Latest / A Quick Timeout / How to Succeed as a Basketball Coach in 2025 with ESPN's Seth Greenberg

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How to Succeed as a Basketball Coach in 2025 with ESPN's Seth Greenberg · A Quick Timeout

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Honored today to have longtime college basketball coach and
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ESPN analyst Seth
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SPEAKER_01: Greenberg on the show.
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SPEAKER_01: Coach, great to see you.
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SPEAKER_02: Glad to be here.
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SPEAKER_02: Anytime we can talk some ball, it's a good thing.
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SPEAKER_02: We're getting close to the start of the season.
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SPEAKER_02: The season really never ends if you're running a good program.
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And this is an exciting time of the year because teams are
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starting to basically
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SPEAKER_02: develop an identity,
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SPEAKER_02: an understanding of core beliefs and non-negotiables,
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SPEAKER_02: an understanding of redefining,
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SPEAKER_02: playing hard,
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SPEAKER_02: being a good teammate,
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SPEAKER_02: embracing roles,
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SPEAKER_02: and understanding what winning basketball is all about.
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SPEAKER_02: And if you lay that foundation,
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SPEAKER_02: In September,
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SPEAKER_02: really,
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SPEAKER_02: in college basketball,
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SPEAKER_02: you've got to lay it in the summer because you have those eight weeks.
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SPEAKER_02: If you don't lay it down in the summer,
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then you have to redefine playing hard once the players come
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back on campus.
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It's hard to go from not playing hard then to playing hard and
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competing and being
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SPEAKER_02: a good teammate and playing to win.
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I saw on social media that you've kind of begun your preseason
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college tour,
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SPEAKER_01: watching some practices and meeting with coaches.
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So in 2025 and with everything that comes with the current
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environment of college
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SPEAKER_01: sports,
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what would you say are some of your biggest takeaways from
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watching these early
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SPEAKER_01: preseason practices?
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SPEAKER_02: My biggest takeaway is I had a chance to see UConn.
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SPEAKER_02: I had a chance to see Duke.
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SPEAKER_02: I had to see NC State.
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SPEAKER_02: I had a chance to see St.
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SPEAKER_02: John's so far.
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SPEAKER_02: I think the first takeaway is that,
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SPEAKER_02: and it's kind of what I just talked about before,
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SPEAKER_02: the best teams have core beliefs in non-negotiables.
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And the best coaches hold their players to those
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non-negotiables and core beliefs.
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SPEAKER_02: It's like parenting.
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SPEAKER_02: No means no.
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SPEAKER_02: Yes means yes.
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You expect a certain type of behavior because being on a
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basketball team is not a
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SPEAKER_02: rite of passage.
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SPEAKER_02: It's a privilege.
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SPEAKER_02: I don't care if you're getting paid or you're not getting paid.
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SPEAKER_02: You know,
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SPEAKER_02: if you're getting paid,
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SPEAKER_02: obviously,
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SPEAKER_02: then,
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SPEAKER_02: you know,
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SPEAKER_02: it's a little bit different because,
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SPEAKER_02: you know,
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SPEAKER_02: to whom much is given,
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SPEAKER_02: much is expected.
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But if you're trying to have a team,
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you can take that money and throw it out the door.
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Because once they come and cross those lines,
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they've got to allow themselves to be coached.
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And one of the things I did when I was coaching is I would line
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our guys up on the
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SPEAKER_02: baseline almost every single practice and say,
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SPEAKER_02: if you can allow yourself to be coached today,
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SPEAKER_02: cross the line.
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SPEAKER_02: And once you cross that line, it was on.
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SPEAKER_02: That means you said, I am going to allow you to coach me.
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SPEAKER_02: The best coaches and the best practices I've seen,
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SPEAKER_02: and you don't have to rant and rave and scream and yell.
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SPEAKER_02: It's like my college coach,
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SPEAKER_02: Alabama,
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SPEAKER_02: who was one of Bob Knight's assistant coaches,
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SPEAKER_02: UB Brown's high school coach,
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SPEAKER_02: one of the winnings coaches in the history of New Jersey basketball.
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SPEAKER_02: When he got really pissed off at us,
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SPEAKER_02: he would put us right on the line and say,
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SPEAKER_02: you know,
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SPEAKER_02: as the count says,
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SPEAKER_02: like in Count Basie,
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SPEAKER_02: look him up,
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SPEAKER_02: kids.
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SPEAKER_02: He was pretty good one more time.
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SPEAKER_02: And there has to be an accountability.
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SPEAKER_02: It's like anything in leadership.
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SPEAKER_02: I mean, there's a standard in accountability.
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And the day that you don't buy and uphold the standard is the
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day you give in to
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SPEAKER_02: the standard and you chase the standard.
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So,
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you know,
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I used to tell our guys all the time,
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you want me to lower the bar?
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SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm not lowering the bar.
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You've got to raise your level of play to the standard that
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we've established.
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SPEAKER_02: So,
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SPEAKER_02: you know,
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SPEAKER_02: Rick Pitino,
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SPEAKER_02: Rick Pitino,
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SPEAKER_02: he's got the microphone on while he's running practice,
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SPEAKER_02: but almost right is wrong.
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SPEAKER_02: Almost right is wrong.
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SPEAKER_02: You're going to do it the right way.
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SPEAKER_02: Dan Hurley, the same thing.
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SPEAKER_02: Mediocre is not accepted.
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SPEAKER_02: You can make mistakes, but you know what?
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SPEAKER_02: One, don't make them over and over and over again.
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SPEAKER_02: That means you're not listening and hearing.
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SPEAKER_02: And number two is that if you're not competing, that is unacceptable.
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And basically,
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it's a reflection of being a bad teammate,
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not buying into the good of the group.
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SPEAKER_02: And in the end, it's not winning basketball.
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SPEAKER_02: I'm at Duke,
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SPEAKER_02: and John Shire's really talking about,
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SPEAKER_02: as he's teaching,
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SPEAKER_02: they're playing a lot of five out now.
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SPEAKER_02: They'll get into what they're doing later.
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SPEAKER_02: But, you know, he's teaching a lot of five on five.
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SPEAKER_02: He's teaching concepts.
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SPEAKER_02: He's teaching read and react and cite things.
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SPEAKER_02: But I think the biggest but is how we play, being a winning player.
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SPEAKER_02: He must have said that 8,000 times.
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SPEAKER_02: That's a winning play.
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SPEAKER_02: That's not a winning play.
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SPEAKER_02: All right.
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SPEAKER_02: That play gets us beat.
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SPEAKER_02: All right.
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SPEAKER_02: That's unacceptable.
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SPEAKER_02: We're better, this is who we are and this is how we win.
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SPEAKER_02: You've got to understand,
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SPEAKER_02: and I think as a coach,
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SPEAKER_02: you've got to define who are we and how do we win?
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SPEAKER_02: Like if your players don't,
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SPEAKER_02: if you walk into a practice,
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SPEAKER_02: a good practice,
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SPEAKER_02: and I can't walk to any player in that team and say,
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SPEAKER_02: as a team,
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SPEAKER_02: who are you and how do you win?
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SPEAKER_02: If that player can't answer that, you've got a bad culture.
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SPEAKER_03: Mm-hmm.
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SPEAKER_02: They don't even understand your identity.
