In this week's basketball coaching conversation, NIKE Academy Director Sam Jones joins The Basketball Podcast to share insights on mindset, coaching adaptability and embracing growth.

Jones has served as the Nike Camp Director and is presently engaged in various initiatives aimed at the development of coaches and players in support of the EYBL

Before joining Nike, Jones served as an assistant coach at Colorado State for two seasons. He also spent two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the role of player development coordinator. Prior to these positions, he was part of the coaching staff for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G-League for three seasons from 2016 to 2019, concluding his tenure there as the associate head coach.

Jones started his coaching career in The Netherlands, working with Den Bosch Eiffel Towers for three years as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach of Den Bosch SPM Shoeters (club changed names). With SPM Shoeters, he led his team to the Dutch Basketball League and NBB Cup crowns in 2014-15 and Dutch Basketball Supercup title in 2015-16. He also spent his final three years in the Netherlands as the associate head coach with the Dutch Men's National Team.

Prior to coaching, Jones played 10 seasons in Europe, including playing in the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Spain and Cyprus. During his time playing, he won two titles with Den Bosch Eiffel Towers and appeared in multiple All-Star games.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Sharman White joins The Basketball Podcast to share insights into high school coaching - culture, strategies, and success.

Overall, in 24 seasons as a high school head coach, White has compiled a 522-122 (.810) record. Sharman has been a staple at USA Basketball since 2014 having been a part of 5 gold medal teams including 3 as head coach. White recently completed his sixth season as head boys basketball coach as well as the associate director of athletics at Pace Academy. As the head coach at Pace Academy, White recently picked up his 500th victory and has won six straight state championships. 

Prior to Pace Academy, White was an assistant coach at Georgia State University for two seasons (2016-18), where he helped the team to a 44-24 record, including a 24-11 campaign and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. Before Georgia State, White was a high school coach for 20 seasons (1996-16). Eleven of those seasons (2005-16) were as the boys head coach and athletic director at Miller Grove High School in Lithonia, Georgia. At Miller Grove, White compiled a 268-60 record, including six-straight state championships.

The 2014 USA Today All-USA Coach of the Year, White guided Miller Grove to the 2009-2012 Georgia Class 4A titles and the 2013 and 2014 Georgia Class 5A championships. His final season at Miller Grove in 2015-16 was one of his most impressive, as his team finished 31-3 and earned a bid to the Dick’s National’s tournament. He was named the 2016 National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year. He was recognized by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club and Georgia Sports Writers Association as the 2013 Georgia Coach of the Year, as the 2013 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class 5A Coach of the Year, the Georgia Class 4A Coach of the Year three times (2010-12) and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia Class 4A Coach of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

White has also been head coach of the McDonald’s All American Game and head coach of the Nike Hoop Summit USA team. Sharman has been a staple at USA Basketball since 2014. While being selected as an assistant coach with USA Basketball, White helped capture a Gold Medal for USA Basketball at the 2015 and 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championships. In March of 2021, White was named the Head Coach for the Nike Hoop Summit Team. In the summer of 2021 White took the command as the Head Coach for the USA Basketball Junior National Team U16 team and led them to a Gold Medal victory over Argentina in Xalapa, Mexico.

In the summer of 2022, White led the USA Basketball U17 team to a FIBA World Cup Championship and Gold Medal in Malaga, Spain. The following summer, Whitesteered the USA Basketball Junior National Team U16 group to a gold medal in the FIBA Americas U16 Qualifier Tournament. This past summer, White helped the USA secure their seventh consecutive FIBA World Cup Championship with a gold medal performance in Istanbul, Turkey. It gave the USAB Junior National Team a record of 51-0 in the FIBA World Cup competitions. 

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Chris Oliver shares his thoughts in the latest basketball knowledge brain dump.

Chris Oliver is the founder of Basketball Immersion, a leading resource for basketball coaches and players worldwide. Since 2014, Chris has been dedicated to sharing his passion for the game through innovative coaching methods, immersive videos, and insightful podcasts.

With a decade of experience in educating coaches, Chris Oliver has established himself as a trusted authority in youth basketball development. As a consultant for the NBA's youth basketball development programs, Chris Oliver works to shape the future of the game. He is also involved with the renowned Sierra Canyon basketball program, further solidifying his commitment to nurturing young talent.

Through Basketball Immersion, Chris Oliver provides coaches with the tools and knowledge to enhance their teams' performance. His engaging content, including the popular Basketball Immersion podcast and in-depth video analysis, has resonated with coaches from grassroots to elite levels.

Chris's mission is to empower coaches, players, and basketball communities globally, fostering a deeper understanding and love for the game. Join the Basketball Immersion community to tap into Chris's expertise and transform your coaching and playing experience.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Jack Van Deventer joins The Basketball Podcast to discuss the current state of basketball analytics.

Jack Van Deventer is the founder and CEO of Basketball Science, a consulting firm based in North Carolina. With a distinguished 45-year career as a statistician, professor, and data scientist, Jack retired as the Lead Data Scientist of a Fortune 40 company to embark on his basketball analytics venture.

