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2011 Basketball Coaches Clinic Notes Volume 2 Mergedfiles

The document discusses strategies used by the Houston Rockets in their game against the Brooklyn Nets, noting how they targeted Travis Outlaw on defense and ran many of their offensive sets through Chase Budinger. It also describes a triple screen set run by the Rockets that puts the defense in a difficult position and is likely effective at multiple levels of basketball. Lastly, it provides an overview of 1-3-1 zone basics and drills to work on rotations and defending screens within that zone defense.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

364 views1,321 pages

2011 Basketball Coaches Clinic Notes Volume 2 Mergedfiles

Uploaded by

abilodeau

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 1321

Rockets-Nets notes 3/29

Emphasis: Rockets O

Coaches –

I’ve attached a couple sets from the Rockets-Nets game I recorded Tuesday night to breakdown. The
first is an excellent misdirection set out of a 2-3 high alignment and the second is a triple screen out of a
“Horns” alignment that has two secondary options, one being a clever action I will discuss more in a
second.

Quick thoughts on the game that may help….

It was clear that Rockets’ coach Rick Adelman (and the assistant with the scout) put a target on gangly
Travis Outlaw’s back in his pre-game preparation. Outlaw was assigned to Rocket’s three-man Chase
Budinger for much of the game and spent much of the first half going through a multitude screening
actions on the defensive end. Budinger’s strength as a catch and shoot player who excels moving
without the ball was an awful mismatch for the ungraceful Outlaw. So despite having a red-hot Kyle
Lowry, a scoring post presence in Luis Scola, and an offensive juggernaut in Kevin Martin, much of the
offensive emphasis ran through Budinger early on.

While Budinger’s game line was rather unimpressive (4-11, 10pts) he missed a few open looks, passed
up a few he should have taken, and garnered 3asts in game that was over by the end of the third
quarter. Other beneficiaries of this strategy would be Patrick Patterson (13pts, two assisted baskets
from Budinger) as well as Chuck Hayes and Jordan Hill (combined 12 offensive rebounds a few came as a
direct result of crashing the glass while their defenders helped out on Budinger’s cut).

Another team concept that caught my attention wasn’t so much something that was plainly evident, but
more the absence of something. In an NBA game where ball screens are used somewhere in the
neighborhood of 70% of all offensive possessions, the Rockets had three possessions in the first half
(according to my unofficial count) in which they used them. Two of which, came when point guard
Goran Dragic (formerly of the ball screen heavy Phoenix Suns) entered the game for starter Kyle Lowry.
Those two most likely are a result of Adelman wanting to help put Dragic in comfortable spots given he
was a mid-season acquisition.

The Rockets currently rank 6th in offensive efficiency despite not having multiple, dominate
isolation/post players or a heavy use of ball screens.

One final note: The triple screen (“Red 3”) that I’ve attached has an action that I think is quite hard to
defend at the NBA level and could perhaps be used at all levels depend on skill sets and basketball IQ.
After the initial action has left the 1 and 4 on the weak side, the 4 moves to screen down for the 1 who
comes off in a curl or straight cut to receive the ball from the 3 at or near the right wing.

With the vast majority of the teams at the college level (and most at the NBA level I’m sure) requiring
their defenders to trail on screens, this puts the opposing defense in a tough spot (especially X4, the 4’s
defender). With X1 trailing the 1 through the screen, X4 must offer curl protection toward the midline of
the court. With the 4 simply pivoting and re-screening for the step-up ball screen, X4 is now unable to
hedge or even soft contain with any effectiveness. With a rolling 4 man, the defense is probably in least
vulnerable spot as X4 will most likely stay high (assuming the 5 on the left block roll-replaces) and X5
looking to try and both contain the 1’s unimpeded drive to the basket and the 4’s roll as shown below:

However, what made this action particularly tough to defend is Patrick Patterson’s ability to shoot
effectively from 18-20ft. In the Houston game, Patterson screens X1 then pops high. Now the defense is
in a real scramble mode. If X4 is unable to recover from his curl protection to cut off the 1’s drive, X5
must slide over and X2 must come down to cover the 5 on the left block. Lobs and rebound put-backs
are now a huge concern for the defense.

If X4 can recover, the Rockets ability to space the floor with deadly 3pt shooting wings (Courtney Lee –
43%, Kevin Martin – 39%, Chase Budinger – 35%) still causes major problems for the defense. If the 1’s
penetration is stopped by X4, the ball will most likely be kicked out to the popping 4 man…and now
comes decision time for X2 and X3.

With good ball movement, the defense will most

likely end up surroundering one of the following:

A) – A wide open 20ft jumper to Patrick

Patterson (No long 2%...sorry)
B) A wide open 3pt shot from Chase
Budinger (35%)
C) A wide open corner three from Courtney
Lee/Kevin Martin (43%/39%)

Not fun to be a defensive coach in this spot!

1-3-1 ZONE BASICS
5 RULES:
1. Stand in the correct stance (hands out and legs wide)
2. Watch the eyes of the passer (following the eyes will often lead you to the next pass)
3. Move when the ball is in the air (air time allows you the defender to be in the correct position/alignment)
4. Look for deflections from teammates (offense will look to make a pass overhead, get it tipped, and come right to you for a steal)
5. Hit the boards MAD (everyone crashes the boards like a “WILD MAN”, in our case “WOMAN”)

BASE ALIGNMENT(S):

EACH DEFENSIVE POSITION, IN THE 1-3-1, CAN GUARD MORE THAN ONE OPPONENT AT THE SAME TIME

X1 = is on the baseline (bottom) of the zone and main defense area are the corners of the court (FORCE MIDDLE FOR HELP)
-when ball is on either wing, X1 is one step from the lane and one step from the baseline, protecting the paint

X5 = is in the middle of the zone, covering whomever comes into the lane (FORCE MIDDLE FOR HELP)
-X5 always maintains a “between the ball and hoop” stance
-X5 will occasionally (rarely) offer help to X1 in a corner (if the shooter from the other team is there and X5 can get there 1ST

