The Coach Corner: College Basketball Coach Columns

THE GAME HAS NOT BEEN THE SAME
by Jay Bilas, ESPN

I have always enjoyed my time in the game, but I have never enjoyed it more than when I was broadcasting games in the Atlantic 10 in the mid to late 1990’s. Every time I had Xavier game, I looked forward to spending time at practice with Musketeer coach Skip Prosser, whom I considered to be one of the true good guys in the game. I miss Skip. To me, the game has not been the same since he left it. read more

THE SWEETNESS OF A ROAD WIN
by Ed Conroy, Tulane

In May of 2007 I traveled with Skip to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait to coach and spend time with the troops as part of Operation Hardwood IV: Hoops with the Troops Tournament. I have been on several trips with the USO to visit the troops and they are all unique, fun, and memorable but spending a week with Skip in Kuwait on that trip was truly life-changing. read more

COMMON LOOKING PEOPLE
by Reggie Minton, National Association of Basketball Coaches

Skip Prosser was a friend. Many lives have been enriched because they were touch by him. I know that mine has. Every day when I come into my office, I see our photo together and I nod in its direction. I can’t determine how much Skip contributed to the greatest of our game, but you can rest assure that it is an awful lot better due to him. Thank you, Skip. read more

A HEART OF GOLD
by Joe Mihalich, Niagara

It’s Valentine’s Day. So naturally everywhere you look you see hearts. It’s a day when you think about their sweethearts. But I also think about people that have heart and people that have a big heart. Skip Prosser had both. read more

THE RENAISSANCE MAN - FOREVER YOUNG
by Joe Boylan, Loyola MD

Skip spent one year at Loyola 1993-1994, and took a team that had won two games the year before to 17 wins and the only NCAA bid in the school history. Even after 14 years his presence was and still is felt on the Loyola campus by those whose lives where changed by the “happy man” from Pittsburgh. Even after his tremendous success at Xavier and Wake Forest he would come by Loyola and say, “ this is where it all began.” He was Loyola’s Haley’s Comet! read more

THE LEGACY OF GENE BARTOW
by Buzz Peterson, UNC-Wilmington

The game lost a great coach and the profession lost an outstanding human being with the passing of Gene Bartow. During my time at Appalachian State I got to know his son, Murry. Over the years we have become very good friends so I got to know his dad really well. Gene was one of those guys who always made time for you. He was the truly the genuine article. read more

JANUARY CHALLENGES COACHES
by Steve Shields, Arkansas-Little Rock

It’s rarely talked about and more often overlooked, but the month of January is a challenging month for all coaches. And it's almost here. Let's look at a month the presents many challenges. The first month of the calendar year is always a key month. It marks the beginning of the conference season, where a slow start can be righted or two months of building confidence can be broken. read more

SEPTEMBER 11: LOOKING BACK 10 YEARS LATER
by Jimmy Patsos, Loyola Maryland

It was Thursday September 6, 2001. The recruiting period was underway and we were busy trying to improve our team. At the time I was an assistant coach under Gary Williams at the University of Maryland and we were trying to get Nik Caner-Medley and Brandon Bowman signed. Gary felt pretty confident that Caner-Medley was going to attend Maryland and we thought that Bowman would follow. That night I got a call from Brandon who told me he was going to play his college basketball at Georgetown. I was really surprised. read more

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11
by Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech

It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the attack on America. Still vivid are the images of the destruction and loss of life in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and New York City. I still find it difficult to fathom that nearly 3,000 people were lost that day. read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP
by Will Brown, Albany

Leadership is crucial for any team, program, or organization to be successful. Many young people do not understand what it takes to be an effective captain or leader. I always look for the individuals who are capable of leading by example and leading vocally. The ideal situation is if your best player is your hardest worker and best leader. Only if it was that easy! Too many individuals are concerned about what their peers think. They are afraid of the reaction they might get from a teammate or a friend. read more

ALWAYS A WINNER
by Mike Brey, University of Notre Dame

It was May 28, 2007, the final day of Operation Hardwood IV. After six days of competition, we are playing in the championship game. It’s been an incredible week at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait City, Kuwait. I am one of eight coaches that made the trip and it has been a tremendous experience for all of us. read more

DEFENSE: EFFORT, PASSION AND COMMITMENT
by Lute Olson, Naismith Hall of Fame

Defense wins basketball games. Offense only determines the margin of victory. It’s always interesting to hear people talk about teams that are great defensive teams, as opposed to those that are not. Defense is all about effort, passion and commitment. So why aren’t all teams great on the defensive end of the floor? After all, effort, passion and commitment should be components all teams should possess. read more

IT'S NOT ALL GLAMOUR
by Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech

How many college sports span two semesters? Just one. Unlike football, which begins and ends in the fall semester or baseball, which is starts and finishes in the second semester, college basketball covers both. The length of the season is something that many observers simply take for granted in that they don’t truly appreciate the demands it puts on those involved. Practice begins long before the family gathers for Thanksgiving dinner. And by the time it’s all over, many Americans will be celebrating the Easter holiday. read more

