I was recently asked what I would do differently this time around if I were to coach again.
After a greal deal of reflection and consideration, here is what I came up with:
- My overall philosophy would be summarized by two words on each side of the ball:
- Offense: “Simplicity and Execution”
- Defense: ‘Surprise and Change”
- I would use “Yankee” as my early offense in an effort to make sure my two best players touched the ball almost every time down the floor. I will be explaining “Yankee” in detail in my next blog post.
- I would use “2-Game” as my primary offense. The spacing it teaches gives you the purest form of simplicity and execution. I willl be covering “2-Game” in a blog post in the near future as well.
I would use Peer Pressure Drills (example to right) as a staple in practices. They cover nearly all phases of the game with emphasis on consistent execution. I found these drills to be the most effective teaching method I used throughout my career.
- I would create a Self Improvement Clinic and invite a small group of coaches with a wide variety of backgrounds to regularly share knowledge and wisdom.
- I would have three team rules:
- Don’t be late.
- Don’t do anything to embarass yourself or the team.
- Work hard.
- I would incorporate what I call the “Perfect Two Hour Practice” every day. This starts with a series of Peer Pressure drills. We would always finish with a scrimmage. The length of the scrimmage depends on how long it takes the team to complete the Peer Pressure drills. Since the players love the scrimmage piece the most, it serves as motivation for them to focus on doing the Peer Pressure drills correctly early in practice.
- I would rank players weekly on their Aggression Levels. Defining aggression is a key factor in building team toughness.
- I would employ the “Surprise and Change” philosophy on defense.
Many of these items are things I was doing by the end of my career, and represent what I found worked best over a long career in coaching. Of course, there are several things I would do much differently as well. To name a few:
- I would put more effort into raising my family.
- I would not change jobs as much. Finding a home at a school would improve stability for the program and my family.
- I would do a better job of putting money away for the future.
- I would write more often. Putting thoughts and wisdom down on paper to share with future generations is something I regret not doing more of.
- I would use the tools offered by Fast Model Sports to build my playbooks, drill manuals, handouts, scouting reports, and practice plans.
- I would run camps for officials and student/athletes and give all of the the profits to my assistants and office staff.
- I would participate in Yoga classes twice a week with my team and staff.
- I would make sure I did the three “T’s” every day with my players: Touch, Talk, and Time. Building relationships that last is the most important thing we do as coaches.
I have no immediate plans to return to the game of basketball, but some of you reading this out there may be contemplating a return after stepping away from the game for awhile. Here is an excerpt from an interview with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jerry West, discussing his decision to return to the game in the front office of the Golden State Warriors:
I hope you can find something in this post that will help you no matter what stage of your career you are in. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to comment below.
Colson's Corner 