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100 Things I’ve Learned from Coaching at the College Level Part 1

By Brian Williams on February 26, 2010

By: Phil Beckner, former D1 and G League coach.

This is the first part of three parts of this project.

Here is the link to Lessons 38-66 from this same article

Here is the link to the Lessons 67-100 from this same article

Coaching:

1) NEVER-EVER forget who has been a positive influence on you, and helped you get to where you are today…continue to thank them, and then DO THE SAME FOR SOMEONE ELSE!

2) BE DETAILED!…with everything!

3) “Don’t coach for the name on your business card”-Larry Shyatt, coach for your team, players, and head coach

4) Great question to ask yourself everyday “What does my team need right now?”-Herb Sendek

5) Have an Edge, even when you win a few in a row

6) Treat wins like losses and losses like wins

7) It’s hard to be a young assistant, you have to earn players respect, be careful about putting yourself on their level

8. Keep practices short 2nd semester, make them want more, keep them hungry

9) One bad apple can spoil the bunch, chemistry is vital

10) It’s not a good feeling to have a quiet team, need energy and enthusiasm

11) “Never lose a chemistry guy” –Doc Rivers

12) Care about the players that aren’t playing a lot, it’s hard for them to stay motivated late in the year

13) Be careful what you tell your head coach-“don’t make somethin out of nothing”

14) Keep your players together, they can be mad at the staff, but they have to stay together

15) Tell players something positive or good job more than u already do

16) “If you wanna win the race, you gotta feed the horses”…feed them well and get them what they want on the road

17) Sometimes it is best to “flush” a game after a bad night and start new the next day, you can’t make a habit of it though, maybe 1 a year

18) Rebounding wins games, always have one assistant watching/coaching rebounding.

19) If you stat it, chart it, or emphasize it, it will be important to your team (deflections, charges, turnovers)

20) Keep scouting reports specific and simple, players don’t remember half of it anyway

21) Make time to exercise, it keeps you sane

22) There are plenty of great coaches out there willing to help you if you just ask

23) Most people want to coach college because they want to do the big things (be on TV, recruit on the road, have input on game day) but the ones who are willing to do the little things(sweep the floor, check classes, open the gym late) are the ones who keep a job and move up

24) “Entitlement vs. Investment”-Kevin Eastman…be ready when you get the call! Prepare for your next position, you have to be ready to produce

25) “Let mad go” -Chuck Daly… it doesn’t bother the players as much as you

26) It is vital that you double check everything (especially for travel and video)

27) Good assistants take care of the minor stuff so the Head Coach does not have to worry about it (players on time, ankle braces, gear etc.) Allow him to worry about coaching the team and that’s it!

28) Find at least 20min a day to spend on yourself: personal development, phone calls to friends/family, networking, favorite reading websites

29) Don’t trust players when you ask them about academics, you will never get the whole truth

30) “Thoroughly study the game!”-Kevin Eastman…you will earn players respect by knowing the game and knowing your system, worst feeling in practice is when a player asks you something and you have to reply- “I don’t know”

31) Assistants do a better job when they are involved more, give them specific responsibilities.

32) Let assistants or strength coaches take care of “in-season” weight training. Coaches need to be away from the players, and players need to be away from the coaches.

33) It’s better to make friends than enemies, everyone remembers the guys who screw them over, the guys who don’t return a call, or the guys who won’t help out…TRY TO HELP EVERYONE!

34) If you have extra game tickets to give away…GIVE THEM AWAY! People love college athletics and players love fans at their games.

35) Find time to read during the season. It’s a great way to find messages/stories/examples to give to your team…it keeps you thinking!

36) Appreciate your job and the opportunity you have. Your head coach probably gets over 100 emails a year asking for an opportunity to be on his staff. You are lucky to be called “coach”

37) “If you really like something another coach/team does—Steal It!…but give credit”-Tom Izzo “If you steal something, make sure you can TEACH it”-Hubie Brown

Here is the link to Lessons 38-66 from this same article

Here is the link to the Lessons 67-100 from this same article

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for basketball coaching including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

Basketball Rebounding Drills

By Brian Williams on February 24, 2010

These Rebounding Drills came from the Arizona Men’s February Basketball Newsletter. If you are interested in subscribing to their newsletter, please give me your:

1) name
2) email address
3) school or team
4) coaching position

War Drill (8 minute drill)

(1 basketball. 6. 8 or 10 players. Full Court)

Defense is in the paint and matches up. On the shot by the coach. their goal is to go meet the offense outside of the paint and keep them out of it.

The offensive players are set up behind the three point line and except for the point guard, (who gets back on defense), are going hard to the rim. The defender on the point guard should look to help on boxing someone else out.

This is a highly competitive drill with a winner and loser. If the offense gets the rebound they get a point and can try to score a 2 or 3 pointer. If they score we set the drill back up. If the defense gets the rebound or forces a turnover, there is no point scored but they push the basketball down court (transition offense) and try to score on the other end. On a score or turnover by them, play stops and we set the drill back up.

