The Power of Sports & the Financial Impact a Good Coach Can Have

For most that have worked at an academic institution and are part of an athletics department, the argument about the practicality of athletics is highly contested among some academia. The best analogy I have heard is that sport is the front porch for an academic institution. Pick up any newspaper and even above the name you can usually find scores and highlights. The most popular section of the newspaper is the sports section. A couple articles in the last few days demonstrate the transcendent significance of sports.

Saban Bringing Forbes to a SEC Homes Everywhere

First I read where Forbes magazine is printing 197,500 issues of their Nick Saban feature on September 1. Normally, they only produce 90,000 copies and have not had to do a second run in a decade! Certainly there will be a lot of people exposed to Forbes magazine that never would have imagined picking up the magazine if it were not for the drawing power of the Alabama head ball coach.

Forbes magazine has ordered a second printing of its Sept. 1 issue featuring University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban on the cover, the first time in more than a decade that the magazine has ordered a second printing of an issue in anticipation of higher sales.

The issue hit newsstands last Friday and is selling out in many locations. The cover story profiles Saban as 'Sports' Most Powerful Coach.'

The articles also says:

'Demand for the issue has been so high that stores have sold out of Forbes magazines within minutes,' the magazine said in a news release. 'The company has received reports that customers have waited hours for stores to receive additional allotments, and copies of the issue are being auctioned on eBay.'

THE FLUTIE EFFECT: GEORGE MASON & THE "OFFICIAL" STUDY

Each year when a school turns a program around or makes a run, like George Mason, similar articles referring to the Flutie Effect pop up in newspapers and magazines.

As I noted in my book notes of "Cinderella: Inside the Rise of Mid-Major College Basketball", Darren Rovell of ESPN.com said George Mason received between $5 million & $10 million in marketing value by their final four run.

From the CollegiateTimes.com, George Mason's press secretary had the following to say about the post final four run:

Don Walsch, George Mason University's press secretary, said that his school had an experience very similar to that shown in Pope's research.

"We experienced a number of visible results from our Final Four experience," Walsch said. "They were in admissions, alumni activities, people participating in events and a wide-range of other things."

Walsch added that he did not think there were any drawbacks to attention surrounding Mason's 2006 NCAA tournament run, noting that it made much of the country curious about where the college is located and what they are about.

"It increased our visibility nationwide enormously," Walsch said. "It puts a spotlight on us in a big way for people who didn't know who we were or what we were about. There was a genuine sense of pride in those affiliated with the university, either currently or in the past."

The article discussed a study done on admission applications and success in football and basketball:

"gathered information from approximately 330 colleges and universities nationwide between 1983 and 2002. This included every American institution that has an NCAA Division I football or basketball team with the ability to play for a national championship."

The study concluded that:

The team finishing first in either sport will likely experience the 8 percent applicant pool increase, whereas the schools finishing 16th or 20th will see the 2 percent rise.

THE STOOPS EFFECT

In another college football centered article, NewsOk.com declares Bob Stoops the financial savior for Oklahoma University.

"We can tie everything back to Bob Stoops,” Castiglione said. "The success of our football program has been like the high tide in the harbor that has raised all of the boats.”

Take a look at the financial facts of the Oklahoma athletic department before and after Stoops started winning.

Pre-Stoops:

In 1998, the Sooner football team finished with a fifth consecutive non-winning season.

And the athletic department budget was in the dumps. Football was not generating enough revenue to cover the rest of the athletic department.

The result was a $15 million debt, which was substantial considering the overall operating budget hovered around $25 million.

People lost their jobs:

(The A.D.) cut 25 positions that had come open through retirement or departure, which put a strain on the other 85-plus employees in the department.

After Stoops:

Increased budget for the entire department and additional sports for other students.

And in just a decade, the OU athletic department's budget has ballooned from $26.5 million to $70.8 million and the school has added women's soccer and rowing.

None of that includes the more than $120 million that was raised to renovate Memorial Stadium, including construction of the east side's upper deck.

Additional revenues from outside sources and enhancing the brand.

Since Stoops' arrival, advertising and sponsorship revenues have increased from $700,000 to $7 million. Licensing and trademark revenues have gone from $300,000 to $3.2 million.

The athletic department has also been able to raise an additional $65 million in capital donations that has gone to other projects, like construction of indoor facilities for baseball and softball.

Just win = just money.

Months before the 2000 season, Sooner officials scheduled the public kickoff of a $100 million capital projects campaign for Oct. 27, the weekend of the Nebraska game.

The day after the campaign was announced, OU hammered Nebraska 31-14 to assume the No. 1 ranking on the way to the school's seventh national championship.

The campaign had a three-year goal, but raised the $100 million in less than two years.

In all, the campaign raised more than $120 million, which led to construction of the east side's upper deck and suites and building of an indoor practice facility, the Everest Indoor Training Center.