X4 = is on the top of the zone making it hard for a reversal pass of any kind (FORCE MIDDLE FOR HELP)
-X4 also makes sure to protect the elbows when the ball is on the wing and/or in the corner
-X4 stays in the lane line extended area, maintaining a position in passing lanes when no high post is a threat
-X4 needs to crash weakside rebounds when shot is put up from wings

X2 and X3 = have similar jobs and they are on the wings (FORCE MIDDLE FOR HELP) (in stance similar to X4 when on ball)
-when the ball is on their wing, they force to the middle--pinch w/#4 to keep out of middle (sometimes looking for a weak hand)
-while the opposite wing, in this scenario, is playing the opposite block area, not quite in the lane

-when the ball is in the corner, the wing assumes a stance making it difficult for ball reversal (denying the pass)
-wings opposite the corner scenario, offer weakside help in the post if necessary (closer on good posts, further towards the top
of the key when they read a possible weakness in the players, allowing for a quicker sprint to their wing side on a skip)

WINGS, WHEN ON THE WEAKSIDE, CRASH THE BOARDS VERY HARD---BOX OUT BIG TIME!!!

RULES OF THUMB: (for 1-3-1 defense)

1. Always four defenders on one side of the floor when the ball is on the wing
2. Closeout with hands high and quickly
3. Stay in your stance (don’t stand) and pressure the ball handler
4. Active hands and alert eyes
5. Communication with teammates
1-3-1 BREAKDOWN DRILLS
SHELL DRILL: (3 players on top of zone #2, #3, #4 run a shell drill 3 vs. 5)
--work on zone rotations
--wings always drop to opposite low block when the ball is on the other side of the floor or in the corner
( can cheat up to anticipate pass---comfort level or they can cheat over to help on a strong post player)

SHELL DRILL: (2players in the middle of the zone #1 and #5 run a shell drill 2 vs. 5)
--work on zone rotations
--bottom stays in until the pass goes to the corner

VS. AN OVERLOAD:
--work in a Shell Drill here (5 on 7) and work on rotations vs. an overload

5 VS. 7 DRILL:
-- work in a Shell Drill here (5 on 7) and work on rotations (vs. lobs, skips, reversal, etc…)
--try to get ball in specific areas to work on the specific rotations/reads

ROTATIONAL DRILLS:
Middle 3 rotations drill Wing rotation drill Bang the bottom drill

Pass to diagonal no shot Wings force to middle Bottom offense screens the defense
Pass from coach to corner, can shoot Coaches drive gap, make wings/top pinch Bottom screeners-hold, move,etc…

In each of these scenarios, make the players on defense react to the passes, drives, and shots during the drill---keep drilling until the players know the rotations…
1-3-1VS. SCREENS
AWAY FROM BALL (SCREENS):
--cheat thru the screen, anticipate it
--WATCH for diagonal pass when wing is screened, help with the middle person (#5) to fill the space

ON THE BALL (SCREENS):

--help on the screen thru a rotation and once thru the screen rotate back into position

ANY OF THESE SCENARIOS FORMS A “NATURAL” TRAP ON THE SIDES OR IN THE CORNERS!!!

TRAPS
HALF COURT TRAP SCENARIO: (RED)
--trap (sprinting) the corners near half court with #4 and (#2 or #3) vs. the wing/guard of the offensive team
--hands high and feet active
--#1 plays 2-3 steps off the lane/baseline
--#5 looks to dead front in the post or side front (ball side only)
--opposite wings (#2 or #3) plays centerfield and anticipates by watching the offenses eyes
--rotation as follows:

HALF COURT TRAP SCENARIO: (BLACK)

--trap (sprinting) the corners near the baseline with #1 and (#2 or #3) vs. the wing/guard of the offensive team
--hands high and feet active
--rotation as follows:
MIDDLE OPTION: watching the high post presence (dominate post—hurting us on offense)

X4–-drops back into the lane to watch the HIGH post (if hurting us in the post)
Defense will let the pass go from wing to wing (make them take an outside shot)
at which time the X4 defender can look (anticipate) to pick off the pass on reversal

SLOUGH: watching the medium post presence (dominate post---hurting us on offense)

X4—drops back into the medium post area and helps defend the post

SHADOW: vs. a STAR player (defense maintains a position in which they are one step closer to the STAR player)

X4---in this situation needs to shadow or be one step closer to the STAR player, it
may be someone else on defense that needs to take a step closer to the STAR player too
Blair Academy Coaches Clinic 6/21/11

Mike Dunlap St. John’s

• Don’t trust winning/ Find out about yourself when you lose
• Be who you are/ What do you believe in?
• Pete Newell- “Keep an open mind”
• Innovate within your system
• NBA- 9 ways to defend a pick & roll
• Assistant coaches want to change things prematurely

Sideline Pin
• Keep the ball on the sideline
• Push the ball baseline/ 2 on the ball

St. John’s Defensive Branding

• Ball pressure- make them uncomfortable
• Rotation without hesitation
• Rebounding

• You find out what your players learn when they talk to the media
• Mistakes happen on 3rd reversal pass
• Opinions must be supported with facts & #’s
• Get the ball to the sideline- “ 4 in the box”
• “Repetition leads to clarity”
• Watching more video leads to the game slowing down in your mind
• There is a 17% decline in shooting % on contested shots
• If you’re late on closeout, it’s okay to fly by a shooter
• Get “perfect” out of your coaching vocabulary
• Over coaching takes away from aggressiveness

Fronting Low Post

• They will settle for ¾ front
• Ass to knee caps
• Trap on drive
• Corner to top ball movement- get on top of offense

• Stunt- attack the dribble on help situations

• Run your head thru the ball

Rotations Situations
• Advantage/disadvantage drills- 5 vs 4/ 4 vs 3
• They keep their bigs under the rim & don’t rotate up in the back of their zone
Negatives of Zone
• Rebounding- How many on weakside?
• Larry Brown- cover boxes & elbows
• Box out your “spots”
• Pursue the ball- seek the collision
• Cover the 3 point line
• Transition Defense- closest man stops the ball

Pluses of Zone
• Team Mindset
• Disruption- What are you doing to disrupt your opponent? Practice
• Less actions run vs zones/ Allows you to work on your fundamentals in practice
• Protect your great players
• Fastbreak
• Practice time for your opponent is less

