Midwest Elite Basketball

Midwest Elite Basketball

By Brad Schmit: College basketball coach, entrepreneur and personal development enthusiast.Sports
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Midwest Elite Basketball episodes

  • #2: Coach Todd Lorensen, Head Men’s Basketball Coach-Athletic Director, Southwestern Community College.
    What’s it like growing up a coaches son? In this episode of the MEB podcast I had the opportunity to chat with a current college coach who had this experience.
    I grew up in rural Iowa competing against Lorensen, both during the high school summer circuit and during my career at Morningside College and while Todd was competing for Grandview University.  His dad, Fred Lorensen, has over 500 wins at the high school level, has built his PCM program into one of the best programs in the state and has imparted his knowledge/wisdom on to his son Todd. The influence his father has had on him is the main reason he is a college coach and continues to grow in the profession.
    During our short conversation we got into a multitude of topics pertaining to:

    * His beginning as a college coach
    * The lessons he took from each program he’s been an assistant at
    * X’s and O’s or mental development
    * Being “Zero Maintenance”
    * Growing up a coaches kid
    * How he develops the basketball love in his son
    * Coaching isn’t always fun
    * Athletic Director vs. Coaching Role
    * What he looks for when hiring coaches at Southwestern

    About Coach Lorensen
    Coach Todd Lorensen (@toddlorensen), is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director at Southwestern Community College. He is entering his third season at the helm of the Spartan program. In his short tenure, the program won the ICCAC Conference for the first time since 1997, tied the single season wins record going 25-6 in 2015-2016 and has established SWCC as a top 10 nationally ranked program.
    Lorensen grew up  with coaching in his blood. His dad, Fred Lorensen, has over 500 wins at the Iowa High School level and has built his PCM Monroe program into a true basketball factory. Using the gym as an early baby sitter,  attending youth camps and bonding with the high school players, is what Todd remembers from his early days growing up around the game. The influences he had growing up have turned him into the coach he is today.
    Lorensen’s dad has not been the only coach who has impacted his career. Assistant positions at Grandview University, University of Nebraska Omaha and Truman State, have all molded his coaching philosophy. The coaches leading these programs all have their unique styles Todd has been able to take bits and pieces from.
    Not only has Lorensen led the Southwestern Men’s Basketball program to the top of the ICCAC Conference, he also leads the entire athletic department at SWCC as the athletic director. Managing his time as a basketball coach and an athletic director is one of the hardest things he has to balance. Delegating tasks to his assistant coaches, trusting his other coaches on the SWCC staff and enhancing the overall athletic culture, are all daily battles Lorensen fights.
    References and Links
    Matt Woodley, Head Coach, NBADL Iowa Energy

    Derrin Hansen, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Nebraska Omaha

    IHSAA All Time Wins

    NJCAA D2 Pre-Season Rankings

    Southwestern CC Staff

    Buzz Williams

    Fred Lorensen


     
    0 min
  • #1: Coach Craig Doty, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Graceland University and Co-Founder of Midwest Elite Basketball.
    I had the chance to speak with Craig the night before he was to present at the Nike Coaches Clinic in Indianapolis, IN. In this episode we venture back to Craig’s first coaching job as a head high school at Akron Westfield, IA, to where he is at today in his new role as the head men’s basketball coach at Graceland University. In this episode we touch on:

    * His start as a college coach and advice for young coaches making their way in the college coaching game.
    * The importance of networking
    * How to stay motivated after you taste the fountain of success
    * Volunteering
    * Challenges faced/overcome at current position and previous positions
    * Expectations for the new season
    * The importance of Program Culture

    About Coach Doty
    Coach Craig Doty (@CoachDoty) is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Graceland University in Lamoni. He previously held the head coaching position at Rock Valley Community College in Rockford, IL. His four years leading the RVC program Coach Doty had a .732 winning percentage (113-28), won two NJCAA National Titles and was awarded NJCAA III National Coach of Year (2014/2016) and both the NABC and HoopDirt.com national coach of the year for 2016. Doty is the Doty enters his first year at the helm of the Graceland University program.
    Craig not only excels in the coaching arena, he is also a successful entrepreneur. He is one of the co-founders of Midwest Elite Basketball, a camp organization created in 2006 specializing in working with high school programs. He build the business from two camps in the summer of 2006 to over 180 camps in the summer of 2016. The camps have been a monster success because of the unique business model behind MEB. College coaches travel to high schools around the country tailoring camps to the specific needs of each high school coach/program. Focusing on developing the “whole team” over the best individuals is the way Craig approaches his basketball program and business.
    References & Links
    Nikes Coaching Clinic

    Graceland University Men’s Basketball Page

    Heart of America Athletic Conference
    24 min

About Midwest Elite Basketball

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A basketball podcast created by coaches, for coaches. Covering basketball coaching strategy, player development, networking, personal development and the life of a coach.