A good coach's salary...worth every penny.

Only $220,000 of Stoops' annual salary comes directly from the university. The rest Stoops makes from supplemental compensation coming from endorsements and appearances.

"The vast majority of his compensation package comes from sources we wouldn't have without the level of success of the football program,” Castiglione said. "The endorsements, the radio and television, the events that he attends. Those things are successful because the football program under his leadership continues to be successful.”

The Flutie Effect

This section of the article is good enough to cut and paste the whole thing.

Dan Fulks, an accounting professor at Transylvania (Ky.) University, was asked in 2004 by the NCAA to analyze the budgets of 313 athletic departments over a three-year span.

While interviewing for a dean's position at Boston College, Fulks asked the school's president how diverse the student body was on campus.

"That depends,” the president told Fulks.

Pre-Flutie, he said, 80 percent of the students were from the eastern seaboard. Post-Flutie, only 50 percent.

In 1984, Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy, which increased the university's visibility outside New England.

"The Flutie Effect is very real,” Fulks said. "The visibility of a football program has non-financial benefits.”

OU president David Boren said Stoops and his winning football teams have had profound effects on the university's academic side.

"The national attention given to our football program brings many outside visitors to our campus where they become much more aware of our academic strengths,” Boren said.

"During televised football games we are also given an opportunity to provide a message outlining the strengths of our university including our academic excellence.”

Other effects are more financially tangible.

Two dollars from every Sooner football ticket purchased go toward academic endeavors. The OU athletic department also contributes an annual $1 million endowment to the university library.

Boren also believes that the success of the football team has contributed to an uptick in admissions applications and alumni giving to the non-athletic sides of the university.

"It is very difficult to exactly quantify coach Stoops' financial impact,” said Boren, who estimates that Stoops has made at least a $40 million impact to the university's non-athletic side. "An outstanding athletics program does attract students and tends to increase applications for admissions. The pride generated by athletic success does encourage private giving to the university. Much of the additional private giving results from visiting other parts of the university when friends and graduates come back to attend football games.

"Bob Stoops has had a very healthy impact on the high standards of the university in all areas. There is no doubt that he has helped to create a very positive image for the University of Oklahoma all across the nation.”

Off Court Reprucussions & Jeff Goodman's Blog

Jeff Goodman at Foxsports.com writes probably the best blog in the college basketball business. In addition to being one of the hardest workers, he is a good guy, man of his word, and extremely fair. Whether it is putting on the phenomenal prep tournament in Lowell, MA each fall, or in Vegas covering AAU tournaments, or in L.A. taking time off from his family vacation to sit on a panel to discuss media relations...he's everywhere and he's an asset to the game of basketball.

A quick blurb from one of his recent postings on Tywon Lawson's under aged drinking and driving. The message to our guys is that if you think what you do off the court doesn't effect the way people think of you on the court, you are very mistaken in this day and age.

Lawson said he was told that the Indiana Pacers, who had the 11th overall pick, held him in high regard – until the arrest.

“Coach [Roy Williams] talked to Larry Bird and they were real high on me,” Lawson said. “I was either going to be the No. 1 or No. 2 pick [on their draft board]… They’ve had a lot of problems with things like that, like with Jamaal Tinsley and Jermaine O’Neal – there were a couple of people that he named – so he called and said that they just couldn’t take a chance.”

Quotes To Note 8/23/08

From NFL Hard Knocks: Wade Phillips tells his team before a game "mistakes are my fault, effort is yours".

Four Questions in decision making:
whats the price of failure?
whats stopping me?
what can i learn from previous experience?
what can i do today?

Not sure where i picked this up by i tell the players i live with "if i loan you $20 and you don't pay me back, it's worth it. For only $20 i know i cannot trust you."

"Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and i'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things." - Lawrence Bell

"Do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do."

Learning from TV: HBO's Hard Knocks

"'We can't even teach him anything.' Yet still he's the hardest worker on the field."

The Las Vegas Sun website ran an update from the UNLV football teams training camp in Ely, NV. Within the article it mentions that senior running back Frank Summers gained some inspiration from T.O. If you get a chance to watch a few episodes, it is a great series. I used to come to the camp in Oxnard, CA when Bill Parcells was the head coach. It seems to be a stark contrast in coaching styles with Wade Phillips. Here's a portion from this article.

In Ely this week, during the little bit of free time he's had, Frank Summers didn't necessarily learn something new while watching HBO, but rather had something he values dearly reinforced.

"I was watching that show 'Hard Knocks' the other night, I see (Terrell Owens) catch every ball, run fast, big, strong, that guy is unbelievable," the UNLV running back said of watching the cable series documenting Dallas Cowboys training camp. "And yet the coaches say 'We can't even teach him anything.' Yet still he's the hardest worker on the field. Even though you're talented, you still need to work. And that's just been me, a blue collar player, a blue collar person my whole life."