General Thoughts
• Elbow coverage is crucial
• Trap ball at elbow
• Guards are on a pulley system
• They do all M-M drills in practice
• Teach slowly
• Energy level as a teacher must be high/ Focus/Stay on point

4 on 5
• Must dribble ball across ½ court
• Once pass is made in ½ ct- no dribble
• Shoot it any time
• Work on shot selection
• Ball pressure
• Natural rotations
• Rebounding/ Run in transition

Drills & Random Thoughts

• Part/Whole or Whole/part teaching?
• John Chaney was a whole- very little parts
• NBA guys are whole
• Scrimmage early- provides evidence in what you see
• Must defend pick & rolls in zone
• “Devil is in the details”- what do you stand for?
• Hands/ Closeout with proper hand high
• Talk
• Jump to pass
• Spot rebounding

1-1-3
• Can be used as a secondary defense
• Would play 2-3 as secondary defense if you’re primarily a M-M coach
• It’s easier to be lazy in a 2-3 zone then a 1-1-3 zone

Deflection Chart
• What are your values?
• 50/50 balls
• Deny post
• Tipped passes

• When coaching- “Praise, prompt & leave”

Trapping
• What are your automatics?
• Makes you more aggressive
• Coach to aggression & you can pull back later

• Positional meetings with staff- football concepts

• Bad practices are usually a reflection on the head coach

1. Attitude
2. Energy
3. Bad planning

• When doing individual improvement- be specific

• Assistant coaches must be positive & have energy
• Video should be short & sharp
• Allow players to like watching video- you can’t kill them every time they watch
video or it will become a negative for them

Coaches Roundtable after Mike Dunlop spoke

• Do you run pick & roll at end of shot clock? Several coaches said no as they are
afraid of late trap

Low Post Double Team concepts

• Box to box- Spurs do this
• From the top
• “Yo-Yo’- Fake double team- takes away aggressiveness of post player
• On catch/ on dribble
Conditioning
• Dips, pull-ups, pushups,crunches
• Assign a # to each exercise that must be made
• How many rounds can you get in an assigned # of minutes?
Free Throws
• 2 at a basket
• Basket can’t miss 2 in a row
• Give them a set # of minutes to shoot
• Shoot 1 & 1’s

Bob Hurley concept

• Play it through the net
• On a score, fight for the ball & play it live, offense can score right away
• Don’t take the ball out of bounds if the defense gets ball after a score

Do situations at the end of a drill to validate the winner of a drill

•
Playbook - pg. 1

Chapter
Red 3
Horns

2 3

4 5

The action starts with the 1 entering the ball into the 4 high on the left elbow.

The 1 and 5 then move to screen down for the the 3 in the corner. The 3 moves off the screen toward
the 4 at the left elbow.

All Contents Proprietary

Playbook - pg. 2

Chapter
Red 3
Horns

2
1
5
4
3

The 4 then moves to perfrom a DHO with the 3 creating a third screening action for his defender to get
through.

The 5 has already slipped toward the basket and after performing the handoff, the 4 spaces high on the
perimeter.

All Contents Proprietary

Playbook - pg. 3

Chapter
Red 3
Horns

2
5 1

3 4

If the 3 does not have a shot coming off the screens. He look to enter the ball into the 5 (if the 5 is a
post threat or has a seal) or hit the 1 coming off the 4's wide pin down.

All Contents Proprietary

Playbook - pg. 4

Chapter
Red 3
Horns

2 5

4
3
1

The final action of this set is the 4 turning back around for the 1 and setting a step-up screen toward the
baseline and either rolling to the basket or staying high behind the 3pt line depending on his skill set.

Note: If the 4 rolls, the 5 should look to come high in classic roll replace action.

Playbook - pg. 8

Chapter
Houston
2-3 High

3
1
5 4

The 1 continues his cut around the 4 and should take the handoff if possible. If it's not there, the 1 tight
curls around the 4 toward the basket

All Contents Proprietary

Playbook - pg. 9

Chapter
Houston
2-3 High

1 3

5 4

As the 1 clears 4, the 5 steps up and looks to set a flare screen for the 2 who moves to the left wing to
receive a pass from the 4.

All Contents Proprietary

Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

2011 Rising Coaches Elite Conference

July 20-21, 2011
Notes Included:
Earl Grant – Clemson Matt McCall – Florida
Ryan Marks – Texas Pan American Kevin O’Neill – Southern California
Chris Caputo – Miami (FL) Anthony Grant – Alabama
John Cooper – Tennessee State Bobby Lutz – North Carolina State
Josh Pastner – Memphis Jeff Goodman, Gary Parrish – CBS Sports
Jerrance Howard – Illinois Dwayne Killings – Temple
Chris Mack – Xavier Billy Schmidt – Georgia Tech
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Earl Grant – Clemson

You should want to be a head coach within 8-10 years

o The level shouldn’t matter – NAIA, D2, JUCO, or D1
Be prepared for whatever your next job will be
o Don’t let the job become open and you’re not prepared
o Every day we work, we should be preparing!
Keep a notepad in places around the house – by the TV, etc.
o While you’re watching games on TV, be prepared to write notes, ideas, plays you like,
etc. Keep them in the pad so you know where they are
Start creating practice plans for your first head coaching job
o Plan your first practices, and constantly adjust them as you see fit
When the opportunity presents itself, you need to be ready!
Recruiting:
o Develop Lasting Relationships
 With AAU, High School Coaches
 If you’re a manager or in charge of travel, develop relationships with restaurants
& hotels in cities you’ll be traveling to
o So many times you have a relationship with a guy when you need something
 Even if you don’t get the kid, keep the relationship
o Become a better coach
 Don’t have the label “He’s just a recruiter, he can’t coach”
 Get in the business for the right reasons
o Appearance
 Be well groomed, dress well, and be in good physical condition
o Help your fellow man – help other coaches
o Learn how to develop kids and get them excited about the process
 In individual workouts, sweat with them!
 Skill development is the key in successful programs with limited talent
o Don’t promise a player – just promise to work hard and be loyal
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Don’t be so concerned with what the next move is – just prepare for it every day
There are no secrets in this business
o Hard work, loyalty, and relationships are the key to success
What do you look for in a player?
o Hard worker
o Good motor
o Good teammate
Get kids in the office, and close the door
o Bring yourself down to their level
 Share your own experiences, mistakes, etc…get them to see that you’re human
This will help them open up
o Have a pulse with your players
o The players need to know what you’re about
o They can be your boy but you have to be able to hold them accountable!
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Ryan Marks – Texas Pan American

