The Eternal Quest for My Philosphy

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aggression level, Execution, peer pressure, philosophy, Simplicity

THE ANSWER: Simplicity and Certainty

I truly believe you have to have a sound, well-tested philosophy regarding your profession.

My dream profession, since my youth, has always been in coaching. It was my choice all the way, even though I was tempted elsewhere by my parents and my brother, but getting my Masters Degree at Vanderbilt opened up so many doors in the coaching profession.  I have never looked back and have absolutely no regrets.

What was the toughest part of coaching?  Finding a sound, lasting, fun, exciting philosophy that covers all aspects of the game.  I am convinced I found it.

Now, let me make this very clear, I do know “there is more than one way to skin a cat.”

I do know there is nothing more important than having “good players’, but number 2 is a solid philosophy.

A few years ago we finally put it all together and came up with two defining words – Simplicity and Certainty.

What I am about to tell you is so simple, and I know for sure that it will certainly work.  Please have an open mind as I continue, and I am always open to debate on any level of my findings.

Where did we get this philosophy?  From the very best people around the world, and we have tweaked their thoughts  somewhat and feel we have taken it to another level.  I won’t mention all the great people that have shared their wisdom and experiences with us because there are just too many wonderful people to name them all. Someone once said that you should “hunger and thirst for knowledge,” and we have done just that.  Hours, days, months, and years of research and development.

The number one mechanism we adhere to without a doubt is:

PEER PRESSURE DRILLS

To summarize somewhat, we will say we are talking about 6 basic drills with a  number of 20 or more in a row made before advancing on to the next drill. We added a very aggressive Rebound drill, a five-in-a-row individual Free Throw shooting drill with 5 minutes on the clock to round them out. That’s it…everyday!!!

Note: Coach Kelly Graves (Gonzaga) told me he thought they had the “best passing team in America” and when I asked why he said, “We do peer pressure drills everyday”

Here are the fundamentals covered in the peer pressure drills:

1. Mental – We have found nothing builds “mental toughness” like Peer Pressure. This is most important.
2. Passing – If you are a good passing team your team is unselfish.
3. Dribbling – spin moves, behind the back, between the legs, jump stops.
4. Rebounding – the key to aggression and finishing defensive stops.
5. Conditioning – Usually 45 to 60 minutes of hard running.
6. Catching and shooting at game speed.
7. Free Throws under pressure to make 5 in a row with in a 5 min allotment.

We found a lot of coaches won’t take the time to do it right, or back off of the magic number for the day – never back off! Build mental toughness.

I once asked Coach Ralph Miller at Oregon State what they did if they didn’t get the number done and he said,”Gary we don’t have anywhere to go do we?”

My observation of Peer Pressure Drills is that the drills become the bad guys. It’s all up to them as a team.  The first time we did this drill at New Mexico it took 25 minutes to just do 20 layups in a row on the right side.  They became very upset, but it pushed them to focus and execute.

The best advice I can give to coaches is to spend the time developing a philosophy that you will enjoy and can share with others. Peer pressure drills have been the vehicle by which we have been able to share our philosophy of Simplicity and Certainty.

 

Lobo Star Program

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Bill Foster, New Mexico, star program

We used this program at New Mexico after borrowing it from Bill Foster, who was at Virginia Tech, Miami, and Clemson.  We also got some of our ideas from the football people.  You remember how the football people used to put stars on their helmets when they wanted to glorify a kid that made a lot of tackles in a game, etc.?  We personally think this is one of the best things we do to help motivate our players on the peer level.  Some football people give gold, blue, or whatever color stars to any player who sacks the quarterback or makes so many tackles.  In basketball, we also give stars which are put on their personal lockers and also posted on the star board which was outside our office.  Here are the ways a player can earn stars:

1. If a player can attain a certain GPA that was set as a goal by himself and the coach, predicated on past performance and present class load. (Note:  I think a player will not be just going to school every day, but he will be shooting for an overall goal, such as a 2.5 or a 3.6, whatever it may be.  At University of New Mexico, we publish the GPA of the team, not the individual, in the school paper.  If a player can attain his goal, he receives three stars per semester.)
2. We run the mile as part of our pre-season program.  We contract with each player a certain goal.  If he reached the mark set, he receives a star.
3. During any game or full scrimmage, if a player does any of the following, he receives a star:
   • Takes two charges.
   • Three recoveries, deflections, steal, etc.  equals one star.
   • Five assists equal two stars.
   • Ten rebounds equals three stars.
   • Fifty percent field goal made (minimum five shots) equals one star.
   • Seventy-five percent free throws made (minimum three shots) equals one star.
4. Perfect attendance in classes over a semester equals three stars.
5. Any super effort in practice or a game by an individual chosen by the coaches equals a star.
6. “18 in a minute” with 25 lb. weighted vest on.  Run the width of the basketball court touching each sideline with a total of 18 trips in a minute.  We also ask our players to dive across the last line.  This effort equals a star.
7. Chosen as player of the week for effort and hustle earns a star.

