches hinges on more than their number of wins and losses; being a successful coach is dependent on being a good communicator. Coaches that are great communicators are the coaches that are successful at all levels. There is an old saying in the coach business; … [Read more...]
Starting a Basketball Coaching Round Table
What is a Coaching Round Table? A number of years ago I heard about a coach in Illinois who got a bunch of coaches together to talk hoops. I thought it was a great idea so I copied it and the Twin Cities Round Table was born. All during the spring and summer of 2013 a group of us got together and talked about a variety of topics from attacking zones to handling players. It was a very informative experience – even more informative than most clinics I've been to. This is true for several reasons. … [Read more...]
The Will to be Great
I am sure that most of you watched the BCS Championship game a few weeks ago in which Alabama manhandled Notre Dame in extraordinary fashion. Being from Alabama, I am blasted with Alabama football for most of the year which is tough being a basketball guy and an Auburn fan to boot. But I think, as coaches, we can learn a lot from Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban. What he has done and accomplished in his profession is nothing short of remarkable in this day and age, not just in college … [Read more...]
The Elite Team Mindset
A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals. (Larry Bird) When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win.” (Ed Macauley) The mindset of an elite team, and a team with a goal of a championship is one of complete focus by all the members of that team. Everyone a part of this team knows their role, and knows that their role is … [Read more...]
The Underachiever
“You really don't know how good you can be.” I'm sure this phrase has been echoed by coaches all across the state at some point in the season. It's a phrase that alludes to the player in your program that has all the potential in the world, but can't seem to see it within themselves. They can jump out of the gym. They see the court like a hawk. They can get down the length of the court in 4 seconds or less. But they just never really put it all together. Recently I read a great resource for … [Read more...]
The Pressure Valve — Can You Handle The Heat?!
The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is in my opinion the BEST time for basketball of the year! It's a time for teams to showcase their talents and players to make a name for themselves against competition that they usually don't compete against during the regular season. While a lot of the opening games of the tournament generally result in larger margins of victory, games in the other rounds usually are down to the wire! The passion and determination to compete and win is undeniable. As a … [Read more...]