View on the NBA Lockout

o How are we going to use this time to get better at what we do?
If you’re in coaching for the long haul you will experience the following:
o You’re going to finish last place in your conference
o You’re going to finish first place in your conference
o You’re going to do a good job coaching and that will lead you to a better job
o You’re going to do a good job coaching and you will get fired anyways
Coaches need to stop looking at each other as competitors, we instead need to view coaching as
a fraternity
In this profession, there are going to be plenty of things that you don’t want to hear, you’re just
going to have to deal with them
Career Path:
o Started coaching JV team while still in HS
o Intern for player development with LA Clippers
o Head Freshman Coach.Varsity Assistant in Pasadena
o First NCAA job at D2 Central Missouri State
o Went to Northern Illinois, new coach came in and fired everyone
o Went on to coach D3 Basketball and Baseball in Vermont
If you get a chance to be a head coach, don’t be concerned with the level
Work hard, work diligently, and remember why we’re in this
In order to get the next job, you have to do the best job at what you have right now
Recruiting Philosophies:
o Develop relationships that are real
 Kids can tell if you’re fake
o In mailouts, personal relationships are paramount.
o Email players daily to build that relationship
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Chris Caputo – Miami

Make the place you’re at right now the “big time”

Make your own personal brand/reputation
If you make your job important, it just might return the favor
Even if recruiting isn’t your job, find some way to get involved in recruiting
o Read about every player on the internet
o Give ideas to coaches about players to watch
Networking:
o You need to network up, down, and across
o Never Eat Alone – book at networking
o Good to build a relationship with someone when you don’t need anything from them
You need to get “adopted” by a Coach
Ask people you network with for advice
o Whether or not you follow their advice, they become invested in you and your decision
Make friends with people who have no friends, and you’ll have a friend forever
When meeting someone, say “nice to see you” instead of “nice to meet you”
o You may have met them before, but it makes them feel good
You need to be a PR machine for the guys you work with
Look the part of a coach! Stay in shape, stay well groomed
Know the game
o “How can I get to know the game better?”
Try to become indispensable
o Do extra work – do the tough work, not the easy work
Be the person they call when they need something and they’re not in the office
Be proud of what you’re doing
o “Blessed to have a desk”
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Josh Pastner – Memphis

Follow up, follow through

Always return letters and phone calls – it’s the right thing to do
You just don’t know when you’re going to get your opportunity
o On car driving to Kentucky to begin work with Coach Calipari, phone call from the AD at
Memphis came and offered him the job
Things to do when you get the job:
o Constantly think of situations that could come up and how you would handle them
 Think of every possible player, staff, game situation and find a solution
o You’re dealing with people in this business, so don’t lose focus of that
o Hiring of staff
 Don’t rush the process
 Find the right guys that fit you, just like recruiting players
o Be hard on the players early, and let up as the year goes on
 Motivate through respect, not through yelling
In timeouts during the game
o Remind players, and repeat yourself 5-6 times so players understand what you’re
saying, especially late in the game
o This helps win close games!
Only run something – offense or defense – that you know. And keep it simple!
Don’t disconnect from the community. Embrace and connect
o Call boosters, alumni, keep a relationship
Before you make a big decision on a disciplinary action, sleep on it. Don’t rush a rash decision
Keep the profession in perspective
o See the big picture
o Love and have fun with what you’re doing
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Jerrance Howard – Illinois

Energy and passion sets you apart from the pack

Pick someone on your staff who you can follow, and do what they do
If you want to be able to recruit, recruit your own players
o How? Help them
o Players have to check in with a coach every day
Be an all-purpose guy
Separate yourself somehow
o “I’m not going to have a bad day”
When recruiting, get someone on the phone and listen
o Mom, dad, girlfriend, coach, best friend
“Getting on the babies”
o Go to 8th grade exposure camps - Know the best players in the state in the 5th-8th grade
Ask your players why they chose your school, or why they didn’t choose to go somewhere else
When talking to a kid, when you touch them or call them by their nickname, it goes a long way
Find out who the secretary and janitor of the High School are and send them some t-shirts!
o They can be very valuable in your recruiting of the kid, and give you information
Spend more time at gyms when they don’t have a player, and when they do they will send him
to you
Make a list everyday:
o Things to do:
o People to call:
o People to write:
Study 3 different coaches over the summer
o It can be from other sports, or other successful people
o Think outside the box and learn from them
Life is not that bad! Live with passion every day!
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Chris Mack – Xavier

Make sure the person you work for has character

Greatest thing you can do is do the best job
o Don’t audition for the next job
o Be the best at your job
Be a hard worker
o When you pass responsibilities on, stay accountable
Be detail oriented
o Misspellings, pronunciations, errors on scouting reports
Be loyal, be a team player
o Are you supporting the head coach’s message?
o Staff must be unified
Do it the right way
o Doesn’t just mean play by the rules
o Act how you would want your players to act
o Have balance
Be innovative
o Find new ways to do things
Get to know players and coaches
o How can you help them? Form relationships
Too many guys are auditioning for the next job
o Recruit your butt off
o Develop relationships with players
o Scout like it’s the last game of the NCAA Tournament
o Support your coach
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Matt McCall – Florida

Understand your role

o Be extremely reliable, have a great work ethic, be trustworthy, and always be available
Cherish the job you have right now
o Nothing is guaranteed, and it’s the only job you have!
You will get out of the job what you put into it
Pay attention to the details
Find a way to get things done, no matter the task
Always try to be around
No matter what or where you are, no job is beneath you!
Build your phonebook
o Take pride in continuing to stay in contact with people
Build relationships within current staff
o Always say “We”
 We recruited a player, we won, we lost
You have to fear not trying as much as you fear failure
o Worst thing that can happen is you hear “no”
Always be engaging in conversations
Take pride in your appearance
There is no substitution for hard work
Be upfront with your friends, this is a business. Be happy if they get a job
Kids use social media to communicate – Hammer it away!
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