The ball will only go from one end to the other end one time and then the drill would be reset. If we don’t reset the drill it becomes a transition drill and not a contact drill.

There are no points on a made shot by the coach but it is still played like a rebound.

Knicks Drill

(1 or 2 basketballs. 6 or more players)

On the shot by the number 3 (could be a coach), Xl and X4 come out and box out (they start with one foot on the baseline). Offensive players 1 and 5 are going hard to the rim. Numbers 2 and 4 are there for the outlet pass. If the defense gets the rebound they are going to pivot to the outside and outlet the ball. If it’s a made shot. they run out of bounds to outlet the basketball. The offense players try to stop the outlet pass. You could have one player deny the inbounder and the other denying the player receiving the pass.

If the offense gets the rebound they go 2 on 2 and try to score or the drill can be reset (coach’s option).

Offensive players switch between being offense or outlet players. The defense remains defense until you switch them out.

Try to match up the lines with perimeter players in one line and post players in the other.

This could be a competition drill with sprints for the losers. A defensive rebound is one point. a successful outlet pass is one point, an offensive rebound is two points and a made basket is one point.

The Defenders can cross and block out opposite line to vary the drill.

Here is a similar version run by Xavier’s Chris Mack. Coach Mack was an assistant on Sean Miller’s staff when Coach Miller was at Xavier.

You can find out more about the DVD that this video came from by following this link: Chris Mack: Smorgasbord of Basketball Drills

Get to the Basket Drill

(1 basketball, 3 or more players)

Place two defenders side by side facing the offense (if you have football pads, use them). On the shot, the offense has to bust through to the basket. This teaches them to never surrender going to the basket and being aggressive.

Only drill this from the wings. If we have an offensive player at the top, we would normally want him to get back on defense.

Without the pads, the defense gives a little pressure, just enough to make them push through.

Basketball Drill – 3 on 1 Closeout

By Brian Williams on February 19, 2010

I found this defensive drill on the Xavier Men’s Basketball Newsletter. If you are interested in checking it out or subscribing, you can go to this link for either:

http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/xavi-m-baskbl.html

Like everything else I post, I hope you can adapt a version of this to fit your defensive system. We don’t trap the post from the post feeder, but rather from another helper. We then position the post feeder’s defender to take the pass out of the post if it is made to the ball side. But, that would be an easy change to make in this drill.

Here is Xavier’s Drill:

Three offensive players are positioned on the floor. Two on their respective wings free throw line extended and one above the top of the key. One defender is positioned under the basket facing half court.

A coach passes the ball to the offensive player on the right wing. As this happens, two
managers step onto the court with one on each block.

As the offensive player catches the initial pass, the defender closes out and establishes ball pressure.

The offensive player then passes the ball to the right block to the manager. The defender “covers down” on the post.

The right block manager then passes the ball to the top of the key. The defender goes from a “cover down” on the right post area to a closeout at the top of the key.

The ball is now passed to the manager on the left block. The defender again covers down on the manager who has the ball on the left block.

Finally, the ball is passed to the left wing out of the post. Again, the defender closes out to the ball, this time on the left wing. On this catch it is a live one on one drill with everybody out of the way except the offensive and defensive players who are playing one on one from the left wing.

Ideas About Winning Coaches

By Brian Williams on February 18, 2010

I have had this article in my files for quite a while. I am not sure where it came from, but I really like it.

THE DOUBLE WIN: Winning Coaches employ the DOUBLE WIN PHILOSOPHY which states that: Winning on the bottom line (wins and losses, profits, etc.) comes only as a direct result of winning on the top line (Investing in the academic, personal, and athletic development of the total athlete).

CONTRIBUTION: Winning Coaches develop systems that support a basic human need: the need to make a positive contribution. The greatest, but most difficult contribution, is allowing others to contribute to us. Winning Coaches remain open toward allowing others to contribute to them.

THE POSITIVE LEARNING CYCLE: Winning Coaches use a method of teaching in which there is no such thing as failure. The only source of competition for the athlete is with themselves in striving to reach their own greatest potential. Winning Coaches create an environment where setbacks and breakdowns are regarded as opportunities for learning, rather than failures.

THE STEPPING STONE METHOD: Winning Coaches employ the STEPPING STONE METHOD of steady improvement. This method involves building one small success after another, reaching towards the final or highest goal. The strategy of the coach is to progressively teach only those skills that are needed to empower the athlete to climb to the next level.

RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM: Winning Coaches develop an environment of responsible freedom where mutual trust, relatedness, and open communication are encouraged and acknowledged. Within the limits and guidelines of responsible behavior, an environment of safety is developed that encourages openness and honesty between the coach and players.

A BALANCE OF EXTREMES: Winning Coaches have learned to be both highly directive and highly supportive in their relationships with their players. They develop a supportive environment for constructive risk-taking and growth, and yet instill a demand for perfection that is unyielding.