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SPEAKER_02: And then looking on top of that,
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SPEAKER_02: if you walk to that individual player and say,
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SPEAKER_02: who are you,
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SPEAKER_02: Tony?
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SPEAKER_02: And what makes you different?
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What's the essence that makes you different that impacts
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winning for our team?
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SPEAKER_02: Now, if that player doesn't understand and know that clearly,
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SPEAKER_02: Again, you have a problem.
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Now,
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I think that early in the season,
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you push the sides of the box out a little bit.
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SPEAKER_02: I mean, especially in the summer, you're working on your weaknesses.
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You're trying to see how,
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work on your strengths,
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but develop your weaknesses.
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But now once you get into September and October,
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you're developing your team.
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SPEAKER_02: And I think John does a really good job.
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SPEAKER_02: He's a great communicator.
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SPEAKER_02: He does a really,
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SPEAKER_02: really good job of teaching skill,
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SPEAKER_02: teaching concepts,
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SPEAKER_02: and then applying it to the good of the group,
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SPEAKER_02: how you can impact the good of the group.
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Dan Hurley is a guy that you go to the practices the first 30
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minutes of their summer stuff.
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SPEAKER_02: is skill and develop work.
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SPEAKER_02: It's closeout,
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SPEAKER_02: it's stance,
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SPEAKER_02: it's four and three,
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SPEAKER_02: it's five and four,
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SPEAKER_02: it's ball handling,
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SPEAKER_02: it's advantage,
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SPEAKER_02: disadvantage.
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SPEAKER_02: It's all the things that,
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SPEAKER_02: like I grew up in a five-star camp,
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SPEAKER_02: it's all the things that we would teach each and every day in stations.
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SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean, that's just the way it is.
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SPEAKER_02: Will Wade,
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SPEAKER_02: in the practice I saw him,
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SPEAKER_02: because of their style of play,
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SPEAKER_02: a lot of their stuff is up and down.
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They have breakdown days where they're doing stance and
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closeout and teaching.
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SPEAKER_02: You know, they're switching one through five.
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SPEAKER_02: So, you know, how do we switch?
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SPEAKER_02: Do we switch it up?
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SPEAKER_02: We're switching with our arms in the pass lane.
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SPEAKER_02: We're doing those things.
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SPEAKER_02: But they do a lot of stuff five on five.
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SPEAKER_02: Why?
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SPEAKER_02: Because that's the way they play five on five.
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SPEAKER_02: And if I coached again, I would...
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play more five on five now we would do 40 minutes of defensive
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development you know
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it started in in stance it started in close out it started in
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four on three and
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five on four it was you know shell with coaches in the corner
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anywhere anytime the
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ball got thrown to the corner they would drive it we'd have to
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rotate out of it and
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SPEAKER_02: play out of that it was actions i would do more odio
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SPEAKER_02: After I got my stuff in because that's the way the game is played.
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SPEAKER_02: Like I talked to Ryan Oden today and like he's got a benefit.
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SPEAKER_02: He's my former assistant of Rick Carlisle before they go to camp.
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SPEAKER_02: He lives in Charlesville.
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SPEAKER_02: He's got Rick Carlisle coming in every single day in practice.
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rick's big thing is obviously we call it flow down but just not
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having to reset
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being harder to scout you know like i think it's really
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important how do you make
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stuff harder to scout i can i can scout plays and take teams
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out of plays it's
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harder to take teams out of concepts and actions you know i
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think the game is
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evolving yeah but the game's evolving that's great but totally
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let's here's the
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deal you know you say well i'm gonna play like the pacers i
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hate to tell you
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SPEAKER_02: But you don't have the Pacers players.
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SPEAKER_02: Or there's no such thing as the middle game.
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SPEAKER_02: Well,
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SPEAKER_02: I hate to tell you,
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but not everyone's going to shoot 40% of the shots from the
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three because they
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SPEAKER_02: can't make.
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Like,
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you've got to figure out the best way for you to give your team
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a chance to win.
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SPEAKER_02: Me as a college coach, I go from the Big East to the ACC.
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SPEAKER_02: I got Duke and Carolina and Maryland when they were really, really good.
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SPEAKER_02: And Wake Forest with Chris Paul and all those people.
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SPEAKER_02: And I got to say,
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SPEAKER_02: well,
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SPEAKER_02: I'm going to devise a style of play that gives my team,
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SPEAKER_02: I had good players,
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SPEAKER_02: a chance to beat the best teams in the league.
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SPEAKER_02: And you as a coach, that's your responsibility.
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SPEAKER_02: To put your team in the best position, that's the essence of coaching.
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SPEAKER_02: The essence of coaching is finding a system that fits your personnel,
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SPEAKER_02: that gives them the best chance to be successful.
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SPEAKER_02: So in year one in the ACC, we beat Duke.
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SPEAKER_02: Year three in the ACC, we beat Duke and Carolina on the road.
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We had really good players,
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but they understood exactly how we were going to win.
8:53
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SPEAKER_01: We have players now for seven to nine months.
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SPEAKER_01: And if you're going to accelerate that process of building chemistry and
9:50
SPEAKER_01: constructing a cohesive team culture,
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SPEAKER_01: how are the most successful coaches doing that on a practical level?
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SPEAKER_02: On a practical level, in the college level, that summer is essential.
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Because,
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I mean,
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you think about the number of programs that has completely new
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teams.
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SPEAKER_02: Now,
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SPEAKER_02: you know,
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SPEAKER_02: I spoke to a coach today,
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SPEAKER_02: John Wells,
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SPEAKER_02: who was my assistant at Long Beach,
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SPEAKER_02: who's at Fresno State now today.
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SPEAKER_02: And they have eight international guys.
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SPEAKER_02: They didn't get them until just...
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SPEAKER_02: like three weeks ago.
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SPEAKER_02: He goes, Coach.
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SPEAKER_02: I said, John, what did you accomplish in the summer?
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He goes,
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Coach,
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in the summer,
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we're still trying to raise money for NIL and recruit players.
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SPEAKER_02: Now, the guys that have their guys in the summer
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That's where you've got to really just invest in relationships
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and do a lot of team
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SPEAKER_02: building stuff and do a lot of,
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SPEAKER_02: you know,
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SPEAKER_02: it drives me crazy.
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SPEAKER_02: And I have a lot of respect for everyone that does.
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SPEAKER_02: You know, I look at what I do.
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SPEAKER_02: I'm a fired basketball coach that has the opportunity to just talk ball.
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SPEAKER_02: But I lived that thing for 33 years.
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SPEAKER_02: And that's just the way it is.
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SPEAKER_02: Tell me I'm nutty, tell me I'm... No, that was my life for 33 years.
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SPEAKER_02: I have an empathy for what these coaches go through.
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SPEAKER_02: So like when people start saying,
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SPEAKER_02: well,
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SPEAKER_02: projected starting lineup,
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SPEAKER_02: that coach doesn't know what his projected starting lineup is.
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SPEAKER_02: And if we project starting lineups, here's what happens.
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And you coach calls,
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agent calls,
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parents calls,
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and everyone else calls.
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SPEAKER_02: Coach, what do you mean?
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SPEAKER_02: Could you give my guy a chance to start?
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SPEAKER_02: Oh, you know what I mean?