John Cooper - Tennessee State

Don’t let money determine your job

You have to have a vision
o Good coaches dream big
o Value yourself
Who can you work for and thrive?
o Know who you are
o Success comes from within. You must believe in yourself
o 85% of all jobs are based off of one reference
You need a head coach who is going to champion you, and who is going to make that call for you
Serve your assistant coaches
o Help them get jobs, don’t require time commitments, just demand hard work
You need a “board of directors” who will tell you the truth and not make you feel good about
yourself
Interview:
o Study and do homework
 Know important people, but don’t overload yourself
o Don’t talk about the coach you’re coming from
o Energy and passion – keep engaged
o Don’t get too excited, and don’t have 100 people call on the job for you
o Don’t leave a lot of paper material
Managing your career:
o Do you have technology skills?
o Can you communicate?
o Can you handle the pressure, are you cool under pressure?
 Story about manager who took team to wrong airport but stayed cool and calm
under the pressure. Says a lot about character
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Managing your career:

o Can you think like a head coach?
o Be involved in every aspect of the program
o Treat people the right way
o Can you motivate?
o Are you organized?
Be willing to take risks
Be willing to give back to the profession
Get to know your AD and your Associate AD
Leaders don’t expect people to serve them, they serve their people
You have to be able to accept criticism
You always have to be growing
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Kevin O’Neill – Southern California

Take your own path

Don’t be an ego-maniac! Be a good person
As a Young Coach:
o Be willing to work for no money
 Don’t get caught up in titles
 Don’t be in a hurry
o Do you want your voice heard?
 Know when to shut up and sit down on the bench.
Don’t be that guy who stands up when the camera is on him
 Know what you’re talking about. Know every play.
Decide what your philosophy is now, and stick with it under pressure
o Are you going to be known as a cheater?
o Are you going to doubt your head coach when your players come to you?
What are your recruiting philosophies?
How are you going to deal with parents and boosters?
o Zero communication, or will you open the doors to communication?
o Coach talks to parents 2-3 times per week, and returns every booster’s email and call
Coach O’Neill writes down and rehearses what he’s going to say to players in brief meetings and
pre game talks
Doesn’t believe in meetings, not much gets accomplished in daily meetings
Only has a few rules for team:
o Respect the game
o Don’t be late
o Don’t be an asshole
When you’re coaching, make it about the team
What are you going to do when you don’t believe in what the boss is doing?
o Negative talk from assistant coaches poisons the water
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Make sure there is only one voice

Coach demands the following from the team:
o Guard First
o Rebound
o Take good shots
o Don’t turn the ball over
o Be a team player
o Overall, respect the game!
Some decisions are going to be hard to deal with, but you need to decide how to deal with them
o If your best player makes a mistake, will you suspend him for the game? Or win the
game and make your point afterwards
As a head coach you have to manage your staff
o Don’t hire all the same guys
You have to reach out on your campus
Take out professors, support staff, other coaches to dinner during the year
Doesn’t give postgame speeches after games
Give the opposing coach credit in a loss, don’t blame your team
If you make it about your team in the media, the more they’ll make it about you
Compliance hangs out with USC basketball everywhere – Embrace them!
Have a great strength coach! This can really help your guys mentally
Have a war mentality! Watch war movies, use war terminology
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Anthony Grant - Alabama

Every day, you must have passion and energy – these are the key
Excel at the current responsibilities you have!
o If you don’t know, find out
 No one wants to know that you don’t know how to do something
You will achieve success when you are willing to help others achieve success
Don’t dwell on mistakes
o All you can do is plan, prepare, and just “ride the wave”
It is imperative with your players that they all buy in, have trust, and want to be successful
Recruiting:
o Think like a head coach
o There is a difference between just recruiting a guy and knowing you can sign versus
bringing in guys that can help win a championship
o What are you doing everyday to make each player better?
o Think outside the box
With a job, make sure resources are in place for you to be successful
o Look at getting the right guys on the bus, but also getting them on the right seats on the
bus.
o Always look for opportunities to try to make somebody else’s job a little bit easier.
o When joining a new staff, get clear expectations about your role. Your job is to make
everybody else look good
After the season, do you watch film of other teams who are really good in areas you want to
learn more about?
o Watch top five defensive teams in the country and break down what they do and bring
it to your coach
Sometimes guys try so hard to get the job that they forget to do the job.
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Bobby Lutz – North Carolina State

Why are you here?

o Ask yourself why you want to be a coach
o As long as I wake up and am excited about what I do, I never work.
3 C’s for success
o Commitment to excellence – Prioritize your life. Balance of basketball and family.
o Courage to do the right thing – What would your grandmother think about your
decisions?
o Compassion/care for who you coach and who you work with
Get a hold of and understand all the great ideas, even if you can’t use them all
Be who you is, not who you ain’t
Don’t ever lose your dream…Dream big dreams. If you ever lose the dream, quit.
o Stay focused, don’t be afraid to fail
 Coach Lutz quit law school at UNC to coach JV Boys/Girls for $200 a year in 1980
If somebody has to tell you what to do, you’re already behind the ball! Be a self-starter
Recruiting
o Who is the key person in the decision? Who is going to help them make the decision?
o Who has the power to veto?
 There is usually somebody who can’t deliver them to you, but they can stop
them from coming to you
o Someone always has the lead—nothing is “wide open”
o If you’re not sure it’s you, it’s not you
Practice cutting down the nets at the beginning of each year
o Start to change a losing culture and tradition
Scouting
o Staff knows everything about competition
o Players know top 3 things about competition and what you’re trying to take away
o Everything else relies on the offensive and defensive
principles of your team
Don’t forget who “packs your parachute”
o Don’t ever take them for granted
Changing the culture of a losing program:
o You have to get the wrong people off the bus before
you can get the right people on the bus
The more talented you are, the more you need to push the
tempo.
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Jeff Goodman, Gary Parrish – CBS College Sports