Jack's academic journey includes his role as a professor of Business Statistics at Boise State University and later as a professor of Management Information Systems at Washington State University, where he earned teaching awards at both institutions. His expertise lies in simplifying complex information into actionable insights, a skill he seamlessly translated into the realm of basketball analytics.

Fifteen years ago, Jack began advancing basketball analytics when his daughter, Amy, started playing junior high basketball. Collaborating with fellow data scientists, Jack realized that commonly-used basketball statistics were lagging by about 25 years. He then focused on developing improved metrics and shared his findings with Amy's high school coach, leading her team to a State Championship. Later, Amy's D-II college coach utilized Jack's stats to win the conference championship and advance to D-II March Madness, defeating more talented teams in the process.

As Jack's analytics reached higher-level basketball programs, their success continued to grow. Today, Basketball Science is dedicated to providing better insights to teams that strive to win, consistently pushing the boundaries of basketball analytics.

Vincent is the Program Manager of the Sports & Society Program of the Aspen Institute with responsibility for driving Project Play's school sport and coaching portfolios.

Vincent extensive international research and professional experience in youth sports coaching, coach development and long-term athlete development, his current work at the institute focuses on improving youth experiences in sports, including prioritizing athlete health and safety, bolstering coach training, strengthening national coaching policy and reimagining models of school sports.

Minjares holds a Ph.D. in Coaching & Pedagogy from AUT University (Auckland, NZ), an M.A. in Education from the University of California, Berkeley, within the Cultural Studies of Sport and Education (CSSE) program, and a B.A. in Economics from Claremont McKenna College. His research interests emphasize sports, coaching, education and human development, with published research in the areas of youth sports reform, college athletes, sports coaching and coach development. His dissertation examined the development of coaching practices in high school basketball that facilitate athlete learning.

Professionally, Vincent has held diverse learning and development roles in sport across the United States and New Zealand. Vincent began as a basketball skills trainer in Southern California. Following graduate study in Berkeley, Vincent served the Athletic Study Centre (ASC) as Director of Academic Development, a role responsible for the design and delivery of academic support services for student-athletes in an NCAA Division I sport setting. In addition, Vincent served as a member of the Chancellor’s task force on Academics and Athletics as well as a Special Advisor to Intercollegiate Athletics. In New Zealand, Vincent served as the Development Officer for North Harbour Basketball Association, a regional sport organization and the country’s largest basketball club. In this role, Vincent also served Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) as a Regional Coach Developer, Special Advisor (Wellbeing and Transition) and a member of the Coach Leadership Group.

Vincent brings extensive experience as a coach and player. Vincent played NCAA Div. III basketball for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Claremont, CA) and attended Damien High School (La Verne, CA) where he became a three-year varsity letterman. Vincent first coached high school and junior college basketball in Southern California before returning to coaching in New Zealand at the club, high school, national representative and international representative levels.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, New York University head coach Dave Klatsky joins The Basketball Podcast to share insights on program philosophy and in-game coaching.

Dave Klatsky was appointed head coach of the New York University men’s basketball program in May 2022 and has quickly made an impact. In his second season (2023-24), he guided the Violets to a stellar 21-6 record, capturing the University Athletic Association (UAA) Co-Championship—their first conference title in 30 years—and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Under Klatsky’s leadership, NYU excelled nationally, finishing seventh in three-point shooting percentage (39.02%) and 19th in assist/turnover ratio (1.43). Star player Spencer Freedman thrived in Klatsky’s system, earning D3hoops.com National Player of the Year, UAA Player of the Year, NABC Third Team All-American, and First Team All-Metropolitan honors.

His remarkable debut year earned him numerous accolades, including UAA Coaching Staff of the Year and D3hoops.com Region 4 Coach of the Year, solidifying his place as one of the top coaches in Division III basketball.

At Colgate, under three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Matt Langel, Klatsky had numerous responsibilities including scouting, practice and game planning, recruiting and analyzing advanced statistics. He was the primary recruiter of four All-League selections and two Defensive Players of the Year while directing Colgate's Elite Prospect Camp.

Prior to Colgate, Klatsky served as an assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology from 2007-11. While there, he played a key role in all facets of the program, helping guide the Ducks to their first-ever ECAC Metro Championships (2008, '11).

After graduating from Penn, Klatsky worked as an equity analyst and trader in Manhattan and Jersey City, NJ. He is also the creator of StatChat, a podcast centered around how different programs utilize advanced statistics, and mentored a Colgate student in developing the startup company ShotQuality which measures the expected value of all shots attempted.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Fordham University women's basketball head coach Bridgette Mitchell joins The Basketball Podcast to share insights on their 3 C's: Commit, Care, Connect.

Bridgette Mitchell took over as the head coach of the Fordham women’s basketball program on April 7, 2021. With a rich background in both playing and coaching, Mitchell brings a wealth of experience and passion to the Rams.

Mitchell comes to Fordham following two seasons as the head coach at Northeastern from 2021-23, where her teams consistently outperformed expectations. 