In summary, let me say that I, as a coach, will notice if Johnny Doe has 20 stars at midseason and Bill Long, who is starting ahead of him, has only 8 stars.  I might just re-evaluate the playing time from just looking at the star board.

We also give a very nice plaque to any team member who acquires 35 stars during the season.  We also give only three trophies away at our banquet.  All of the trophies are over 4 feet high.  One is for the best defensive player, one is for the best rebounder, and the last, but not least, is for the individual who has achieved the most stars in a year.  Note:  Most stars usually equals to the MVP.

Dedication to a Purpose

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John Trimnell, self-improvement, Valdosta State University

What price have you paid in order to improve yourself?

John Trimnell from Columbus, Indiana came to me in the spring just before going home for the summer, and wanted to know who he had to beat out the following year.

I told John, who was 6’2, 215 that he would have to beat out our 6’10 center, and that he had to outrebound him in order to win the position. John went home and bought himself some ankle weights.

John worked in the hay fields twelve hours a day for three months. Each day he wore the ankle weights in the field, came home after twelve hours of work, ate supper, went to the gym for two hours of practice, came home, took off the ankle weights and went to bed. He repeated this every day for three months.

John Trimnell became the reason that Valdosta State University went to the national tournament three years in a row.

Again I ask what have you paid to improve yourself?

Peer Pressure Free Throws

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aggression level, drills, free throws, peer pressure

After about one hour of hard Peer Pressure Drills, when the team is in a lather of sweat and breathing hard we put 5 minutes on the scoreboard clock.

Managers bring out a table with several different refreshing cold drinks such as Gatorade and cold soft drinks plus room temperature water. We set this up at half court.

We ask our players to MAKE 5 free throws in a row shooting 2 at a time and rotating.  We have 15 players and use only three baskets.  We turn on the scoreboard clock and if you make 5 in a row you get your choice of refreshment. If you don’t make the five in a row, you only get water.

When the buzzer goes off after 5 minutes have run off we go into our next Peer Pressure Drill which has to do with Rebounding and it is very demanding and tests their aggressiveness.

About 30 minutes later we will repeat the 5 minute Peer Pressure Free Throw drill.

A few minutes later we put 3 minutes on the board and they have to make 2 in a row to get a Gatorade or soft drink.

I have found some coaches say go shoot 20 free throws or make 10 free throws.  There is no accountability.  There is no reward or punishment, which leads to no concentration.  Our way teaches players to FOCUS on the task.

Make 5 in a row.

There is a correlation between making free throws and personal accountability every day, three times per practice.  There is also subtle peer pressure to keep up with teammates who are taking part in the reward with a cold beverage.

Our team has always shot well from the free throw line and I believe that those two 5-minute peer pressure drills teach them to shoot free throws under game-like situations.  They have to focus on each shot in order to get a reward.

 

Ralph Miller: Coach of Coaches

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2-Game, drills, Execution, Layups, New Mexico, peer pressure, philosophy, Simplicity, switching defense

Coach Ralph Miller

I would like to offer a short tribute to one of the best coaches ever to grace a sideline in college basketball, Coach Ralph Miller.

The late Coach Miller coached at Wichita State, University of Iowa and Oregon State University. Coach Miller gave the PAC-10 and Coach John Wooden (UCLA) fits while at OSU with lesser talent.

My research indicates that Coach Miller originated: 1) The 2-game offense (simplicity and execution), 2) Peer Pressure drills, and 3) Defense that was built on the principle of “surprise and change”.

Our staff at the University of New Mexico spent endless hours with Coach Miller and his staff, picking their brain regarding their system. Then, in 1980, we met an outstanding young high school coach by the name of Paul Halupa who played at the University of Oregon under the great Dick Harter. While playing at Oregon he began to study Coach Miller at their rival, Oregon State. Paul was a genius in his own right and there were people who felt that he came to know Ralph’s system better than Ralph himself!