Everything is magnified now in the age of technology

There is a right way to deal with the media
o There is also a wrong way
Too many people don’t trust the media
o It’s painted with a broad brush that the media is evil
The media can work for if you allow it to
o Guys with a good relationship with the media get the benefit of the doubt many times
You want someone that can defend you especially in times of need professionally
o Too many examples of coaches who had personal problems who could have used the
media to help them out, and paint a better picture to the public
Be honest
o Even if you have to tell media “I can’t talk” or “I don’t want to comment” it’s better
than lying or dodging the story
Sometimes you just need to do your job
o Realize that for yourself
o Realize that because sometimes the media also has to report things
 Stories where media has to report when a coach didn’t do his job
Bruce Pearl at Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Good friends with reporter, but reporter had to do his job and Pearl
didn’t
Be proactive & find ways to make your program more visible
o Jeff Goodman following Coach Ryan Marks to help UTPA
Never be too good to ask questions
o No one has it all figured out!
o Even the best coaches ask questions
Make sure you know who you are talking to when you’re talking
o Credible writers with morals and values
o Do they respect “off the record” comments?
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Dwayne Killings - Temple

Relationships and networks are deep, and need to always be growing

Work for a guy who will push you to better yourself
Recruit out of your league
o You need to in order to win championships
If you know you want to work in basketball, get to know all aspects of the game
Get to know people above you, below you, and next to you
o Your peers included
o USE your relationships
People want to know that they can invest in you
You need to be driven
o Not just a hard worker, but a worker with a purpose
o Set goals
 Short, long term, daily
Dealing with the management side of basketball helps you focus on your organizational skills
Build relationships early
o Invest your time in those relationships
o If you’re on the road, call someone that you may have met once that lives in that city
o Go to lunch or grab a drink with them
o Stay connected
1st call to a recruit:
o Get answers to questions that you have
o Get to know their mindset
o Get to know who they are as a person
o After that, it’s all follow-up
o Don’t overload them with information
o It’s up to you to follow up
When current players help you recruit, you will have success
o Makes recruiting more family like
Understand the challenges of every day so that you can be
a problem-solver for your organization
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Billy Schmidt – Georgia Tech

Coaching is an art, not a science

o Your system needs to be a reflection of who you are
 Coaching
 Who you’re recruiting
 Who you’re playing against
2 things a young coach needs
o Humility
 The best teachers of the game are your players. You have to be receptive and
ask them questions.
o Perspective –have a sense of who you are
 Your perspective and background is drastically different than what players and
other coaches on your staff bring to the table
It’s not your show
o It’s about the players
o You are here to serve the players - It’s their four years
o “I didn’t have to be a great player to know how much the game means to a player,
because it meant everything to me.”
“Coaching is the most fair and equitable thing I know”
o The moment you walk into a gym, kids are sizing you up.
o If you don’t know your stuff, the players will see right through you.
o You have to fight for credibility every day!
 Every day, you must be on time, energetic, and prepared
 You’ve got to be on top of things
 Don’t ever ask a player to do something you aren’t willing to do
 Be on time
Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
o Kids must know that everything you teach and ask them to do is to help them get better
Kids want to know who they can trust you and count on you.
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

These days, there are a lot of people that will bail out on them You have to develop your own
voice - You can’t be somebody else.
You have to know your age, you have to know your role, and you have to know yourself
o A sense of humor can go a long way
o Your voice can’t be a gimmick
o Stand for something
o Hold kids accountable
 If you don’t hold them accountable, they’ll see right through you
It’s amazing how much you can demand of people if you demand what’s right and fair
Keep it simple
o Gave the example of Kevin O’Neill demanding that players go to class, work hard, and be
on time
Qualities of Head Coaches
o Have the same DNA
o They have an unbelievable attention to detail
 No detail is too trivial to them
o Are intense competitors
o They have tremendous pride in what they do
o They do not want to look bad, look unprepared, or be caught off guard
 This is not only on game day
2 most important things from an assistant coach
o Work hard
o Be loyal
o Our job is to make the head coach’s job easier
o Don’t do it your way. Find out how your superior wants it done
o Don’t do it well. Do it exceptionally well
o If you hand them something you’ve been working on, you better make sure it’s great
o You have to be proactive. Show some initiative.
o If you need to be told what to do all the time, you’re bad and should be fired
o Create projects all the time
Wherever you are, you are auditioning for your next job
o If you are a 24-year-old graduate assistant, you carry yourself like a 26-year-old assistant
coach
o The worst feeling for an assistant coach is to have to do something because you know a
GA won’t have the same quality work or attention to detail as you
o The best feel for an assistant coach is to be able to trust someone to do things the way
the head coach wants them done
Being a head coach is lonely. It’s a tremendous amount of stress and responsibility.
It means a lot to a head coach that there is someone there giving the program his all and that is
loyal
Rising Coaches Elite Conference – Las Vegas, NV – July 20-21, 2011
Taylor Harris – Metro State College – tharri54@mscd.edu

Coach tells GA’s that if they do a bad job, we should fire them
We are in the opportunity business, not the success business
o If you forget that and don’t take advantage of your opportunity, that’s on you!
“In my mind, I associate GA’s with two people: Lawrence Frank and Brian Gregory”
o If you can’t work like them, you don’t deserve it
If you want to survive, you better work harder, work longer
The youngest guy on the staff should be the first one there and the last one to leave
If you’re not reading books in the off season, what are you doing with your free time?
Order clinic tapes all the time. Watch one every night.
If the mother’s with you in the recruiting process, there isn’t much against you
Villa 6 Clinic Notes – sent from Luke Wicks at U San Fran

Villa 6 Coaches Clinic

Date: July 22, 2011

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Speakers:

1. Jeff Capel - Duke

2. Ricthie McKay - Virginia

3. Tom Moore - Quinnipac

4. King Rice - Monmouth

5. Pat Skerry - Townson

6. Shane Beamer - Virgnia Tech

7. Archie Miller - Dayton

8. Wood Selig - Old Dominion AD

9. Jack Hayes - Hofstra AD

10. Bubba Cunningham - Tulsa AD

Jeff Capel - Duke

• Always use plural nouns with your team, organization.... we, us, etc...