Picked to finish eighth in the 2022-23 preseason poll, Mitchell promptly led the Huskies to a share of their first-ever CAA regular season title with a 13-5 league mark, including a program-record nine straight victories, as part of a 19-12 overall record. For her efforts, Mitchell’s peers recognized her with CAA Coach of the Year honors. 

Highlighting the Huskies 2022-23 campaign was a Feb. 17 road win over fellow regular season co-champion Drexel, which snapped a 17-game losing streak against the Dragons and handed Drexel its first home loss of the season.  A top-three seed in the CAA Tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2005-06, Northeastern downed sixth-seeded Stony Brook to advance to the semifinals for just the third time in the school’s CAA tenure.

Prior to taking over at Northeastern, Mitchell spent seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the Pittsburgh, James Madison, Siena and Wagner.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Trine University men's basketball head coach Brooks Miller joins The Basketball Podcast to share insights on common sense defense and Trine's winning formula.

Brooks Miller just completed his 13th season as the Head Coach of the Trine University Men’s Basketball program and has 24 combined years of collegiate basketball playing and coaching experience. Miller has compiled an overall record of 226-116 at Trine including a 131-69 record versus Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opponents.

In 2024, Miller led the program to its first ever NCAA Division III National Championship behind a 29-4 record. The 29 wins is a record for the school’s most wins in a season. It is now back-to-back seasons that the program has crossed the 20-win mark after going 22-4 overall last season. Coach Miller has also guided the Thunder to MIAA Championships in 2019, 2021 and 2024. Trine swept both the MIAA regular season and MIAA Tournament Championships in 2021 finishing conference play undefeated with a 17-0 mark during a COVID shortened season.

Miller’s career at Trine University has been highlighted by being named the 2020-2021 NCAA D3 National Coach of the Year by both Hoopdirt.com/Just Play Sports Solutions and Basketball Times Magazine. In March of 2024, Miller was again named NCAA DIII National Coach of the Year for the second time receiving those accolades from D3Hoops.com, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), as well as being named the Eddie Robinson CollegeInsider.com National Coach of the Year for NCAA DIII.

Miller worked as an assistant men's basketball coach for three Hall of Fame coaches that amassed seven National Championships throughout their careers.  Miller began his collegiate coaching career working for BCAM Hall of Fame Coach Ed Douma (one National Championship) whom he previously played for at Hillsdale College. In 2007, his career took him to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as a graduate assistant coach to Naismith Hall of Fame Coach Bob Knight (three National Championships) and was involved with on-campus recruiting and player development. In 2009, he became the Head Assistant Men’s Basketball coach and National Recruiting Coordinator at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas for Junior College Hall of Fame Coach Steve Green (three National Championships). While at South Plains, Coach Miller coached and or recruited nine players that would transfer on to NCAA Division I universities.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Purdue University Fort Wayne head coach Jon Coffman joins The Basketball Podcast to share strategies for sustained success and community engagement.

Jon Coffman is synonymous with success at Purdue University Fort Wayne. As he embarks on his 11th season as head coach (2024-25), he holds the distinction of being the program's winningest coach in Division I history with a remarkable 179-142 record.

Coffman's coaching prowess doesn't go unnoticed. He's garnered numerous accolades, including Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2022 (adding to his 2015-16 Summit League Coach of the Year award). His strategic guidance led Purdue Fort Wayne to capture the Horizon League regular season title in 2022 and the Summit League regular season title in 2015-16. The team has also made a habit of postseason appearances, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2023.

Beyond wins on the court, Coffman fosters a culture of player development. An impressive 24 players under his tutelage have gone on to professional careers, including NBA standout John Konchar. His commitment extends to recognizing his players' achievements, with a staggering 40 All-Conference honors awarded in the last 14 years.

Coffman's dominance extends beyond Purdue Fort Wayne. He holds the title of Winningest Mid-Major coach in Indiana over the past 11 seasons. His program's consistent success garnered national recognition with consistent rankings among the Top 25 Mid-Major programs by collegeinsider.com (2024).

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Queens University of Charlotte head coach Grant Leonard joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on conceptual offense, including spacing, pace and player development.

Grant Leonard was hired by then-Division II Queens as an assistant coach in 2013 and promoted to associate head coach in 2016. Over seven years as an assistant coach, the team achieved a winning percentage of .837 with a 189–37 overall record, consistently ranking in the top 25, including a No. 1 ranking. Queens won the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) regular season championship three times, secured two SAC tournament titles, and made two Elite Eight appearances with Leonard on the staff. He was promoted to head coach for the 2022–23 season, Queens’ first season in NCAA Division I. In his first season, Queens went 18–15 with a 7–11 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). Last year, his team reached the Atlantic Sun Tournament Quarterfinals for the second straight season after defeating Florida Gulf Coast University in the opening round.

Leonard began his coaching career as an assistant at Shorewood High School in 2004–05. He then assisted in coaching the Washington College Shoremen in 2005–06. For the next three seasons, he was the director of basketball operations for Texas–Pan American. In 2009–10, he served as an assistant coach for the Flagler Saints. From 2011 to 2013, Leonard worked for the Paine Lions as an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, director of skill development, and defensive specialist, helping the team achieve their first winning season in seven years in 2011–12.