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SPEAKER_02: You've already decided.
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SPEAKER_02: So, like, I think in the summer, you don't have to go good on good.
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SPEAKER_02: You can mix and match.
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SPEAKER_02: In the summer, it's skill concept development.
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SPEAKER_02: It's defensive foundation.
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SPEAKER_02: It's early offense.
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SPEAKER_02: You know, it's flow.
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SPEAKER_02: It's...
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SPEAKER_02: It's the baseline of everything you do.
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SPEAKER_02: Now, Rick Barnes said he could play a game right now.
11:42
SPEAKER_02: Danny Hurley could play a game right now for sure.
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SPEAKER_02: And they don't have their stuff in, but they have their concepts in.
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SPEAKER_02: They've got their cutting actions in.
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SPEAKER_02: They've got their spacing actions in.
11:51
SPEAKER_02: They've got all the reads they have to do out of baseline drive,
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SPEAKER_02: 45,
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SPEAKER_02: middle drive,
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SPEAKER_02: baseline drive.
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They've got all their actions off of their penetration and
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their concepts.
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SPEAKER_02: But I think it's really important
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SPEAKER_02: You get these guys on campus.
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SPEAKER_02: They're recruited in a very small,
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SPEAKER_02: short period of time,
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SPEAKER_02: especially if you've got a lot of guys in a portal.
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SPEAKER_02: You've got to get to know these guys.
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You've got to invest relationships because without
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relationships,
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you have no trust.
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SPEAKER_02: And without trust, you can't have a good team.
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SPEAKER_02: And you've got to have individual trust in these guys.
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SPEAKER_02: They've got to have trust in each other.
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SPEAKER_02: They've got a belief that we're playing for the good of the group.
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And John Calipari is a lot about,
12:33
you know,
12:34
the more we win,
12:34
everyone eats.
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SPEAKER_02: You guys got to get guys to buy into winning basketball.
12:39
You also got to get guys to buy into as you're starting to work
12:43
with them and push,
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SPEAKER_02: develop their games,
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SPEAKER_02: develop their understanding of the game.
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You've also got to understand and get them to understand what
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they look like when
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SPEAKER_02: they're the best version of themselves.
12:55
And what I mean by that is every guy that I set off to work out
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for NBA teams or
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SPEAKER_02: went to Portsmouth or went to the NBA combine,
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SPEAKER_02: I said,
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SPEAKER_02: make sure you show people what you can do,
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SPEAKER_02: not what you can't do.
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So like when I hear these guys,
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well,
13:09
you know,
13:09
this guy can step out and shoot the three.
13:10
SPEAKER_02: Well, you know, they're going to need a three-point shooter.
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SPEAKER_02: They can find a better shooter than you.
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But I think it's a way to make all these guys understand when
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they're at their very
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SPEAKER_02: best,
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SPEAKER_02: when you're at your very best as a coach,
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SPEAKER_02: when they're at their very best as players,
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SPEAKER_02: what are they doing?
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SPEAKER_02: And get them to buy into that's what makes them special.
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And that's the impact you have on our team and give us the best
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chance to win.
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SPEAKER_02: So I would use all these early times to input my system,
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SPEAKER_02: develop individually,
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SPEAKER_02: invest in relationships,
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and then get guys to understand what their value is and how
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much their value still
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SPEAKER_02: impacts no matter what that role is,
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SPEAKER_02: their value impacts winning.
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SPEAKER_02: And that's really, really important.
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I've heard you talk about the speed dating nature of recruiting
14:05
nowadays.
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SPEAKER_01: And when you're having to make such quick decisions,
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SPEAKER_01: what do you feel like the most crucial pieces of intel that you need,
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SPEAKER_01: but then also identifying red flags?
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What are you trying to spot so that you avoid headaches or just
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simply holding back
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SPEAKER_01: what could be with your roster?
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SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's harder now.
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I've been living,
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obviously,
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this NIL transfer portal free agency world that we live in
14:36
today.
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SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's what it is.
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SPEAKER_02: It's yearly free agency.
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But I think you've got to,
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like,
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bring guys in and you've got to,
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you know,
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SPEAKER_02: Everyone has a circle of influence, Tony.
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SPEAKER_02: It could be your high school coach.
14:50
SPEAKER_02: It could be your grassroots coach.
14:52
SPEAKER_02: It could be your workout guy.
14:53
SPEAKER_02: It could be your agent.
14:55
SPEAKER_02: It could be, I don't know who it is.
14:57
SPEAKER_02: But you've got to evaluate that circle of influence and understand,
15:01
SPEAKER_02: are they part of the solution or part of the problem?
15:03
Is it about only the player or do they understand if the
15:08
program is successful or
15:09
SPEAKER_02: you're successful?
15:10
SPEAKER_02: Dan Hurley talks about watching parents in the stands.
15:13
You know,
15:14
I think,
15:15
like,
15:15
you know,
15:16
Stephan Castle,
15:17
his family wanted Dan to coach Stephan Hart.
15:21
SPEAKER_02: You know, worked out pretty good.
15:23
SPEAKER_02: Worked out pretty good.
15:25
SPEAKER_02: But I think that the red flags are when guys are about me, me, me,
15:31
SPEAKER_02: expectation, unrealistic, not understanding how hard it is.
15:38
SPEAKER_02: Like, I think you've got to tell kids, like, college basketball's hard.
15:41
SPEAKER_02: It's hard.
15:42
SPEAKER_02: It looks really easy on TV.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: I tell guys all the time,
15:44
SPEAKER_02: you come in here and you watch our guys work out,
15:46
SPEAKER_02: you think that's easy.
15:48
SPEAKER_02: All right,
15:48
SPEAKER_02: you come here next year,
15:49
SPEAKER_02: and the first time you're going to cross the lane,
15:50
SPEAKER_02: there's going to be a forearm in your chest,
15:52
SPEAKER_02: and the guy's going to knock you into tomorrow.
15:54
SPEAKER_02: It's hard.
15:54
SPEAKER_02: You watch on TV, and the game looks easy.
15:57
Nothing against grassroots basketball,
16:00
EYBL,
16:01
Under Armour,
16:01
Adidas,
16:01
or anyone.
16:02
SPEAKER_02: Those are exhibitions.
16:05
SPEAKER_02: They're exhibitions.
16:06
SPEAKER_02: Guys are playing.
16:07
SPEAKER_02: They're trying to play hard.
16:08
SPEAKER_02: You're not deciding what you're going to give them,
16:10
SPEAKER_02: what you're going to take away because you've got three games in one day.
16:12
SPEAKER_02: You're not looking at film.
16:13
SPEAKER_02: You're not looking at adjustments.
16:14
SPEAKER_02: You're not looking at controlling the tempo.
16:17
SPEAKER_02: You're playing.
16:18
And there are some really good guys that are coaching
16:20
grassroots basketball,
16:21
SPEAKER_02: and I have a lot of respect for it.
16:22
SPEAKER_02: But that's not reality.
16:24
SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm.
16:25
SPEAKER_02: That's just not the way it is,
16:27
SPEAKER_02: man,
16:27
SPEAKER_02: because when you get to that next level,
16:30
SPEAKER_02: whether it's even with your high school team after playing AU basketball,
16:34
SPEAKER_02: and you're playing twice a week or three times a week,
16:37
SPEAKER_02: and it's analytics,
16:38
SPEAKER_02: and it's still a breakdown.