• 10% of being a head coach is coaching, 90% is being a great CEO (leader, organizer)

• 1st thing that hit him the hardest at VCU (1st year as a head coach) - very overwhelming, every decision now
comes through you.

• No job is easy.

• Take time hiring your staff, looks at your needs, likes, dislikes, weaknesses. Do not hire your staff and expect
them to be "Yes" people.

• A good human being always worries and cares about their staff and wants their families to be OK.

• 1st Items he did on the job as a head coach:

1. Met with his players, set a standard of excellence and understanding right away.

2. Got involved in the University Community.

3. Took time hiring his staff and once they were hired spent lots of time with them and their families.

• Every coach must have a great relationship with their AD, President, Admissions people and people in general on
campus.

• An 18 year is an 18 year old that is who he is. It is hard to change 18 years, it can't completely be done.

• The only thing that prepares you for being a head coach is being a head coach.

• Assistants must live up to the their responsibility, if they do not, no matter if they are your friend you have to talk
to them.

• Be POSITIVE, we already work in a highly competitive profession surrounded by negativity.

• It is important to have guys on your staff not exactly like you.

Bubba Cunningham - Tulsa A.D.

• Doug Wojick is a great HC cause he has integrity,work ethic and his personal qualities are his work ethic.

• He likes agents cause of the information they give.

• If you want a job, let it be known by building relationships ahead of time. A small note goes a long way. Do not
hesitate. Once a job open it is to late to let a person know that you are interested in a job. Do your work early. Get
on that short list early. Every AD has one right now.

Jack Hayes - Hofstra A.D.

• Make sure you interact with all sports coaches, faculty and the people in the trenches.

• Know information about other schools in your league, etc.

• The initial conversation when interested in a job needs to come from the source, not a friend, assistant, etc... Make
that initial contact in person or by phone. The person that waits does not get hired.

• Everything in life is about relationships and people.

• If you are going to be successful in anything in life it can't be 8am - 5pm daily.

• It is OK for your agent to call and express your interest in a position, after that do your own work, make your own
calls, negotiate your own contract to the point it needs to be read for legality.
• When going for an interview, everything is looked at in depth, even the ride with the grad assistant or manager
from the airport to campus.

Wood Selig - Old Dominion A.D.

• Tubby Smith was the best as an assistant coach to stop by all different areas of the department to say thank you,
show support or ask if help is needed. When he went for his first job it was the Assistant Director of Marketing the
he spoke with briefly but checked on showing he cared that got him the job. The Assistant Director of Marketing at
Kentucky called VCU's Assistant Director of Marketing about Tubby. He spoke highly of Tubby cause he always
stopped by to say hello.

• 620 Coaches in the last 10 years have coached at their Alma Mater.

• Agents do more harm then good. They are fine to bounce information off of but the coach and AD can negotiate
the final contract.

Norwood Teague - VCU A.D.

• When you get your first job, be a detective, don't jump in and try to change everything immediately. Learn and
move slow.

• Develop relationships in your departments and on campus. Search committees call these people.

• AD's want to know more about their possible HC then just hoops. Talk about family, family goals, values, etc.

• Get to know people when jobs are not open. (Talk to people at shootarounds, conference commissioners, etc)

• Your should spend 80% of your time networking and 20% of your time on your job. It is all about relationships.

• Get to know your school President, you go for a job they will be involved.

• Check out the Winthrop Group for all coaches contracts, etc....

Shane Beamer - Associate HC for Virginia Tech Football

• 7 stops as a coach and is 34 years old.

• Be a bulldog in recruiting.

• Networking is #1.

• Have a notebook and grow that coaching tree yearly.

• Allow the recruit to talk, do not oversell. Kids like to talk once you get them to crack. Getting them to laugh first
is huge.
• Know what other schools use against you in recruiting.

• Use your GA's to recruit as much as possible, give them jobs and hold them accountable.

• Read the Bear Bryant Book

• A good head coach always keep his staff's families involved. A happy wife = a happy life. A happy life = a great
assistant.

• Take Notes all of the times.

• You must have stability in your coaches and staff to be successful. This correlates to wins. Build staff unity just
like you have to with your players.

• Carry over is good within staffs.

• Treat people right and respect them.

• Big Questions to ask a recruit?

1. Who on your coaching staff are you closest to?

2. Who in your family are you closest to?

Coaches Panel: Archie Miller (Dayton), Tom Moore (Quinnipac), King Rice (Monmouth), Pat Skerry (Towson)

• When Miller interviewed at Dayton there were 2 people on the committee. (AD & President)

• Take control of the interview early in the meeting. Have questions ready, etc... Be Prepared.

• Have a coaches book but do not give it till the conclusion of the interview. You only want to give it to the
committee so they have a reference of everything you spoke about. Make sure every person on the committee gets a
book.

• When Rice interviewed at Monmouth, 3 people were on committee (AD, Assoc AD, President)

• When Moore interviewed at Quinnipac, 8 people were on committee (AD, President, Board of Regents, Vice
President, Senior Assoc AD)

• The minute you get a head coaching job you are on 24/7.

• 1st line of priority is meeting your players and their families ASAP!

• 1st 100 days is very rough.

• Items you need to be on your game with in an interview is:

1. Understanding how to schedule and trends from your league and past teams. What does it take to win the league
and go to the NCAA Tournament?
2. Style of Play (Make sure it is fun).

3. Your academic and community plan.

4. You have never called a timeout, what are you gonna do?

5. You have never been a HC, how do you know you are ready?

6. Be very prepared to discuss your staff and what your plans on with them. They will follow up on the people you
might hire before they hire you. Be smart!

7. Explain how you are going to reach the key alumni/donors of your program. Do this ASAP!

8. Be careful with the media and agents.

• The higher the recruit the more people are involved.

• You should know and develop relationships with commissioners in your conference.

• Know the people in your league office.

• Understand what you can recruit to your school.

• Study your league the styles of play and how they recruit.

• Do not spend time in the culture of envy, be positive!