The opening scene of last week's debut episode of this season's 'Hard Knocks' showed Owens running early in the morning on the beach, working out on his own.

Summers has emulated that to an extent this week as the team trains in the mountains, staying each day after practice for extra work, be it while running against a bungee cord or practicing blocking techniques on a sled.

Prep star Jennings a unique positive out of summer hoops

HERE'S AN ARTICLE I READ FROM CbsSports.com. THE ARTICLE POINTS OUT A POSITIVE STORY OUT OF AAU BASKETBALL.

I THINK AAU BASKETBALL IS AN EASY TARGET BECAUSE ITS NOT ALWAYS PRETTY, NO ONE IS RUNNING THE PRINCETON OFFENSE AND COACHES ARE NOT IN SUITS. SURE THERE ARE A LOT OF MIDDLE MEN AND GUYS WITH WRONG INTENTIONS, BUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF TEAMS AND THOUSANDS OF KIDS ON THOSE TEAMS THAT ARE PLAYING HOOP INSTEAD OF BEING IN THE WRONG SPOT AT THE WRONG TIME.

AS A PREP SCHOOL COACH, WE DEAL WITH TONS OF KIDS THAT HAVE SIMILAR STORIES TO MILTON'S IN THIS ARTICLE. WE'RE NOT BETTER OFF WITHOUT SUMMER BASKETBALL. TAKE IT AWAY AND RECRUITING BECOMES A DISASTER WITH COLLEGE COACHES MISSING PRACTICES OF THEIR OWN TEAMS TO WATCH HIGH SCHOOL GAMES WITH 1 OR 2 RECRUITABLE KIDS OFTEN PLAYING TEAMS WITH NO HIGH LEVEL TALENTS. I CAN NAME SEVERAL KIDS THAT HAVE GOTTEN MORE COACHING IN THEIR AAU PROGRAMS THEN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.

WHAT MAY BE "RUINING THE AMERICAN BASKETBALL PLAYER" IS ALL THE LIMITATIONS ON PRACTICE TIME AND THE LACK OF CONSISTANT TRAINING AS COMPARED TO THE CLUB SYSTEMS IN PLACE IN EUROPE. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM KIDS START PRACTICE NOVEMBER 17th, PLAY 20 GAMES FROM DECEMBER 8TH WITH PLAYOFFS STARTING MARCH 9TH. THEY GET MAYBE 60 PRACTICES. THERE ARE 16-18 DAYS TO GET YOUR TEAM READY. ONCE THE GAME SEASON STARTS YOU GOT COACHES GAME PLANNING TO WIN IN MANY CASES INSTEAD OF DRILLING INDIVIDUAL SKILLS. I'D HATE TO CUT OUT ANYMORE BASKETBALL FOR OUR KIDS.

Aug. 13, 2008
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Summer basketball has ruined the American basketball player.

That's the common theory among talking heads, and I can't say I totally disagree. The extensive travel limits practice to almost nothing, statistics are deemed more important than wins and runners for agents lurk from one event to the next. No doubt, the summer circuit is a breeding ground for bad habits and folks with bad intentions. Anybody who claims otherwise is lying. So if you want to curse it all, that's fine and reasonable.

But first let me tell you the story of Milton Jennings.

It's a story that shows the other side of things.

"In a way summer basketball saved my life," Jennings said. "It really did."

Unless you are a recruiting enthusiast or Clemson fan you've probably never heard of Jennings. Likewise, you probably have no idea how close you were to never hearing about him at all because you have no idea how close he was to never amounting to anything, on or off the court.

"I had a terrible childhood," Jennings said over dinner the other night, and the bluntness was striking. We were tearing through an order of wings at and the conversation turned from basketball to the Olympics, from my life to his.

"I didn't have any friends until I was like 12 years old," Jennings said, and I couldn't help but press the issue. It's not everyday that an elite basketball prospect -- Jennings is committed to Clemson and rated by Rivals.com as the ninth-best player in the Class of 2009 -- tells you everything hasn't always been quite as promising. So I was intrigued by the dialogue and started talking to anybody I could about Jennings to find out more.

Here's what I learned: Jennings has a black father and white mother who was 16 when she gave birth. That's a difficult place to start, especially in the South where bi-racial couples aren't always embraced. So Jennings had the odds stacked against him from the moment he entered this world, which is why nobody was surprised when he failed third grade before limping through fourth, fifth and sixth.

School was hard.

Nothing came easy.

But the kid did get one break in life: Good genes.

Jennings was always a little taller than the other kids, making basketball an obvious hobby. He played in a church league yet wasn't all that skilled or good. But when Rufus McDonald decided to start an AAU team for his youngest son, Tyler, he remembered the tall kid he had seen in that church league and thought it might be worth reaching out to see if he was interested in playing.

Naturally, Jennings jumped at the opportunity.

What else did he have going on?