16:39
It's taking your strengths and trying to,
16:40
all right,
16:41
who am I going to exploit defensively?
16:43
SPEAKER_02: Who am I going to, you know, what matchups am I going to go for?
16:46
SPEAKER_02: How do they want to get that ball?
16:48
My philosophy of coaching was the other team's best player
16:50
wasn't beating us.
16:51
SPEAKER_02: You know, the team's best player was Venus.
16:53
SPEAKER_02: We were taking that dude out.
16:54
SPEAKER_02: You know, we had four wins against number one.
16:56
SPEAKER_02: Go look what happened.
16:58
SPEAKER_02: We took that dude out.
16:59
SPEAKER_02: You know, that's the biggest thing.
17:01
Can you get people to understand we will do everything to help
17:05
your son realize their potential?
17:09
SPEAKER_02: Everything.
17:10
We want him to be the best version of himself and have the
17:14
greatest experience possible.
17:16
SPEAKER_02: But that means one voice.
17:20
SPEAKER_02: We can't have 8,000 boys.
17:21
SPEAKER_02: We can't have everyone coaching you.
17:24
And it's really hard today because with the workout guys,
17:27
I've been on off days.
17:27
SPEAKER_02: These guys have workout guys.
17:29
SPEAKER_02: The agents are having workout guys coming in.
17:31
Well,
17:32
that defeats everything you're trying to do to develop a sense
17:35
of community.
17:36
You're telling me that an assistant coach at any of these high
17:40
major schools where
17:41
SPEAKER_02: these guys are all trying to be pros from,
17:43
SPEAKER_02: they can't work their players out.
17:45
SPEAKER_02: To me, I'd have a hard time saying, and I know you have to,
17:50
SPEAKER_02: I guess I don't think everyone does.
17:52
SPEAKER_02: I don't think they're rolling into East Lansing and working dudes out.
17:55
SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's just the way I think.
17:57
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I just don't think that's happened.
17:58
SPEAKER_02: They're not rolling into Storrs, Connecticut and working guys out.
18:01
SPEAKER_02: Dan Hurley's staff is working those guys out.
18:03
SPEAKER_02: And I know you've got to play the game, but if it's all about me, me, me,
18:08
SPEAKER_02: You're only as good as your locker room, Tony.
18:10
SPEAKER_02: You know that.
18:11
SPEAKER_02: I know that.
18:12
SPEAKER_02: You're only as good as your locker room.
18:14
SPEAKER_02: And if your locker room is selfish,
18:16
SPEAKER_02: if your locker room doesn't have accountability,
18:18
SPEAKER_02: if your locker room has the wrong voice,
18:20
SPEAKER_02: if your locker room is not together,
18:25
SPEAKER_02: you're going to face adversity during the season.
18:27
SPEAKER_02: And they're going to absolutely, your locker room is going to screw you.
18:31
so those are the things i would look for that's a long answer
18:33
to basically you've
18:34
got to have you've got to have high character guys that love
18:37
the game i think
18:38
that's the other thing your assistant coach has got to know who
18:41
can play for the
18:41
head coach not everyone could play for me if you didn't love
18:44
the game you couldn't
18:45
play for me if you weren't lost in the game you couldn't play
18:49
for me if you didn't
18:50
SPEAKER_02: want a coaching staff that was going to pour into you you know
18:54
you weren't going to be a really good player for me because I
18:56
was going to pour into my guys.
18:57
SPEAKER_02: I was going to be around them.
18:58
SPEAKER_02: I was going to be talking to them.
18:59
SPEAKER_02: I was going to be texting them.
19:01
SPEAKER_02: Not everyone wants it.
19:02
SPEAKER_02: I understand that.
19:02
SPEAKER_02: Not everyone was for me.
19:04
SPEAKER_02: That's just the way it is.
19:05
SPEAKER_02: But,
19:07
SPEAKER_02: you know,
19:07
I think it's really important that the assistant coaches don't
19:09
worry about what a
19:09
SPEAKER_02: damn guy's rated.
19:10
SPEAKER_02: All right.
19:11
SPEAKER_02: Don't worry about what he's rated.
19:13
Brian Russell and Lucius Harris weren't rated very high to hit
19:16
13 year NBA careers.
19:17
SPEAKER_02: You know, Javon Gordon was one of the best guards in Europe.
19:20
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I have really, really good players.
19:22
SPEAKER_02: None of them were rated.
19:23
SPEAKER_02: I know.
19:23
SPEAKER_02: Look, it's great if you can get those guys.
19:25
SPEAKER_02: But, you know, worry about your assistants.
19:29
SPEAKER_02: You need to know who can play for that head coach.
19:32
SPEAKER_02: A number one, most important thing.
19:35
SPEAKER_01: You mentioned the staff, so I'll ask.
19:37
If you were building a staff for a major basketball program
19:41
today,
19:42
what would you look for?
19:43
SPEAKER_01: Coaches.
19:44
SPEAKER_01: Dudes that can coach.
19:46
SPEAKER_02: Good coaches who can help players get better become good recruiters.
19:50
SPEAKER_02: Guys that love the game.
19:52
SPEAKER_02: Guys that are innovative.
19:54
SPEAKER_02: Guys that are going to understand that it's kind of a way of life.
19:59
SPEAKER_02: It's a lifestyle.
20:00
SPEAKER_02: It's probably sometimes not overly healthy.
20:02
SPEAKER_02: But, yeah, you've got to have a network.
20:05
SPEAKER_02: But if you're good at what you do,
20:06
SPEAKER_02: if you can coach,
20:08
SPEAKER_02: if you can connect with yourself,
20:09
SPEAKER_02: if you can coach,
20:10
SPEAKER_02: what's the first thing you have to do to be a good coach?
20:13
SPEAKER_02: Flip the interview.
20:15
SPEAKER_00: I think a big part of it is the ability to teach and communicate.
20:18
SPEAKER_02: Second word, most important thing.
20:20
SPEAKER_02: You can't teach unless you communicate.
20:22
SPEAKER_02: You have right on the money.
20:23
SPEAKER_02: So you've got to have people that connect with your players.
20:29
SPEAKER_02: That those guys can trust because let's face it,
20:31
SPEAKER_02: it's like it's like the graduation thing back in the day.
20:34
Now no one talks about graduation and you know that's the
20:36
biggest BS thing in the world.
20:38
I mean like that's that's the problem we have right now that's
20:40
the big major
20:41
SPEAKER_02: problem I have college athletics.
20:43
We used to say build a bridge to cross all right for for 40 go
20:47
to school for years
20:48
SPEAKER_02: at last year for the most important years your life.
20:50
SPEAKER_02: Now it's NIO.
20:53
SPEAKER_02: Do you talk about majors?
20:54
SPEAKER_02: Do you talk about academic support?
20:55
SPEAKER_02: Do you meet the president?
20:56
Half of the guys are taking classes online and sitting in the
21:00
study hall with tutors.
21:02
But I think the first and foremost thing,
21:05
you've got to be able to communicate and connect.
21:08
If you can communicate and connect and you can coach,
21:11
those are three simple Cs.