Ritchie McKay - Virginia Assoc HS

• You must answer these 3 questions before looking at being an HC.

1. Who and what defines you?

2. Why did I get into coaching?

3. Am I fulfilling my purpose in life and my career? (Being a great husband, father, etc)

• Do you ever feel a calling in your job?

• You must know who you are as a person before becoming an HC.

• Believe in the LORD, never neglect your family.

• 3 Keys to Success:

1. You must have a balance, can't think about hoops 24/7. What is my outlet? McKay's was faith.

2. Use your relationship currency. Make an investment in people/players lives. Do not expect returns.
3. Build into people's lives, Who speaks into my life?

• Do not think you are not successful if you are not in a certain position or job title.

• Look up Pistol Pete Maravich letter to Larry King in 1996.

• If winning is more of a relief then a joy, then you are in a bad situation.

• Do a great job where you are and the rest will take care of itself.

• All that matters is today.

• Build in your life, wife, Children and your players.

• Do not fear getting fired.

• Really care about your assistants and their families.

• As an Assistant take items (tasks) from the mind of your head coach. They have thousands of items going through
their mind.

• Look for these 4 items in hiring an Assistant.

1. Is he a family man? Hopefully yes.

2. Is he loyal to his past program and coach?

3. Hire positive guys!

4. Hire guys that can deal with their pride and are earthy.

Kevin Eastman Clinic Notes – sent from Luke Wicks at U San Fran

Sneakers Squeak on 5 on 0 Offense

- No such thing as Dummy Offense

Fist Fight to get Open - Foot Fight to Score

Offensive Post Teaching Point - On the Block/Off the Block I agree

- Pause for Poise
- Let the Crap Clear
- Always Add Free Throws to Post Work!

Cutters:
- Cutters Over the Top = Touch Elbow, Touch Rim, Open to See and Get Out to Spacing
- See Ball All the Way to the Rim
- Cutters: Eyes Make Lay Ups....Feet Make Jumpers
- Shooting Teaching Points: Coach the Beginning (Footwork) and End (Follow Thru)

Running Team
- Fast Break or Sprint Break? Sprint is Faster

Do U Look at the Ball or Do you See the Game?

Main Keys to Shooting

- Shot Selection
- Being Ready on the Catch
- Game is played Low to High

The Floor Shrinks with each Level!

- Speed, Quickness and Length cause this.
- Got to go by your Defender...not around him
- Must Introduce Players to their Feet - Pete Carill

Ball Screen Offense

- Ball Handler: Feel Him (Defender) - See His (Show Defender) - Read Help

Best Offensive Players have ball in hand as long as they need to...not as long as you want to.

Post Players: Only Give up Position for Possession.

- Dead Dribble = Post Player Bring Baseline Foot Up to Create Passing Angle

Shooters on Pin Down - Point Fist at the Passer

- Stop and Go
- Step on Foot

Don't Post Up....Post Across

- Mini Lane! Post Up in Mini Lane (We have to tape it on the Court)

The Best Post Players Own the Mid Line

Ball Screener
- Goal is to Arrive without your Defender

Shooting Turnovers = Bad Decision Shots

What Happened the Last 3 Possessions?

- Good Ones Love the Game and KNOW!
- Boston Charts Touches!

The Play may be Yours....but the Shot may not!!

Rebounding Logic...more u go after...more you get.

- Coaches never yell at you for being selfish with ur rebounding.

What 3 Things do we have to do to win this game

- PG's
- Wing's
- Posts

Vs. Great Shot Blocker!

- Follow the Penetration when the Shot Blocker Goes after it.
Best Shooters: Ten Toes to the Rim!

Screening Rules
- Don't Screen Air
- Unless they are Switching....don't screen ur own man
- Don't screen ur own teammate.

Touch Right Shoulders (Both) - 2 guys coming off Floppy

A Scorer has a Great Responsibility to make Great Decisions

Vs. Switches
- Cut with Speed

When in Doubt...Spread Out

- Smalls get outside the 3
- Bigs: Home Base = Short Corner? High Post? Where are they comfortable?

Go To Guys can't turn into Force It Guys!

Direct Correlation to Ball Reversals and Defensive Breakdowns.

No Dancing! Is Isolation And 1 Mix Tape BH...Have to Stress "We Want Direct Drives!!!"

Someone Violates Culture

- Winning - Personal Sacrifice - Accountability
- Any Violation must be addressed IMMEDIATELY

Championship Teams have Truth!

Truth = Live it, Tell it, Take It

BC always emphasizes: Best Position to Score....the Weakside of the Floor!

Force teams to be in Constant Closeouts!

Best place to back door...the Corners!

Read the Head...Read the Depth (Corner Back Door Cut)

Double Bury Him - Post Players

Green Light....really a Lime Light.

Cutter's Responsibility is to get Open...Screener's Responsibility is to get Cutter Open!

Design ur offense based on Skill Set.

Brandon Rosenthal – St. Edward’s University
www.twitter.com/CoachRosenthal
7/7/11 Daily Chalkboard

3 OUT 2 IN
TRANSITION OFFENSE

CoachRosenthal.com
5 Star Coaching Clinic 5/7/11
Iona College New Rochelle, NY

Tim Cleuss
Iona College
“Transition Offense”
• Got his sideline break from his high school coach, Coach Morris
• Coach Morris was a lacrosse coach
• He took his sideline break from lacrosse and used it for basketball
• Pitino used to go to Coach Morris' practices to learn his fast break
• Makes every player run a 5 minute 30 second mile
• You run every day until you make it in 5 minutes and 30 seconds
• Fast break is not a play, it is a mindset
• You have to trust it and believe in it
◦ You're going to throw the ball away a little bit
◦ You're going to give up some easy baskets
◦ It's going to wear your opponent out
• He has used it at every level and it has worked at every level
• Puts challenging time and a certain amount of made baskets on each drill
• If they don't make the time or # of baskets, the drill does not count and they have to run
• Doesn't yell at players for screwing up, just tells them to do it again
• Likes to train rebounder to take 1 dribble before outletting the ball – it gets him running and
prevents him from standing and watching
• Likes to train the inbounder to turn his head and scan the floor as he steps out of bounds