INTEGRITY: Winning Coaches act as models and not critics. They foster a mutual commitment to Integrity through (1) actions and behaviors that are in alignment with personal values, (2), upholding all promises and agreements, and (3) through demonstrating their loyalty and commitment to their players. Through their personal integrity and commitment to their players, Winning Coaches earn the highest sense of integrity, commitment and loyalty in return.

OPENNESS: Winning Coaches fight to remain open. They resist the most common human tendency; THE NEED TO BE RIGHT, which inadvertently makes others wrong. Winning coaches take the path not taken; which is to remain open to innovation and new learning, as well as permitting themselves to be supported and directed by others.

SYNERGISTIC SYSTEMS. Winning Coaches develop and perpetuate an environment in which the system is greater than the sum of all the parts. The system creates a continuous s self-renewing chain of success.

STRUCTURE FOR FULFILLMENT: Winning Coaches create a structure for fulfillment that is based upon abundance as opposed to scarcity. This structure becomes a roadmap through which players are empowered to progress toward both their own personal goals, and to actualize the larger vision that is communicated by their coach.

Shooting a Basketball

By Brian Williams on February 10, 2010

THE 10 RULES OF BEING A GOOD SHOOTER

This article was written by Coach Randy Brown.

www.coachrb.com

www.winningplays.net

Are you a GOOD SHOOTER?

1. Good Shooters spend time each day on proper shooting technique. Good Shooters use a chair to “form shoot” for 10 minutes before taking their first shot at the basket.

Poor Shooters spend time on their shooting technique when they “have time.” Poor Shooters grab a ball and go to the three point line to begin launching shots.

2. Good Shooters work on moving without the ball and “prepare” to shoot the ball before ever catching it.

Poor Shooters wait for their turn to shoot then think about getting a shot off.

3. Good Shooters start close to the basket and make 5 straight before moving back.

Poor shooters shoot from all areas of the floor “hoping to make it.”

4. Good Shooters study other good shooters and follow their habits.

Poor Shooters shoot the ball the same way without any help from others.

5. Good Shooters study the path of the ball and where the ball hits the rim. They make adjustments based on where the ball hits the rim; long or short? right or left?

Poor Shooters judge their shooting accuracy solely on whether the ball goes in or not.

6. Good Shooters square up to the basket before shooting, called “Ten Toes.”

Poor Shooters are not concerned with alignment they just want to quickly get their shot off.

7. Good Shooters shoot from an athletic position known as Triple Threat position. One quick movement from triple threat produces a solid shot.

Poor Shooters catch the ball in an upright position then take time to bend their knees before shooting. Poor shooters do not play in triple threat.

8. Good Shooters use their whole body to shoot the shot. They know that their LEGS make shots with good form.

Poor shooters shoot the ball with their upper body only and throw the ball at the basket instead of shooting it.

9. Good Shooters follow through consistently by “throwing their hand into the basket.”

Poor Shooters are inconsistent in their follow through resulting in inconsistent results.

10. Good Shooters understand the importance of BALANCE before, during and after the shot! The feet are alway sunder their head.

Poor Shooters shoot off balance from all different kinds of angles. Their feet are rarely under their head.

How many of these describe YOU as a shooter?

Your goal is to accomplish all 10 of the “Good Shooter” characteristics as you grow and develop as a basketball player.

What is your score out of 10 and how badly do you want to be a Good Shooter?

John Wooden’s Desirable Coaching Traits

By Brian Williams on February 9, 2010

Attentiveness to Detail You must prepare to win in order to be a winner. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Impartiality This is a must, but you must remember that you must not treat everyone alike as they are all different. Give each one the treatment earned and deserved.
Teaching Skill It isn’t enough that you know the game, you must be able to teach it. Follow the laws of learning.
Discipline Most essential for proper concentration and group organization.
Affability The coach must be of an affable disposition because of the various groups with who he must associate.
Forcefulness You must be firm without being bullheaded.
Alertness Constant observation of all going on around and about are necessary for improved learning and decision making.
Optimism The pessimist isn’t likely to produce a confident team that will play near to their full capability.
Desire to Improve Lack of ambition will result in complacency and laziness.
Vision A Picture of the possible must be shown to your players to provide a goal for them.
Consideration For Others You must be truly considerate of others if you expect them to be considerate of you. You must listen to them if you want them to listen to you.
Resourcefulness You must be ever ready to make necessary adjustments according to the situation and the personnel that you have available.
Cooperativeness An essential for all who work with others and are dependent on others in various ways.
Leadership Trust be commanded, not demanded. Others are working with you, not for you. Be interested in finding the best way rather than having your own way.
Industriousness There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile things should never be easy to attain.
Enthusiasm If you are to stimulate others, your heart must be in your work. Enthusiasm brushes off upon those with whom you come in contact.
Sympathy You must be truly interested in those under your supervision and be sympathetic with their problems.
Self-control Good judgment must be exercised in your decisions and they must be made through reason not emotion.
Sincerity Insincerity can be spotted very quickly and cause loss of respect.