"He was sort of uncoordinated at first," McDonald said. "But we worked every weekend. He'd get there on Friday and go home on Sunday."

Things continued like this for months, and because the importance of education was always stressed in the McDonald home -- Rufus' wife is a teacher; his oldest son is in law school at Florida A&M -- the conversation would often turn to class work. Jennings was guarded at first, mostly insisted things were OK. But around Christmas during his seventh-grade year he acknowledged he was struggling. McDonald went to Colleton County Middle School to see the counselor.

"She brought two of his teachers in with us and we talked," McDonald said. "They told me Milt was on target to fail for the second time. He was going to fail. But I begged his guidance counselor and those two teachers to not give up on him. I told them to send me e-mails every Friday and that we'd go over everything he needed to go over, and they did everything they promised they'd do.

"That guidance counselor and those two teachers took a personal stake in Milt's life," McDonald said. "They changed his life."

Jennings made it through seventh grade. The following year he enrolled at Pinewood Prep.

The change of environment changed everything for him.

"It was the best thing of my life," Jennings said between games at the Nike Global Challenge. "I hated being a bad person, but it was almost forced upon me (in grade school). It wasn't a good area and if there were 30 kids around, 28 or 29 of them were bad kids. So you couldn't have good intentions.

"Even if you knew something was wrong you'd still do it most of the time because if you did the right thing people would look at you funny. It was easier to do wrong. But when I got out of there I got to see what life is really about, and it's been great for me. It opened up the world and I got to meet and interact with new people. Now it's like 28 or 29 of the people I'm surrounded by are good people and that has helped me be a good person."

Fast forward to today, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn't describe Jennings as a good person. Not only is he a likely McDonald's All-American, he's won academic awards at Pinewood Prep, his core GPA is better than a 3.0 and he qualified for college so long ago that Stanford was heavily involved in his recruitment before Trent Johnson moved to LSU.

This year, Jennings is taking an AP Biology class. In the spirit of not falling behind, he has requested advanced work because he will miss the beginning of school while traveling with a group of elite prospects to Brazil this week for a Nike-sponsored series of exhibitions.

"Academically, he has just thrived," McDonald said. "I'm so proud of him."

On the court, the development has been similar.

Jennings has gone from an "uncoordinated" tall kid to a sharp-shooting inside/outside threat destined to do great things at Clemson, and the best part is that he might be the most humble and engaging "star" I've ever met on the summer circuit.

All he wanted to do all weekend was talk and listen and he expressed disbelief at how some fellow Class of 2009 standouts (read: DeMarcus Cousins) reject instruction because they think they're already fast-tracked for the NBA.

"People don't even want to talk to the directors or coaches at these events, but I run up to them like a little kid," Jennings said. "I don't know everything. I want to learn. That's why when I was at (the) LeBron (James Skills Academy) I worked with (Duke graduate and TV analyst) Jay Bilas over and over again. There were other guys who wouldn't even listen to him. But I was like, 'That's Jay Bilas! He knows what he's talking about.' So I listened and asked questions and tried to learn as much as I could."

I contacted Bilas to see if he remembered Jennings this way, or even at all.

His response?

"I not only remember him, he impressed me as much as any kid I worked with all summer," Bilas said. "He is smart, outgoing, energetic and really eager to learn and to be a really good player. Milton is willing to push his limits and step out of his comfort zone, and he will get better and better. ... Clemson got a great prospect and a great kid."

So anyway, that's the story of Milton Jennings.

Pretty neat, huh?

From failing third grade to qualifying for Stanford.

From small-town South Carolina to touring South America.

It's been quite a ride, and none of it would've been possible without the AAU coach who stepped in and helped make that guidance counselor and those two seventh-grade teachers pay special attention.

That's where the turnaround began for Jennings. So if you want to continue thinking summer basketball has ruined the American basketball player, like I said before, that's fine and reasonable. But it's not a stretch to suggest it has also saved at least one, and that one will be in Brazil the rest of the week further expanding his horizons a long way from his desolate beginnings.

Notes & Quotes From Big Time Blogs

Check out my favorite blog probably ever by Coach Eric Musselman http://emuss.blogspot.com/

The internet got 5% better with his site. Very impressive but has cut into my sleep time reading everything I've missed since it began.

To pull one item or another from Coach Muss's site would be an injustice since it is all great stuff. The most powerful passage was written by his sister Nicole and was posted as a tribute to his late father (and legendary coach) Bill for father's day. Here's the snippet that jumped off the page that I surely will share with our players this year:

"My Dad was interested in why people prevail and why people surrender. The will to triumph fascinated him. When I look back on his life, his greatest gift wasn’t a fantastic basketball mind; it was the dedication to follow his dream. Behind his steel blue eyes was a life full of passion.

My father once told me, “Two percent of basketball players are born with endless talent, the kind of talent that would take a complete fool to mess up. The other 98% are going to succeed because of how much they put into it and how deep they dig into their soul.”