21:13
SPEAKER_02: Communicate, connect, and coach.
21:17
SPEAKER_02: you'll be able to recruit if you have a work ethic.
21:20
SPEAKER_02: And I think that's really, really important.
21:21
SPEAKER_02: You need a network?
21:22
SPEAKER_02: Sure, you need a network.
21:23
SPEAKER_02: But now you have a general manager.
21:25
SPEAKER_02: Now, a lot of times, it's about your package.
21:29
SPEAKER_02: Still like, but what do players want to do?
21:31
SPEAKER_02: They want to get to another level.
21:33
SPEAKER_02: How's the best way for them to get to another level?
21:35
SPEAKER_02: Get better.
21:36
Have a great strength coach who could communicate,
21:39
has a basketball background.
21:40
SPEAKER_02: I'm a big believer in that.
21:41
SPEAKER_02: I had a really good one at Virginia Tech.
21:43
SPEAKER_02: David Jackson.
21:44
SPEAKER_02: He played at Virginia Tech.
21:46
SPEAKER_02: Terrific.
21:47
But he also could transition to strength coach and stuff that
21:52
applied to basketball.
21:53
Have your analytics people,
21:55
but that's what they're there for,
21:57
information.
21:58
You've got to decide how you're going to use and how much
21:59
information because your
22:01
SPEAKER_02: players can only process so much.
22:03
SPEAKER_02: It's really important.
22:05
SPEAKER_02: Today,
22:05
probably have a general manager that is keeping track of every
22:09
good mid-major
22:10
player in the country who's building relationships with the
22:13
agents because the
22:14
SPEAKER_02: agents have turned into the grassroots coaches.
22:17
SPEAKER_02: The agents have turned into – now, me personally, I don't understand it.
22:21
SPEAKER_02: You're paying an agent 20%.
22:23
SPEAKER_02: You don't need an agent if you're a good player.
22:25
SPEAKER_02: Why?
22:26
SPEAKER_02: Why are you giving someone 20%?
22:27
SPEAKER_02: That's me.
22:29
SPEAKER_02: And then get guys that are really good coaches.
22:32
And one thing I would do is at one point I had one guy do all
22:36
my scouting for me.
22:37
SPEAKER_02: when I was at certain places as an assistant, I did all the scouting.
22:42
SPEAKER_02: I think you've got to have ownership.
22:43
SPEAKER_02: I think I would split my scouting up,
22:46
but I would have two video coordinators so that we were always
22:51
ahead of the curve.
22:54
SPEAKER_02: So that you have your next two games.
22:56
Plus you have to have someone editing out and it's available
22:59
things like you do,
23:00
SPEAKER_02: which is terrific.
23:02
SPEAKER_02: I spent a lot of time
23:05
SPEAKER_02: just on social media or on,
23:08
on looking at sites and I'll pick out actions and stuff and
23:11
I'll be sending them to
23:11
SPEAKER_02: my friends and you're a really good ATL,
23:15
SPEAKER_02: you know,
23:15
SPEAKER_02: short clock or a,
23:17
SPEAKER_02: you know,
23:18
SPEAKER_02: a lot of,
23:18
a lot of it is more short clock or ATL stuff because I think
23:21
you got to steal
23:22
SPEAKER_02: baskets.
23:22
SPEAKER_02: I think that's one of the, you know, when you get in league play,
23:26
SPEAKER_02: The team that I call them special situations,
23:29
SPEAKER_02: first play of the game,
23:30
SPEAKER_02: first play of the half,
23:31
SPEAKER_02: ATOs,
23:32
SPEAKER_02: free throw situations,
23:33
SPEAKER_02: dead ball inbounds,
23:35
SPEAKER_02: under,
23:35
SPEAKER_02: inside.
23:37
SPEAKER_02: If you chart that in league play and it's a five-point game,
23:41
SPEAKER_02: I guarantee the team that wins specials wins the game.
23:46
It's like I think I would tell all high school coaches or all
23:49
coaches in general,
23:50
SPEAKER_02: what are the things that get you fired besides being socially ignorant?
23:57
SPEAKER_02: What are things that get you fired?
23:58
SPEAKER_02: I'll tell you the things that get fired.
24:00
SPEAKER_02: What do people lose their minds in the stands?
24:02
SPEAKER_02: Dead ball inbound, up one, underneath your basket, can't run.
24:06
SPEAKER_02: Can't get it inbounds.
24:07
SPEAKER_02: Four parents in the stands are going, what do they have?
24:10
SPEAKER_02: Underneath that inbounds defense.
24:13
SPEAKER_02: give it up a layup, you're five versus four.
24:15
SPEAKER_02: Full court pressure,
24:16
SPEAKER_02: three quarter court trap,
24:18
SPEAKER_02: diamond and one,
24:19
SPEAKER_02: whatever it is,
24:20
SPEAKER_02: you can't attack it and you're throwing the ball all over the place.
24:23
SPEAKER_02: That's the stuff that people lose their mind on.
24:27
And Bobby Booster,
24:28
you know,
24:29
who gives $100 to the high school fund is losing his mind.
24:32
SPEAKER_02: That on top of obviously parents being parents.
24:36
SPEAKER_02: Me, I want coaches.
24:38
SPEAKER_02: I want guys that are caught up and lost in the game.
24:42
SPEAKER_02: that can communicate, connect, and can coach.
24:47
SPEAKER_02: If they can do that and help players get better,
24:49
SPEAKER_02: and you have a good GM now,
24:52
SPEAKER_02: and you have evaluate.
24:54
SPEAKER_02: Don't have someone else tell you who can play.
24:57
SPEAKER_02: Your eyes will tell you who can play.
24:59
SPEAKER_02: I don't need someone to tell me, oh, yeah, he's really good.
25:01
SPEAKER_02: No.
25:02
SPEAKER_02: Can he play for your head coach?
25:04
SPEAKER_02: That's your job.
25:05
SPEAKER_02: Got to be able to evaluate.
25:07
SPEAKER_02: It's not about the list.
25:08
SPEAKER_02: It's about what I call evaluating up.
25:11
SPEAKER_02: It's not where the guy is now.
25:13
SPEAKER_02: Where can he get to if he's in love with the game and lost in the game?
25:17
SPEAKER_02: Those things are important to me.
25:18
SPEAKER_01: Let me ask you about the game itself.
25:21
SPEAKER_01: What do you feel like,
25:22
SPEAKER_01: if anything,
25:23
has the transient nature of roster building done in
25:28
relationship to what happens on
25:30
SPEAKER_01: the floor,
25:31
SPEAKER_01: the offensive and defensive systems?
25:34
yeah i think that i think it's more the peer pressure of how
25:36
everyone thinks they
25:37
have to play the train i mean it because it takes that's why
25:40
you need to take
25:41
advantage of the summer i mean you that's why you got to input
25:43
stuff earlier uh and
25:45
get them to understand how to play that's where the
25:49
internationals are so far ahead
25:50
of us because you know the international development programs
25:54
you know the morning
25:54
is weights and skill work and the afternoon is concept work and
25:58
they practice
25:59
SPEAKER_02: multiple times a day uh you know there's no load management there
26:03
SPEAKER_02: But,
26:03
SPEAKER_02: yeah,
26:04
SPEAKER_02: I think that,
26:05
SPEAKER_02: first of all,
26:05
SPEAKER_02: roster construction,
26:06
SPEAKER_02: and if you watched anything on TV last year,
26:09
SPEAKER_02: I probably said it 4,000 times,
26:11
SPEAKER_02: is the most important thing.
