A Pen And A Napkin

Just like coaches, officials are mandatory in order for our games to be played, but we often see them not as a person but as something else. In today's podcast, we talk about the perspective of the officials, how we need to communicate with them and when it is appropriate to question their judgment. We also have a great quote implementing the "Next Play" attitude towards officials, and we discuss and learn from the great Lefty Driesell!

Anywhere from 20-30 times as a coach this season (or 30-40 times if you're a college coach) you're going to have a practice the day before a game . . . so what should you be doing? In today's podcast, we dive into deep detail on what we did as a coaching staff to prepare for our games the day before we tipped off, including scouting, film and instruction! In addition, we discuss the importance of just playing and who the true opponent is. In addition, we take a few minutes to discuss one of the great coaches of the 1970's, Al McGuire.

Heath Howington, the head boys basketball coach at Barr-Reeve (IN) High School, jumps on the podcast this week to discuss his career and his big move to Barr-Reeve last summer, which resulted in a state championship this past spring! In addition, we talk about the move, the pressure of stepping into a storied program and cutting down the nets, while also discussing his practice set up, shooting drills, and how he gets his teams ready to go on game days. A really fun conversation with one of the best from the Hoosier State!

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Being efficient with your time should be a goal for all of us, but when it comes to scouting, you can waste alot of time by not being organized and knowing what you should be focusing on. In today's podcast, we talk about strategies to help your program get organized and stay organized with your scouting activities, what to look for and respecting your staffs time, as well as your own. We also have a great quote from the GOAT, Don Meyer, and we study not only the contributions of Red Auerbach on the floor, but more importantly, what he did off the floor.

Some of the toughest decisions we make (with some of the most unwarranted "feedback" we get) comes from our playing time decisions. We're never going to make everyone happy, but what are things that we can do to get everyone understanding how you are making your decisions? That's what we're talking about in today's episode, which is encapsulated with a great quote from Dr. Jack Ramsay. In addition, we've got a great coach to discuss and study today in Rick Carlisle, one of the best coaches of the 21st century!

At your core, what are your most important drills? Now ask yourself, how often do we run those drills in practice? That is what the essence of your "Desert Island Drills" should be! In today's episode, we discuss the criteria that you should use for your "Desert Island" drill list and how you can make these drills the best that they can be. In addition, we have a great quote from Philip Dormer Stanhope, and we examine two of the great characters in basketball and the forerunners of what we call today "The Grinnell System", Billy Tubbs and Paul Westhead.

Changing up your journey during the dog days of the season in late January and early February is often a great way to bring your team together for the stretch run. In today's podcast, it's never too early to start thinking about possible activities that you can do with your team during this time period so that you make sure that you're bringing your team together, especially mentally, at the right time of the season. In addition, we've got a great quote from Miyamoto Musashi, and we study the legendary Lou Carnesseca. Enjoy!

Great coaches are made in late game situations, but it's not all about drawing up that amazing play at the end of games, but be prepared for all of the scenarios that could happen before then. In today's episode, we look at four key steps to get ready for those late game situations and what you should have in reserve with your team, as well as four keys to conducting a quality timeout late in games. In addition, we've got a great quote from Bill Walton, and we study Gene Keady, one of the more underrated coaches in college basketball history!

Making sure that everyone is on the same page is really important as you get ready for the upcoming season, and one of the ways to do that is by having quality preseason 1 on 1 meetings with your players. In today's podcast, we discuss suggestions for making these meetings a positive experience for the players, and what your goals should be in these sit-downs. In addition, we have our guy Marcus Aurelius discussing telling the truth and why it is so important, and we discuss the legendary Bo Ryan out of Wisconsin as an important coach to study.

It was a great privilege and honor to have on my son's former boss, Matt Holt, who is now the Director of Scouting at North Carolina State University, on the pod this week! Coach Holt talks about his basketball journey, from coming up as a student manager at Northeastern University, to working his way into the last decade at the Power 4 level, influences in his career, bouncing back from disappointment, scouting, player development, analytics and we even are able to fit some "Godfather" references in for good measure! A lot of fun with this podcast and the content will help you get better!