Wow. Read the whole posting here. The passion for life, people, coaching, his family, the game of basketball and sharing his gift is awe-inspiring.

A byproduct of scouring the site lead me to Michael Lombardi's blog which is phenomenal. Check it out here: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/blogs/notesfromlombardi/

Lombardi oversaw the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns personnel departments and has over 20 years of NFL experience. He worked with Bill Walsh, Bill Belichick, Mike Shanahan, Marty Schottenheimer, and many more. He also experienced the some of the crazy side of sports business such as the Al Davis run Raiders that he refers to as "Hotel California". His experiences and player evaluations are tremendously interesting.

I took a few notes as I went through Lombardi's site. Here's a snippet of somethings I found interesting that overlap to the hardwood. (Warning I paraphrase and stray somewhat).

*He talks about hiring a fundamental coach vs. scheme coach. Believes the fundamental coach will get his team better each month while the scheme coach will get caught up to when the scheme is figured out, the players don't fit the scheme, or the players fundamentals fall off within the scheme.

*Ben Franklin was right when he said, "Well done, is better then well said"

*Each coach should write down before the summer break ways that he can improve in the following areas:

1. His overall football knowledge-scheme and personnel

2. His presentation to the players

3. His leadership skills.

4. His daily routine

5. His " in season" study

And work on those five areas at night during the summer vacation. It is important to get a great job, but is more important to do a great job once you get it.

*Henry Kissinger says in his memories about life in Washington, "Is you borrow on the intellectual capitol you bring, and you can't renew it once your here".

*"Recruiting is like shaving, if you don’t do it everyday, you look like a bum.”

*Albo lives the McArthur Creed for Youth every day.

“Youth is not a time of life. It’s a state of mind. It’s a test of the will, a quality of imagination, a vigor of emotions, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over love of ease. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair…these are the quick equivalents of the ling long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust. Whether 70 or 16 there is, in every beings heart, the love of wonder, the sweet amazement of the stars, and the star like things and thought, the undaunted challenge of events; the unfailing childlike appetite for “what next”. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your self confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair. So long as your heart receives messages of beauty, cheer, courage, grandeur and power from the earth, from man and from the Infinite, so long are you young. When all the wires are down, and all the central places of your heart are covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then and only then are you grown old indeed, and may God have mercy on your soul”.

*Someone once said, "Life is never measured by what we get, rather, what we give".

*He says, "Your either getting better or getting worse, but your never the same. I have tried to follow that creed each day."

*Bill Walsh use to talk about the need to scout “inside out, as opposed to outside in”, meaning know what it takes to play in the scheme your own team runs. Most scouts are scouting over a broader scope of players with out the intimate knowledge of the scheme their team runs. You have to know the plays to evaluate the players.

Double Pump Collegiate Business Conference 2008

The Pump Brothers put on their annual Collegiate Business Conference last week. Friday, August 8th was the clinic that had a lineup that included Oscar Robertson & Jerry West, Isiah Thomas & Chuck Daly, Pat Summit, an Athletic Directors panel, a panel on coaches representation that included Mick Cronin and Jim Christian, Media relations segment with Jim Harrick, Denny Crum and some media folks including Jeff Goodman, Mike DeCourcy, and Gary Parrish, and an impromptu post agenda clinic with Lawrence Frank who broke down the pick n roll aspects of what he does offensively with the Nets.

The clinic had many high points and took a look at the profession from different angles. It was part entertaining, part program building, dealing with modern topics of media, agents, search firms, and it had taste of x's and o's from the highest level. Maybe the best aspect of the program was that it put hundreds of coaches together in one spot to develop relationships. In addition to meeting several folks that were extremely impressive, it was uplifting to be around coaches truly dedicated to their craft. Seeing head coaches like Jamie Dixon grinding out notes from Lawrence Frank's impromptu session while the reception is going on at the pool was very impressive.

Conference Notes

Keynote Address by Oscar Robertson & Jerry West with Roy Firestone

Oscar Robertson
used a tennis ball wrapped with rubber bands until he got a basketball of his own
back then there was nothing to do so kids played sports
Auerbach won partially because he had veterans on the bench who wouldn't kill you in the game

Jerry West
suggested reading: "1960 Olympics: The Olympics that Changed the World"
more nationalism then than now
absolutely highlight of life was winning the gold medal

OR: '60 team hadn't been corrupted by NBA, weren't expected to win
millionaires now think they are beyond playing for the USA

JW: $1 per diem in '60
substance over style players
looks at players characteristics:
1. how smart you are
2. how you play with others
3. do you compete for your teammates

"WHEN YOU ARE AROUND GREATNESS, KNOW ONE HAS TO TELL YOU"

played the Celtics 23 times one season
at height of his career he wanted to quit because he hated losing to the Celtics so bad
never touched a weight