26:12
And I think the key is that I think that Florida did something
26:15
really smart.
26:16
SPEAKER_02: Multiple-year transfers,
26:18
getting guys that are going to be around them for more than one
26:20
year so they're not
26:21
SPEAKER_02: rentals.
26:22
they're not it's not speed dating you know get guys that you
26:25
can get two or three
26:25
years out of and that's why we got to have some type of
26:28
guidelines like with
26:29
everything that's going on we need contracts that we do but i
26:32
think in terms of
26:33
roster construction and preparation i think you really you know
26:38
the days uh in the
26:39
summer some skill work some two-on-two stuff you've got to
26:43
you've got to be more
26:44
proactive developing a team concept and what's acceptable
26:47
what's a good shot what's
26:48
SPEAKER_02: not a good shot what's acceptable what's not acceptable
26:51
I think the summertime is imperative because you can't do it in
26:56
six weeks.
26:57
SPEAKER_02: We have exhibition games October 15th.
26:59
SPEAKER_02: That's when I used to first start my practices.
27:02
SPEAKER_02: You know, I can look at my calendar right here.
27:04
SPEAKER_02: Meeting days for the ACC is the 7th and 8th,
27:07
SPEAKER_02: the 14th and 15th for the SEC,
27:09
SPEAKER_02: and the Big 12 is 22 and 23.
27:11
SPEAKER_02: Purdue plays Kentucky in an exhibition game on the 24th.
27:15
SPEAKER_02: Auburn plays Oklahoma State on an exhibition game on the 15th.
27:20
SPEAKER_02: I mean, Alabama plays Florida State on the 16th.
27:23
SPEAKER_02: That would have been the first two days of practice.
27:25
So if you don't use your eight hours,
27:29
if you don't use your summer wisely,
27:32
you're so far behind.
27:35
SPEAKER_02: So I would get more in and still do the concept work.
27:39
SPEAKER_02: And let's face it, these kids are on campus in the summer.
27:41
SPEAKER_02: Not a lot of people are on campus.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: your managers and your support group around,
27:46
they have access to the building 24 seven because everyone has
27:49
practice facility.
27:51
So you got to utilize your time to make sure you teach them how
27:55
to play and develop
27:57
SPEAKER_02: in some type of chemistry.
27:59
What are the guys like Nate Oates,
28:00
John Shire,
28:01
you mentioned concept basketball.
28:04
SPEAKER_01: That sounds easier than it can be sometimes.
28:07
SPEAKER_01: How do you see them implementing that?
28:09
SPEAKER_01: How are they teaching them to play that?
28:11
SPEAKER_01: Because for a lot of guys, this is still foreign.
28:14
SPEAKER_01: Coming from high school systems,
28:16
SPEAKER_01: it's trickling down,
28:17
SPEAKER_01: but it's still very foreign to a lot of guys.
28:20
SPEAKER_01: And it's great that you have all those weeks in the summertime,
28:23
SPEAKER_01: but sometimes it's still even not enough time.
28:26
SPEAKER_02: Well, it's like the old days teaching motion.
28:28
SPEAKER_02: If you didn't have patience to teach the motion, you had no chance.
28:31
SPEAKER_02: I mean,
28:32
SPEAKER_02: like if you want to play real motion,
28:33
SPEAKER_02: everyone go,
28:34
SPEAKER_02: you know,
28:34
SPEAKER_02: three out of two in motion,
28:35
SPEAKER_02: everyone can go,
28:36
SPEAKER_02: you know,
28:37
SPEAKER_02: it's a sort of form of mover blocker,
28:38
SPEAKER_02: which is a little bit more intricate.
28:40
SPEAKER_02: Everyone can go,
28:41
SPEAKER_02: you know,
28:41
SPEAKER_02: four round one with a,
28:43
SPEAKER_02: you know,
28:43
SPEAKER_02: with random ball screens from the five,
28:45
SPEAKER_02: but that's not real motion.
28:47
SPEAKER_02: Real motion is what Coach Knight did.
28:48
SPEAKER_02: Real motion is what Jim Cruz did.
28:50
Real motion is really,
28:52
really hard and you need to be very patient to teach.
28:55
SPEAKER_02: You know,
28:55
SPEAKER_02: John,
28:56
SPEAKER_02: they did a lot of the other day,
28:58
SPEAKER_02: two and two,
28:58
SPEAKER_02: three and three,
28:59
SPEAKER_02: four and four,
29:00
SPEAKER_02: five and five.
29:01
SPEAKER_02: building up to it.
29:02
SPEAKER_02: Like,
29:02
SPEAKER_02: you know,
29:02
SPEAKER_02: they just spent a lot of time in just doing two screening,
29:05
SPEAKER_02: wide pin downs,
29:06
SPEAKER_02: reading the wide pin down,
29:07
SPEAKER_02: you know,
29:07
SPEAKER_02: boom,
29:08
SPEAKER_02: versatile,
29:08
SPEAKER_02: wait on it,
29:09
SPEAKER_02: go get the guy,
29:10
SPEAKER_02: boom.
29:11
SPEAKER_02: You know,
29:11
SPEAKER_02: it's going to be a wider pin down,
29:12
SPEAKER_02: you got to bring the screener a little tighter,
29:14
SPEAKER_02: because if not,
29:15
SPEAKER_02: the guy's just going to go both sides.
29:17
SPEAKER_02: You know, so I mean, I think teaching guys how to read and set screens.
29:21
SPEAKER_02: You know, everyone wants a ghost.
29:23
SPEAKER_02: You know, that was just a slip.
29:24
SPEAKER_02: Ghost is a slip.
29:25
SPEAKER_02: I mean, we have all these new great names.
29:28
SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, Spain action's a ball screen back screen.
29:30
SPEAKER_02: Well,
29:31
SPEAKER_02: you know,
29:31
SPEAKER_02: so that means that Dean Smith ran Spain action out of the break,
29:36
SPEAKER_02: you know,
29:36
SPEAKER_02: because he would drag.
29:37
Well,
29:37
if he dragged and ran and got there,
29:38
boom,
29:39
it was going to be ball screen back screen.
29:40
SPEAKER_02: In the old days,
29:42
SPEAKER_02: there was a lot of high one four stuff that,
29:45
SPEAKER_02: oh my goodness,
29:46
SPEAKER_02: at Oregon State,
29:47
SPEAKER_02: Ralph Miller ran.
29:49
SPEAKER_02: And one of the actions out of the high one four was hit,
29:53
SPEAKER_02: follow,
29:54
SPEAKER_02: pin down,
29:55
SPEAKER_02: dribble handoff to wide pin on the other side.
29:57
SPEAKER_02: But that's Zubash now.
29:59
And it's good because it's easy to identify things,
30:01
whether it's,
30:01
you know,
30:02
and that's great.
30:04
SPEAKER_02: And there are some things that have changed the game to some extent.
30:07
SPEAKER_02: But I think, well, how are you going to be a good flow concept team
30:14
SPEAKER_02: First, you've got to be able to spacing, cutting, passing, screening.
