Great Basketball Coaches

1. Great coaches… promote shared ownership and internal leadership of the team. They create a ‘team’ attitude.
2. Great coaches… have their players keep a notebook with plays, motivational quotes, and facts about the program’s history.
3. Great coaches… are teachers of the game at their most fundamental level.  They teach basketball; they teach life lessons.
4. Great coaches… love the game; respect the game.
5. Great coaches… work on their craft every day. They work on the X’s & O’s, strategy as well as on leadership.
6. Great coaches… establish roles on the team.  They clearly define these roles to everyone in the program.
7. Great coaches… objectively analyze a player’s strengths & weaknesses and find ways to utilize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
8. Great coaches… have high character.  They know they are in the business of leading by example and developing young men & women for life.
9. Great coaches… praise the behavior they want to see repeated and discipline the behavior the want to see eliminated.
10. Great coaches… don’t have ‘favorites.’ They care about all of their players and are objective when deciding roles and playing time.
11. Great coaches… treat every player fairly, but not equally. They know some players ‘need’ more than others.
12. Great coaches… get everyone on the team to accept their role and fulfill it to the best of their ability.
13. Great coaches… are always prepared. They study film, scouting reports, and design practice plans accordingly.
14. Great coaches… listen to their assistant coaches and to their players.  They don’t feel threatened and they welcome suggestions.
15. Great coaches… don’t over coach. They don’t talk to hear themselves talk, they talk to make a point, to teach, and to motivate.
16. Great coaches… coach in ‘bullet points’ during practice – they keep the action flowing! They keep instructions short and sweet.
17. Great coaches… coach players; not a system. They know it’s not what you run, but how well you run it that matters.
18. Great coaches… know that basketball isn’t just about offense and defense. It’s also about effort and execution.
19. Great coaches… pay attention to detail. They know that everything regarding their program is important. Everything makes a difference.
20. Great coaches… make sure everything done in practice has a purpose. Every drill has value.
21. Great coaches… delegate to their assistant coaches and let them share the responsibility (and joy) of running a team.
22. Great coaches… compliment their players and assistants often and with sincerity (but only when deserved; not to ‘blow smoke’).
23. Great coaches… are THE hardest workers in their program. They set the tone. They don’t let any player/coach outwork them.
24. Great coaches… are a spark of energy and enthusiasm.  They raise the level of everyone in their program, every day.
25. Great coaches… are mentally tough. They don’t get flustered.  They know their mental toughness trickles down to the entire program.
26. Great coaches… challenge their players and assistants… every day!  They don’t allow complacency.
27. Great coaches… are the face of their program. They welcome this and represent with pride and class.
28. Great coaches… have a clear, precise vision of what they want their team to become and accomplish.
29. Great coaches… learn what motivates each player on the team.  They find ways to light each player’s internal fire.
30. Great coaches… give trust and respect… and by doing so they earn trust and respect from everyone in their program.
31. Great coaches… are 100%, absolutely, positively committed to their team in every way possible.
32. Great coaches… create standards of excellence and hold their players and staff accountable.
33. Great coaches… know that you can’t win every game… but you can prepare (and try) to win every game.
34. Great coaches… set realistic, attainable goals and get everyone in the program to buy in and achieve them.
35. Great coaches… admit when they are wrong or make a mistake.  They are humble.
36. Great coaches… love to coach and have fun coaching… it is who they are!
37. Great coaches… are confident without being arrogant.  They believe in their team and in their preparation; but never assume they will win.
38. Great coaches… don’t worry so much about what their opponent is going to do; but instead focuses more on what their team is going to do.
39. Great coaches… know… ‘it ain’t about me; it’s about them.’ (referring to their players)
40. Great coaches… don’t coach for money or fame.  They may achieve money and fame; but that is not why they coach.
41. Great coaches… constantly make adjustments. They go into every practice and game with a plan and then adjust accordingly.
42. Great coaches… criticize the behavior or the play; not the person.  It’s never personal.
43. Great coaches… will help a player they coached decades ago.  Every former player is a part of their team.
44. Great coaches… lead by example and are excellent role models in every since of the word; on and off the court.
45. Great coaches… coach the players on their team they way they would want someone to coach their own son or daughter.
46. Great coaches… teach the fundamentals of the game… even at the highest of levels.
47. Great coaches… are active during practice and games. They don’t stand in one spot with their arms folded. They are fully engaged!
48. Great coaches… are authentic to who they are and to their own personality. They don’t try to coach like someone else.
49. Great coaches… are lifelong learners and true students of the game.  They read, watch, and listen to anything that will help them get better.
50. Great coaches… coach what they know and what works for their program.  They seek to learn what they don’t know.
51. Great coaches… know ‘it ain’t what I say that matters… it’s what they hear. ’ (referring to their players)
52. Great coaches… listen for things they don’t want to hear and look for things they don’t want to see.
53. Great coaches… coach their current team to the best of their ability. They aren’t ever looking ahead to next year.
54. Great coaches… don’t allow themselves, their staff, or their players to get satisfied… no matter how successful they are.
55. Great coaches… call each player by name within the first 10 minutes of every practice.
56. Great coaches… know they get what they emphasize. They make sure they emphasize the right things!
57. Great coaches… impact and influence lives far behind the game of basketball. Basketball just happens to be their vehicle.
58. Great coaches… promote communication, toughness, and competitiveness in addition to fundamentals, X’s & O’s, and game strategy.
59. Great coaches… get the absolute maximum out of every player on their team and every assistant on their staff.
60. Great coaches… are innovators. They don’t just do things because ‘that’s how they’ve always been done.’ They create!