OR: never lifted, bailed hay growing up

JW: Kareem Abdul Jabber never complained about money, playing time, or practice

OR: basketball was a way of life and an oppurtunity now it is all commercialized

JW: basketball was "my life"
"WHEN YOUR YOUNG YOUR BEST FRIEND IS YOUR MIND, YOUR DREAMS"
he never shot in a gym until the 7th grade

JW: the branding or logo you wear has nothing to do with whether you can play

Roy Firestone hates press conferences where kids pick between a few hats, says its disrespectful to the college process

JW: school opened new horizons for him as a person
the aau and recruiting at such a young age kills the dream for kids
now you have to coach families, hangers on, and all the baggage
at one point the Lakers had to play 5 games in 5 days in different cities

*******************
Chuck Daly & Isiah Thomas: The Player Coach Relationship

Chuck Daly: last 10 years never raised voice
stressed getting past mad

Isiah Thomas: if coaches let me slide and not rough up relationship then I wouldn't been who I am or been the player i was

CD: "Midnight Rule" - no matter what happens in the game that night, get over it by midnight

IT: Dennis Rodman changed because he didn't get paid and Detroit broke his heart

CD: Rodman was doing things that really impacted the game but wasn't making any money and Detroit didn't want to pay him so he created a character as a means to get paid

IT: money changes perception of you by the people around you, then you start eliminating those people. Then you adjust or believe the perception people have of you.

Isiah played hurt because he didn't want to let his teammates down

IT: Losing is distasteful

CD: to win it all, you have to hate (hate other teams abilities, success, etc.)
never took timeout with dream team so he could get back to eat quicker

IT: everybodys friends with a loser
more in it to hurt others than help
post game interviews were never about the game
media wants to be paid and be a star - negativity sells
FAIR IS IF YOU GET HIT, YOU GOTTA GET UP

**************
Pat Summitt

you win in life with people

your program is family

3 P's - she makes her players aware of
1. Parents - they love u, support u, but not coach u because they live through u
2. Peers - your friends tell u what u want to hear
3. Press - write about the best scorer

Accountability!
Hire an assistant coach that will make your players accountable

Hire the best strength & conditioning coach and let them do their job

Take care of people around u - she got a limousine and had a night on the town for everyone in the office after landing candace parker's recruiting class

Hire a good recruiting coordinator
Tennessee is aware of 9 and 10 year olds already

sign great people to your program, after 30 years she says people don't change

no job is too big or too small

work camps, she is there start to finish

discipline and rules are uncompromised regardless of who it is

No Miss - Up Front Rule: students can't miss class and must sit in first 3 rows
she says if missing 1 or 2 classes is ok then missing 1 or 2 games is ok

Tennessee Women's Philosophy:
1.Defense
2. Board Play
3. Take care of the ball
4. Shot Selection

Shot selection: record everything in practice, managers put up shot percentage after each practice. numbers are hard to argue

Not what you teach, its what you EMPHASIZE

Watch practice film: you can see so much more. who is putting out, who knows what they should know, who is hiding, body language

Personality Profiles
Many kids have Attention Deficit Conflict - as a coach you want to know who has attention to details
Bill Rogers - told me I cannot yell Chamique Holdsclaw and he was right
"Predictive Index"

1 on 1 meetings three times a year
in these meetings I find out what you can bring to the team
Expectations/vision of how team should be is communicated

Only 1 time shot over 50% in a championship game

Defense and rebounding wins

Summitt uses the term "invested" over and over

She's only missed 2 days of camp
Promote program and give back

54 people were at her first game, now 15,000 per game

Media Guide - cover always the team, coaches on the back

On court huddles - designate speaker
Organize bench - where everyone sits
Leadership by peers - have athletes fill out in interviews info on teammates
Support other programs at school - her and Bruce Pearl classic example

Recruit together with the women's program
She had Pearl's team all over to her house with her team and Pearl's recruits

Scouting - have players scout
every staff members watch film on every team

****************

The Athletic Director Round Table

Dave Blank (Elon) - hired Dr. Tom Davis at Drake
Said Coach Davis was a great communicator especially when he needed something
When asking for something, don't say "Here's what I need", rather say "Here's what i could use to get it done"

Chris Del Conte (Rice) - for his Rice hire, they put together candidates from 10 schools with similar academic component and admissions
wanted the right fit

Ken Kavanagh (Bradley) - Leave quick messages for an AD if interested
Who knows the AD? Thats who should call

Blank - Don't underestimate your network
positive changes (when coach leaves for better job) are more surprising and an AD probably has fewer preconceived notions of who he wants

Eugene Doris (Fairfield) - the initial shortlist is unlikely to have the candidate that is chosen
AD's are generally not stuck on ideas

Kavanagh - who you surround yourself with is important in a search
ask yourself "can i retire there?", often you stay longer than you think
also ask "will i get fired there?"