30:19
SPEAKER_02: All right.
30:20
SPEAKER_02: And then, all right, so now you've got to read the screen.
30:22
SPEAKER_02: All right.
30:22
SPEAKER_02: So now you do it.
30:24
SPEAKER_02: All right.
30:24
SPEAKER_02: On the pass, it goes away.
30:25
SPEAKER_02: You know, is he going to bring the ball to the action?
30:28
SPEAKER_02: Or is he,
30:28
SPEAKER_02: you know,
30:29
SPEAKER_02: if the guy back cuts and he replaces,
30:31
SPEAKER_02: you know,
30:31
SPEAKER_02: is the cutter getting through?
30:32
SPEAKER_02: I think teaching it progressively is a really good way to teach it.
30:40
SPEAKER_02: You know, Dan does it.
30:43
starts with five on oh you know after he does some breakdown
30:46
stuff and he'll call
30:48
SPEAKER_02: out based on drive which means basically let's get to the 45 middle drive
30:54
SPEAKER_02: He'll throw a grenade to boom.
30:57
SPEAKER_02: And they got to, whatever they're doing, they got to get to those places.
31:02
SPEAKER_02: And their offense is just a work of art.
31:05
SPEAKER_02: I mean, but it's really, really hard.
31:07
SPEAKER_02: And early on,
31:08
SPEAKER_02: even with this team,
31:09
SPEAKER_02: and there's a lot of new pieces,
31:11
SPEAKER_02: you know,
31:11
SPEAKER_02: the spacing isn't right.
31:12
SPEAKER_02: The cutting isn't as hard.
31:14
SPEAKER_02: Guys aren't waiting, you know, for things.
31:16
SPEAKER_02: Guys aren't, you know, you can turn into a jump shooting team.
31:20
SPEAKER_02: By doing that,
31:21
SPEAKER_02: as opposed to you still got to get pressure at the rim,
31:24
whether it's a cut to a post up or whether it's a pin down to a
31:29
shape up or whether
31:29
SPEAKER_02: it's a paint touch,
31:31
SPEAKER_02: you still got to get pressure in the paint.
31:33
You still got to put pressure on defense or you become a
31:35
three-point shooting team
31:37
SPEAKER_02: with not a great opportunity to offensive rebound.
31:39
SPEAKER_02: because you haven't put the defense at a disadvantage.
31:42
SPEAKER_02: So, but I, what John's done is really good.
31:46
You know,
31:47
Nate,
31:47
well,
31:48
I'll see probably actually,
31:50
I won't see the practice the last two years.
31:53
SPEAKER_02: They do a lot of teaching four and four and five and five.
31:56
SPEAKER_02: And he's a really good, you know, he's a really good,
31:59
SPEAKER_02: their film sessions are really, really good.
32:02
SPEAKER_02: Like they go early in the morning.
32:03
So if you get there early,
32:05
you can sit back in the room and see their film sessions.
32:09
SPEAKER_02: And it's really interesting to watch because he'll like,
32:12
SPEAKER_02: I remember LeBaron Filon,
32:13
he missed a shot or two and then he passed up a good shot off a
32:18
good second
32:19
SPEAKER_02: penetration where they got a second pain touch and kick out.
32:22
SPEAKER_02: And he goes, like, you have to shoot that.
32:26
SPEAKER_02: You have to shoot that.
32:27
SPEAKER_02: That's a shot you have to shoot.
32:29
SPEAKER_02: There's a great accountability of playing the way they want to play.
32:32
SPEAKER_02: And they're great, obviously, in specials and under and sides.
32:36
Ryan's really good at his stuff that he brought there from the
32:39
NBA stuff is really,
32:40
SPEAKER_02: really good.
32:41
SPEAKER_01: I saw Duke practice their first practice of the season.
32:44
SPEAKER_01: I was working up there at the camp this summer.
32:46
SPEAKER_01: And they,
32:46
SPEAKER_01: from the very beginning,
32:48
were creating even shooting drills that had decision-making in
32:52
it and was repping
32:54
the actions in the offense probably to the point where the guys
32:58
didn't necessarily
32:59
SPEAKER_01: know that they were learning the offense.
33:02
SPEAKER_01: But from day one, they were doing it.
33:04
SPEAKER_02: John was big,
33:05
SPEAKER_02: and I visited with him for about an hour before practice,
33:08
SPEAKER_02: and he was really,
33:09
SPEAKER_02: really big on getting guys to,
33:12
SPEAKER_02: like he said,
33:13
SPEAKER_02: Coach,
33:13
SPEAKER_02: today's practice is going to be really ugly.
33:16
SPEAKER_02: Coach,
33:16
SPEAKER_02: we're going to go 3-3,
33:18
SPEAKER_02: 4-4,
33:18
SPEAKER_02: 5-5 live,
33:19
SPEAKER_02: and,
33:19
SPEAKER_02: you know,
33:20
SPEAKER_02: and the ball's going to go all over the place.
33:23
SPEAKER_02: He was right.
33:24
SPEAKER_02: But he says,
33:25
SPEAKER_02: and he's right,
33:26
SPEAKER_02: Herm Edwards used to tell me this when,
33:29
SPEAKER_02: Herm's wife worked at South Florida,
33:30
SPEAKER_02: and I was in South Florida,
33:31
SPEAKER_02: so
33:32
SPEAKER_02: We were around him a bunch, and then obviously with ESPN.
33:35
SPEAKER_02: And Herb said, you know, the best players cite things early.
33:42
SPEAKER_02: What made Tom Brady so good?
33:43
SPEAKER_02: He could sit underneath their look.
33:45
He could see not only what you were doing defensively,
33:48
but what you were going to do by.
33:51
SPEAKER_02: So he was a second or two ahead of people in terms of citing.
33:56
SPEAKER_02: The great D-backs cite the best basketball players.
34:00
SPEAKER_02: They process things differently.
34:03
SPEAKER_02: Magic Johnson processed things, saw plays before they happened.
34:07
The great passing guards,
34:08
the great cutting players,
34:11
they see things before they happen.
34:13
SPEAKER_02: But to learn that, it's a growing pains.
34:16
SPEAKER_02: And John was very honest about how they were going about teaching it.
34:20
SPEAKER_02: And then even their post-practice stuff,
34:22
SPEAKER_02: that they do during the season.
34:24
SPEAKER_02: They do a lot of stuff,
34:25
and they were really good at that little pin down and slip last
34:29
year with Knieplin
34:32
SPEAKER_02: and Cooper,
34:32
SPEAKER_02: and they were really,
34:34
SPEAKER_02: really good in that,
34:34
and they were also really good in that two-man game to short
34:37
roll on the switch to
34:40
get either of those guys in a short roll where they then played
34:43
out of the short
34:44
SPEAKER_02: roll and attacked the big and got threes.
34:47
SPEAKER_02: But that's all repetition.
34:49
But it takes time to cite that and see that and make that play
34:53
on instinct as you
34:54
SPEAKER_02: see the defense move.
34:56
SPEAKER_02: And it also takes a while for these guys,
34:58
SPEAKER_02: again,
34:59
SPEAKER_02: a lot of young players,
35:00
SPEAKER_02: reading the tag,
35:02
SPEAKER_02: reading the rotation,
35:03
SPEAKER_02: reading when there isn't a tag,
35:04
SPEAKER_02: reading when there's a lob,
35:05
SPEAKER_02: you know,
35:06
SPEAKER_02: knowing who to cite.