Great Basketball Players

1. Great players… go after every rebound on both ends of the floor – they are crafty and aggressive.
2. Great players… run the floor as fast as possible on fast breaks AND defensive transition.
3. Great players… are defensive stoppers – they stop their man as well as help teammates. They do the things offensive players HATE!
4. Great players… contest all shots. They don’t go for ball fakes or shot fakes. They deflect passes, bump cutters, and take charges.
5. Great players… don’t gamble on offensive or defensive. They aim to make the RIGHT play; not the HIGHLIGHT play.
6. Great players… are strong with the ball. They rip through hard on offense, ‘chin’ all rebounds, and don’t expose the ball when dribbling.
7. Great players… play under control and play at different speeds. They know that playing slow can be VERY effective.
8. Great players… practice just as hard as they play in games. They don’t have an ‘on and off switch’ – they are ALWAYS on!
9. Great players… allow themselves to be coached. They make eye contact, listen, and welcome coaching. They crave getting better.
10. Great players… are great teammates. They are supportive, high energy, and make their enthusiasm contagious.
11. Great players… ‘Play Present.’ They focus on the process, not the outcome. They focus on what they can control. They don’t get distracted.
12. Great players… take advantage of every opportunity to get better. Every workout, every practice, and every game is a chance to improve!
13. Great players… are mentally and physically tough. They are comfortable being uncomfortable.
14. Great players… can pivot both ways off of either foot and can dribble, pass, and finish around the basket with either hand. They don’t have a ‘weak’ hand.
15. Great players… love and respect the game of basketball. They don’t play for money or fame; they play for love.
16. Great players… are unselfish passers. They hit open teammates. They know the goal is to get THE best shot; not THEIR best shot.
17. Great players… don’t commit stupid fouls.  They know their greatness is eliminated if they are on the bench in foul trouble.
18. Great players… are students of the game. They watch film. They study opponents. They study themselves.
19. Great players… value every possession.  They aren’t careless with ball.  They make smart passes and take high percentage shots.
20. Great players… don’t wait for the workout or practice or game to start… they prepare for it! They prepare mentally and physically.
21. Great players… are super competitive. They hate losing more than they enjoy winning. They compete in everything they do!
22. Great players… always know the time and score. They know how many time-outs they have as well as who is in foul trouble on both teams.
23. Great players… log the game in the mind. At any point in time, they can tell you exactly what happened, on both ends of the floor, the last 3 possessions.
24. Great players… are assertive with the ball, welcome contact when driving to the cup, and get to the free throw line.
25. Great players… immediately think ‘Next Play.’  They don’t dwell on mistakes (missed shot or TO)… they make up for it on the other end.
26. Great players… make plays, not excuses. They don’t care if the refs suck, if the floor is slippery, or if they have a cold. They get it done.
27. Great players… are the first ones in the gym… and the last ones to leave EVERY day.
28. Great players… don’t worry about getting exposure.  They focus more on never getting exposed!
29. Great players… elevate their teammates to become great players too!
30. Great players… know that their legacy will be judged on their ability to win championships.
31. Great players… would rather play ball than anything else.  They truly love to play.
32. Great players… are well rounded and have a complete game.  They can ‘hurt’ you in a variety of ways.
33. Great players… are top notch communicators.  They talk with a presence on both ends of the floor.
34. Great players… want the ball in their hands when the game is on the line because they know they have put in the work to DESERVE success.
35. Great players… train with a purpose. Their workouts are focused, intense, and progressive.  Nothing they do on the court is casual.
36. Great players… give back to their program and are humble and grateful for what basketball has done for them.
37. Great players… are responsible for tone and effort of the entire team… every workout, practice, and game.
38. Great players… are always thinking two plays ahead.
39. Great players… hold themselves, their teammates, and their coaches accountable. They believe in collective responsibility.
40. Great players… play in straight lines and sharp angles. They make hard basket cuts and set solid screens.
41. Great players… love playing and competing against other great players.
42. Great players… know that no detail is too small and that the smallest of details can make them even better.
43. Great players…have high values. They value their teammates, winning, and self improvement.
44. Great players… are never content and never complacent.