Doris - don't be a yearly mover
are u responsible for success for a program? hard to say if u move quickly
learn how to interview

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Communicating With the Media

Gary Parrish (CbsSports) - make any story a one day story

Jim Harrick & Denny Crum - gameplan any crisis with the SID, its what the SID does

Mike DeCourcy (Sportingnews) - scout the media when you change cities or jobs
call media to get to know them, call other media to get the low down on media in an area
know that lies will always come out

Reporter dropped an F bomb after she thought the mic was cut
was on youtube in 10 minutes, today has 150,000 views

Jeff Goodman (Foxsports) - news is instant, what you say off the record is safe
personal relationships matter and may be the difference on a slant or running with a story or not
some stories have to go no matter what

Parrish - everyone talks, gets texts from meetings
could be managers, trainers, etc.
develop assistant coaches speaking skills as well as players speaking

Roy Williams - doesn't let freshman talk to the media until after first game

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Lawrence Frank wrapped up the conference with some screen and roll offensive sets and concepts.

Number one above all else is getting players to "buy in": Heads and Hearts

Punch is their term for wanting the ball inside

He said if the D goes under a screen, blame the screener

Spring into screens

On a side pick n roll, wants screener to run throug the elbow

Wants screen to be set on lower part of the body

On a high screen (flat angle, spread, traditional) run through the nail

4 S's for screen n roll action

1. starting point (where you start with the ball)
-side 2 feet inside arc, 3 feet below free throw line

2. set up - get low with the dribble, always look to beat defender without screen going away from screen

3. separation

4. score - go at bigs outside hip, think lay up
Bibby was asking why they never ran plays for him when they ran 25 side screen and rolls

"organized attack" - Cavs do with LeBron to force a double on him and let 4 play 3

"get" - screen

"sprint up" - corner player gets running headstart going away from slot penetration

"2nd penetration" - off a sprint up

3 T's
1. Trust the Stuff
2. Trust Eachother
3. Trust Yourself

A bad shot = "I don't trust my teammates"

NBA shoots 36% on contested shots, 47% on uncontested shots

Broadway doesn't rehearse then change at the show. Don't do things you don't do at practice. Don't get out of character.

Doesn't like going against switches because guys do wrong stuff to exploit (for example he gets a small v. big and the guard shoots a 17 footer)

Vs. switch with a guard vs. big
back up and go full steam at the big
screen 5 on a 4 when small vs. big, make bigs switch on perimeter which is unfamiliar

offense is constant counter punching

a half dive off a screen is hard to guard off side screen, especially a step inside elbow

Villa 6 in Las Vegas Notes

On Monday, July 21st I attended the Villa 6 Consortium at the Palms in Las Vegas. For four years VCU and Nike have been putting on the Villa 7 Consortium. Villa 7 is an invite-only consortium that provides a training ground and a networking oppurtunity for coaches and athletic directors. Villa 7 has produced 35 Division 1 head coaches in since its inception in 2004.

Some buzzwords from the event: loyalty, truth, reputation, preparedness, ask, listen, eyes, evaluate, versatility, work capacity, "your brand"

The consortium made me think of a quote that Rod Marinelli of the Detroit Lions once said (i paraphrase since I heard it, wrote it down, but couldn't find it anywhere on the internet), "I don't like the guys who look for light at the end of the tunnel, I like guys who keep on digging."

Here was the agenda:
12:00 – Welcome12:15 – The Journey featuring Florida associate head coach Larry Shyatt
1:15 – Secrets of Success featuring assistants Joe Dooley (Kansas),Russell Springmann (Texas) and Shaka Smart (Florida)
2:15 – Break
2:30 – From the Athletic Director’s Chair featuring Vic Cegles (Long Beach State), Keith Gill (American), Norwood Teague (VCU)
3:30 – The Anatomy of an Assistant featuring Dave Telep (Scout.com) and Jeff Goodman (FOXSports.com)
4:45 – What I’m Looking for in an Assistant Coach featuring American's Jeff Jones and Drake’s Mark Phelps.
5:45 - Closing

Larry Shyatt started the event with some phenomenal insights into his career. He distributed a hand out of "friendly advice". It was a collection of questions to ask yourself, an outline of program aspect to keep notes on, and notes on balance, respect, reputation and character.

Some notes from Larry Shyatt's speech:

Maintain a level of balance - look back/forward when you are 50 0r 60 and have no regrets

He said some guys excel at coaching low character guys

Some think doing right on the court and off the court is separate

He suggested watching or reading the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch at Carnegie Melon.
Here's the link: Randy Pausch Last Lecture

Some quotes he pulled from it: "It's not about how you chase your dream, it's how you live your life. Your dreams will come to you."