35:08
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm coming here, all right, there's a hard dive, right?
35:12
SPEAKER_02: Where's the rotation, all right?
35:13
SPEAKER_02: As the weak side guy got caught, boom, that thing's got to go.
35:17
SPEAKER_02: Or if we're an open side,
35:19
SPEAKER_02: they're coming in and out,
35:20
SPEAKER_02: and they're maybe going to X out from the other big.
35:23
SPEAKER_02: Where's the cut coming from?
35:24
SPEAKER_02: Where's the open area?
35:25
SPEAKER_02: So there's a lot to it, but John's really, really good.
35:29
SPEAKER_02: I'll tell you, his poise is phenomenal.
35:33
Transitioning from Coach K and having worked for Coach K,
35:39
but this is John Shire's program.
35:41
And he's running this program in his image and how he feels
35:46
it's in the best
35:47
SPEAKER_02: interest of his personality.
35:49
SPEAKER_02: And he can be demanding and,
35:50
SPEAKER_02: you know,
35:51
SPEAKER_02: he can be,
35:52
SPEAKER_02: but he is himself really,
35:54
SPEAKER_02: really impressed with that.
35:55
Just like Dan Hurling's himself or Tom Izzo's himself or John
35:58
Calipari's himself or
36:00
SPEAKER_02: Chaka Smartis himself or,
36:02
SPEAKER_02: you know,
36:03
SPEAKER_02: whomever it might be.
36:05
There are a lot of really good coaches out there,
36:07
and they're doing a really good job.
36:09
SPEAKER_02: I would think the one thing is it's really hard to win.
36:13
SPEAKER_02: It's hard to win.
36:13
I don't care what level,
36:14
your level,
36:15
college level,
36:16
it's hard to win a game.
36:18
It is because the other guys got 13 guys or 14 guys or 15 guys
36:21
on scholarship.
36:22
SPEAKER_02: They're practicing every day.
36:23
SPEAKER_02: They decide on what to give them, what to take away.
36:25
SPEAKER_02: They're developing an identity.
36:27
SPEAKER_02: They're trying to oppose their identity on their opponent.
36:29
SPEAKER_02: They're trying to be physical, be tough, or be whatever.
36:33
SPEAKER_02: It's hard to win.
36:35
And I'll tell you the other thing is it's also hard to win
36:39
after you lose.
36:40
SPEAKER_02: That's the,
36:41
SPEAKER_02: you know,
36:42
SPEAKER_02: like we always say as,
36:43
SPEAKER_02: and this is where I was really bad as a young head coach,
36:46
SPEAKER_02: my first year at Long Beach state,
36:48
we always teach our players have the next player play mentality
36:51
as coaches,
36:52
SPEAKER_02: we got to have the next play mentality.
36:54
SPEAKER_03: Hmm.
36:55
SPEAKER_02: So we're like,
36:56
SPEAKER_02: you can't,
36:56
SPEAKER_02: by the time you come back into that practice,
36:58
SPEAKER_02: you can't be so,
36:59
SPEAKER_02: like I beat myself up so much watching the film,
37:02
SPEAKER_02: watching the film,
37:03
SPEAKER_02: notes,
37:03
SPEAKER_02: this meeting,
37:04
SPEAKER_02: this,
37:04
SPEAKER_02: this,
37:04
SPEAKER_02: this,
37:04
SPEAKER_02: this,
37:05
SPEAKER_02: this,
37:05
SPEAKER_02: this.
37:06
By the time I got to practice,
37:08
I wasn't the best version of myself in first year as head
37:10
coach.
37:10
You know,
37:11
you've got to understand that you're asking your players to get
37:14
to the next play.
37:15
SPEAKER_02: You've got to the next play.
37:16
SPEAKER_02: You've got to get to the next play.
37:18
SPEAKER_02: And teaching, you can't, you got to get in, you got to get out.
37:22
SPEAKER_02: Chris Beard, if you ever get a chance to watch his practices.
37:24
SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm.
37:24
great teacher and he has the ability to teach,
37:28
get out and then get back into the practice.
37:31
SPEAKER_02: Now he'll watch 18,000 hours of film or watch every single play,
37:34
SPEAKER_02: but,
37:35
SPEAKER_02: but,
37:36
SPEAKER_02: but he's a terrific teacher and he's very,
37:39
SPEAKER_02: and their film sessions are right at a point.
37:42
SPEAKER_02: Really, really good.
37:43
The single biggest piece of advice that you would give to any
37:48
basketball coach from
37:49
SPEAKER_01: high school to college in navigating this current climate,
37:53
SPEAKER_01: what would it be?
37:54
SPEAKER_02: Be comfortable in your own skin.
37:55
SPEAKER_02: Be true to your convictions and your core beliefs and non-negotiables.
37:58
SPEAKER_02: And yeah,
37:59
SPEAKER_02: as a coach,
37:59
SPEAKER_02: you have to have agility coaching your team,
38:01
SPEAKER_02: depending on injuries and things like that.
38:03
SPEAKER_02: But I think the most important thing is don't spend an ounce of energy.
38:08
SPEAKER_02: If you're gonna coach, and that's what you saw, you wanna coach.
38:11
Don't spend an ounce of energy complaining about the state of
38:14
college basketball or
38:15
SPEAKER_02: the state of whatever.
38:16
SPEAKER_02: Pour yourself into your team.
38:18
SPEAKER_02: Pour yourself into your team.
38:20
SPEAKER_02: Don't moan, don't complain.
38:22
SPEAKER_02: You know,
38:23
SPEAKER_02: it's like John Wooden's three,
38:25
SPEAKER_02: you know,
38:25
SPEAKER_02: don't lie,
38:26
SPEAKER_02: don't complain,
38:26
SPEAKER_02: don't make excuses.
38:28
SPEAKER_02: Like, if this is what you're going to do, pour yourself into it.
38:32
SPEAKER_02: This is what you're going to do.
38:33
You can't spend all your time complaining and moaning and
38:36
gripping about it.
38:37
SPEAKER_02: If not, then do something else.
38:39
SPEAKER_02: Because if you're doing all those things, who else is doing those things?
38:43
SPEAKER_02: Team.
38:44
SPEAKER_02: Because they read you.
38:45
If you're a good coach and you have a connection with the
38:47
players,
38:48
they're reading your words.
38:49
SPEAKER_02: I'll tell you the other thing they're reading, and this is important.
38:51
SPEAKER_02: They're reading your body language.
38:53
SPEAKER_02: Because if your words don't match your body,
38:55
SPEAKER_02: your body language doesn't match your words,
38:57
SPEAKER_02: they're thinking you're full of shit.
38:59
SPEAKER_02: They're not buying it.
39:01
And I probably just think the other,
39:02
just two things,
39:04
big things I believe in.
39:05
SPEAKER_02: Your investment equals your expectation.
39:08
SPEAKER_02: That's as important as anything else.
39:12
SPEAKER_02: Your investment equals your expectation for your players,
39:15
SPEAKER_02: for your program,
39:17
SPEAKER_02: for your administration.