Paul was invited to come to Albuquerque and spend time with our staff and our team, and he convinced us to adopt the “Miller Philosphy”. Paul was a wonderful teacher and put us on the path to another level of basketball. He helped us install the Peer Pressure Drills, as well as all the concepts of the 2-Game and the Defensive System.

The first time we did Peer Pressure Lay-ups it took us 25 minutes to make 20 in a row. Talk about peer pressure! It was wonderful to watch the interaction of the players because the drill became the bad guy and the coaching staff just encouraged and learned about each player. We never ran a peer pressure drill without a golden number of less than 20 in a row done correctly. It was a small miracle in my mind because we needed something to put the responsibility back on the players to govern.

Thank you Paul Halupa, the OSU coaching staff, and especially Coach Ralph Miller. You helped take the Lobos to another level.

Here is a great video of Coach Miller’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech:

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A Diamond in the Rough

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Australia, Brian Goorjian, Ed Goorjian, Olympic Basketball, second chances, West Coast Conference

Coaches, do not get discouraged. Everyone has problems.

I once heard a story about how they mined diamonds in South Africa. It seems they moved tons and tons of rock in order to find a diamond no bigger than my fingernail. The moral of story is that, even though we as teachers/coaches of these young people might get discouraged after having one problem player after another. If we just keep working with them, hopefully eventually they will become mature. And one day we may also find our “diamond in the rough”.

Years ago at Pepperdine University I had a young freshman by the name of Brian Goorjian. He was a good person but he was so immature that everything he did drove me and my staff crazy. After repeated incidents of irresponsibility, including trashing the Volkswagen that his dad gave him by letting everbody on campus use his car in an effort to be “everything to everybody”, I kicked him off the team. I called him in and said he could keep his scholarship and go to school but he was not ever allowed to come in the gym again.

Shooting: Simplicity in Motion

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drills, Execution, philosophy, Shooting, Simplicity, summer basketball

Here are some of my thoughts on teaching/learning to shoot the basketball. Remember to keep it simple and get lots of quality REPETITION!

FLIGHT OF THE BALL

1. Must have back spin (back spin is softer)
2. Ball in flight must have a “RAINBOW” look. I never saw a flat rainbow
3. “Capture the mind and the body will follow” You must believe!
4. FOCUS. According to the “Inner game” books by Tim Gallaway you must TRUST your body. One goal only.
5. POSE, “Hold your pose” until the ball hits the rim or net. Arm straight up with “goose” like wrist.

How to Make the Top 8 Next Season

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aggression level, conditioning, jump rope, nutrition, offseason, pickup games, summer basketball, weight training

We handed this out to our players at the end of each season to make our expectations clear.

The level you are able to contribute at next season is largely up to you and will depend on your work ethic this offseason.

How to Make the Top 8

1. Make 100 from your spot 5 to 6 times per week.
2. Lift weights 3 times per week.
3. Play vs good competition 2 to 3 times per week.
4. Play pick-up ball as much as you can.

The Locker Room and the Leaders

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leadership, locker room, philosophy

There is an old saying that:

“Coaches want to win all of their games, but THE PLAYERS IN THE LOCKER ROOM decide who they want to beat.”

My theory in regards to winning and losing:

1. If you don’t have any leaders, you (the coach) becomes the leader and it is 50/50 whether it will work.
2. If you have one strong leader on your team, you will win the games that you are supposed to win.
3. If you have two strong leaders, you will upset some teams maybe you should not beat.
4. If you have three strong leaders on your team, you will be very successful and will go far into postseason play.

NOTE: I have always felt on the college level you should make sure your 9th through 15th players are loyal, and not locker room lawyers.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A LEADER

Be an 'Assist' Leader

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assists, communication, leaders, NBA, Phoenix, Steve Nash, Suns

We all know that this is the time of a season when big things make a difference. But we shouldn’t forget that small things make a difference as well; and that they are easier to implement, and can affect us all. They can lead to improved communication, enhanced cooperation, and better results. I would like to draw on an analogy from athletics to illustrate my point.

Many of us know who the top scorers are, how many touchdowns, baskets, or service aces were made. But we generally aren’t aware of what help or assistance made these scores possible. In basketball, this help is termed as an “assist“; and way down on the list of statistics is a ranking of players by the number of assists they made during the game or season.nd can affect us all. They can lead to improved communication, enhanced cooperation, and better results. I would like to draw on an analogy from athletics to illustrate my point.