Coaching U Live Podcasts Gems

My morning ritual consists of a bagel from Brooklyn Water Bagels and a Coaching U Podcast. I just recently started listening to them and I have to admit, I'm hooked. Coach Brendan Suhr and Coach Kevin Eastman have done an incredible job of bringing some of the best and brightest minds in to share with us their personal beliefs on a variety of topics. This morning I listened to the Joshua Medcalf podcast and decided that I needed to share some of the things I've learned from all the podcasts I have listened to. I highly recommend to anyone, especially those involved with sports, to listen to these podcasts. (Available on iTunes for free) There are so many lessons to be learned. Here are some of my Coaching U "Gems":

Have clarity with your voice. Less is more. (Gordon Chiesa)

There's a difference between asking questions and questioning. (Gordon Chiesa)

Are you coaching basketball or are you coaching individuals? Are you coaching a team or are you coaching players to become a team? (Brad Stevens)

Very few players have been a member of a team. They've been on a team, but they haven't been a member of a team. (Jay Bilas)

The things in life that are really worth something cannot be done by yourself. (Billy Donovan) 

I think through sports, the struggle, the failure, the pain help prepare you for things later in life that become a lot more serious. (Billy Donovan)

Every coach has to have a well defined philosophy of the game. Your philosophy won't change and it must be understood by your players. (Stan Van Gundy)

Love people more and put people's hearts first. (Joshua Medcalf) 

Elimination Of Mistakes

The following comes from Bob Knight's "The Power Of Negative Thinking".


Basketball - like life - is at least partly a game of mistakes. Despite thousands of years of evolutionary improvements, human beings do not play any game perfectly. As a coach, you have to understand, its not the development of your offense or the development of your defense that will make you a consistently winning team; it’s the elimination of mistakes its getting rid of those things that amount to a deal-breaker in the game of basketball:

• Poor ball handling
• Bad shots
• Slow recovery from offense to defense
• Bad fouls and poor foul-shooting
• Poor blocking out of opponents in rebounding
• Go-it-alone, uncoordinated defense 

Last Game - Next Game Theory

The following comes from Bob Knight's "The Power Of Negative Thinking". 

"In basketball, If I thought we had an insurmountable lead toward the end of a game where we had beaten pretty good team, I’d pull our five starters and – while that game was still being played out and those starters were on the bench – I’d be talking to those five about the next game: getting them thinking about who they were going to guard, about what we were going to be facing, getting them over this game. I didn’t want them gloating about how well we played in a game that was almost over. That was not to deny them the satisfaction they deserved after a job well done. A coach should never forget to compliment his players on a well-played victory, but shouldn’t hesitate to tell them when they’ve played poorly – in a loss or a win." 

14 Qualities Of A Master Coach

I came across these via one of my favorite Twitter follows in Alan Stein. He is constantly tweeting great stuff, from quotes to strength exercises and even great meal choices! He is a must follow if you have a twitter account. Here are the 14 Qualities Of A Master Coach: 

1. A master coach has a purposeful mission.

2. A master coach is a big thinker.

3. A master coach has high character.

4. A master coach embraces change.

5. A master coach has empathy.

6. A master coach takes calculated risks.

7. A master coach has a high basketball I.Q.

8. A master coach is decisive.

9. A master coach uses authority appropriately.

10. A master coach is an effective communicator.

11. A master coach is a servant leader.

12. A master coach is courageous.

13. A master coach is fully committed to the betterment of their players (on and off the court).

14. A master coach works on their craft every single day.

5 Important Questions Coaches Must Ask Themselves

I have the pleasure of seeing Coach Suhr everyday in our UCF basketball offices. He truly is a pleasure to be around! During his opening night speech at the Step Up Symposium in Charlotte, he posed these 5 questions for all coaches to think about that will help mold your coaching philosophy: 

5 Important Questions to ask Yourself

• Why are you coaching?
• Why do I coach the way I coach?
• Style
• Behavior
• How does it feel to be coached by me?
• Would I want to play for myself?
• Who do I want to be as a coach?