He also says, "Tell the Truth"..."All the Time"

He encouraged to "suck up your pride to move in the direction you want"

Learn with a new basketball Family

Shyatt had 22 interviews before he became a head coach

As a Head Coach he tried to manage everything
As an Assistant Coach he wanted more responsibility, wanted to be used more

Do your best, surround yourself with truth
Don't try to stop listening (improving)

Be Ambitious, ask questions...he said Billy Donovan is the best question asked whether it be in a meeting or to a cab driver

Find a mentor - lean on someone outside the program as a head coach

Enjoy the job

Impact winning: recruit, get along with people, make the environment more positive with you in it

Know the different between loyalty and TFL
TFL: Total F*cking Loyalty

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Next Up was the Secrets of Success Panel with Rob Lanier (Florida), Joe Dooley (Kansas), and Russ Springmann (Texas)

Rob Lanier
There are 3 ways to be on the radar for a job before your reputation
1. where you are from
2. where you went to school
3. previous place of employment

These 3 blocks build your reputation. Its the people you work with and around that create your reputation
Win over your inner circle

Russ Springmann
Don't Focus on 1 part of what we do, be able to do it all
Focus on the job you have
#1 always: how can you help our players

Joe Dooley
Watch a pre-draft workout
Take 1 hour a day to do basketball stuff
Use entire staff to recruit (for example, every post recruit will talk with Danny Manning)
Change what you can, leave the other stuff alone

Rob Lanier
Coaching sometimes is preparedness - you need to learn on the job
Whats your body of experience

Russ Springmann - There are always eyes on you - perceptions lead to oppurtunity

Joe Dooley - Bill Self discusses the team and personal goals with his staff

Rob Lanier - the stakes are higher for administrators, they are not just relying on a head coaches phone call

Russ Springmann - have a relationship with you AD and associate AD's

Joe Dooley - mend fences
Says that an Assistant promoted to Head Coach at same school is tough because you are viewed as "the replacement"

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Athletic Directors Panel with Vic Cegles (Long Beach), Keith Gill (American), and Norwood Teague (VCU)

Be proactive with relationships on campus

Leave an impression on everyone in the athletic department

AD is watching all the time, occassionally wear a tie to work

AD's see through the big name calls

AD has to sell you to the president, media, university, and fans

See your "total package as a brand'

Ask yourself "Do I fit there?"

Short Team Prep: "win phone call, win the interview, win the AD, win the seach committee"

Presentation: 1 to 2 page handout, bullet your philosophy
AD's see hundreds of presentations/packets and cant go through them

Vic Cegles: experience as a head coach overrides most factors
Recruiting is key. Each school does it differently.
It would be hard for a D2 or D3 to move up

Norwood Teague: Headhunters are here to stay
Some are hired for the security/background checks/ media buffer

Vic Cegles: headhunters get the names from AD's
headhunters allow the ability to say 'no' to the media about discussions with a candidate

Keith Gill doesn't think search firms are as prevalent at lower levels

AD's always ask if staff is lined up and who they have in mind

Interview evaluates thoughtfulness and preparation characteristics

At mid major an agent is not worth it and potentially harmful

A big selling point is fund raising at the mid major level

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Anatomy of a Great Assistant with Dave Telep (scout.com) and Jeff Goodman (foxsports)

Dave Telep: reputation and relationships is the business
be prepared
be creative
know your craft
know where you fit

Jeff Goodman: staffs must work together

Dave Telep: you are always being evaluated
before recommend a kid ask yourself "would you put your job on line for this kid?"

Goodman stressed versatility as an assistant, don't pigeon hole yourself as an X & O guy or a recruiter

Dave Telep: i watch everyone, may be at a different level program overnight
told a story of Darrin Horns thorough preparation as an assistant at Marquette
said Herb Sendek scrapped everything at NC State and did it his way
Sendek recruited academic, character, multi-position kids
Know what you want and what is a fit
a recruiting tip: show a kid how much money (and time) it cost to recruit him, visually spell it out

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What I'm Looking For in an Assistant with Jeff Jones (American) and Mark Phelps (Drake)

Jeff Jones: Loyalty means doing the job

Mark Phelps: work ethic, "work capacity" - it is a gift to be able to sit and grind for 4 to 5 hours
character is paramount
loyalty is what are you doing on a consistant basis, especially when no one is looking
i am looking for a positive guy

JJ: needs evolve, core stays the same

MP: planned for 3 years to be head coach, wrote down names of guys he admired as assistants
1st impressions is sometimes all you got

JJ: listen to assistants, media, looks for guys who are evaluating on the road and not just hanging out
won't hire who i don't know
be patient, don't be the guy looking at the next job
let your head coach you are looking or thinking about a job
enjoy exchanging ides
write letters, follow up

MP: be diplomatic, urgency good, panic is bad
enjoy people and influencing young people or your in wrong profession
don't let yourself be labeled
dictate your own future
be thorough and complete
have balance
learn to write very good letters, they make points without a rebuttal or cut off