IT'S TIME TO EXPAND THE FIELD
by Bo Ryan, Wisconsin

Expansion. It’s not a new discussion point among college basketball coaches, but it’s gotten more attention in the days and weeks since the 2006 Final Four. It all centers on the question of whether or not the NCAA tournament field should be expanded? In my opinion -- Yes. read more

FAMILY MATTERS
by Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin

Our position as college coaches requires a great deal of time and effort to fulfill all of our various duties. Recruiting, practice planning and execution, alumni and public affair events, community involvement projects and academic oversight are just some of the more demanding aspects of our jobs. We work very hard to build a successful program -- on the court, in the classroom, and within the community. read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE
by Steve Hawkins, Western Michigan

Balance. We hear that word used quite often in sport. Having a good balance is crucial to the success of a team, but it’s not what most would think. It’s less about a balanced attack and more about the balance of the individual, right down to the basic positioning. read more

BOUNCING BACK - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE GAME
by Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech

Recently collegeinsider.com approached me about doing a season-long feature on the aspects of the mental approach to the game. Being somewhat of a head case myself, I agreed. For the foreseeable future, I will offer my thoughts on the Psychology of the game, from dealing with expectations to being mentally prepared to face the challenges of conference play. For the first installment I will take a look at dealing with a tough loss. read more

FAN BEHAVIOR
by Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech

While this topic may not always be front-and-center in the mainstream media, it continues to be a widely discussed issue among coaches. It’s also a topic that has as many sub plots as there are coaches working in the profession. read more

RECRUITING THE RIGHT FIT
by Ron Everhart, Duquesne

There are so many key elements involved in the recruiting of a student athlete. Whether or not he can play at the next level is obviously among the most important questions to be answered, but it certainly extends well beyond just talent. read more

A HISTORY OF WINNING
by Eric Eaton, Assistant Coach, Quinnipiac University

As career coaches we spend many hours learning as much as possible about our game, our profession, and what it takes to achieve success in the wild world of college athletics. As assistant coaches, we must work tirelessly to advance our programs on a daily basis. Of course, we are preparing to become head coaches, but being the best at the job you have should be the top priority. Loyalty to the head coach and the program are a staple of a top notch assistant. Through the experiences we have in different programs, under different head coaches, we will shape our opinions, contacts and coaching styles. read more

COACHING A STAR
by Tommy Dempsey, Rider University

We are all out there in search of the next great player for our programs. What are we looking for? The answers on the surface include size, speed, athleticism, and a soft touch. But while on the hunt for all these qualities we should never lose sight of some others that may be even more important. They are character and work ethic. read more

IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL WORKOUTS
by Bobby Marlin, Louisiana Lafayette

Two years I received a memo from our compliance officer, informing me that the NCAA had made an adjustment to the guidelines for pre-season workouts. Each player was still afforded two-hours per week to work with a member of the coaching staff. That hasn’t changed. What it is different is that we are unable to work out the entire team until Sept. 15. read more

OFF-SEASON CONDITIONING
by Mike Gillian, Longwood University

The season may be over in terms of actual games, but the preparation for the 2008-09 season has already begun. Before long summer recruiting will be in full swing, but it’s not only the coaches that are getting ready for the next season. read more

MID-MAJOR TOP 25
by Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee

Let me start by saying it’s an honor to be the named the chairman of the Mid-Major Top 25 voting panel. Now in its’ tenth year of existence, the Mid-Major Top 25 has become the authority on college basketball outside the proverbial power conferences. Casting a weekly vote is something everyone on the panel takes very seriously and I look forward to overseeing the process for the 2008-09 season. read more

EVERYBODY'S MENTOR
by Bruiser Flint, Drexel

I have been following CollegeInsider.com for well over a decade now and one of the things I thoroughly enjoyed is the many columns, authored by coaches. For the most part my contributions have been more on the lighter side of the court, but with the recent announcement of the creation of the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award, I thought I would write about a coach who has always taken time to write about others. read more

LEFTY
by Lute Olson

Since his retirement a few years ago, there have been some wonderful features and accounts of the coaching career of Charles "Lefty" Driesell. Some have focused on his 786 wins, taking four different schools to the NCAA tournament or his invention of "midnight madness." Each is a part of what Lefty Driesell was as a coach, but there is one thing that comes to mind when summing up the coach and the man. He is genuine. read more

THE POWER TO CHOOSE
by Dee Stokes, Southeastern University

Oftentimes we take for granted the ability we have to make our own decisions in life. Authors Stephen Covey & Michael Burt write that there is a space between stimulus and response in which we determine (choose) how to respond. For example, the stimulus could be someone sideswiping your car at the drive-thru. Before you pull out that 9 millimeter and blow the guy's head off, shouldn't you think about the decision that should (needs to be) made in this case? read more

COACH HENSON IS ONE OF THE BEST EVER
by John Giannini, La Salle

I was really excited when I first learned that CollegeInsider.com was going to create an award to honor Coach Lou Henson. I felt it was long overdue that Coach Henson receives such an honor. When there is talk about the greatest coaches in recent history Coach Henson’s name is not often mentioned, but it should be included in any discussion. read more

DEFINING TRANSITION
by Dee Stokes, Southeastern University

Transition can mean a number of things. In a basketball coach’s mind transition usually means transitioning from offense to defense or from defense to offense. We also term transitioning from “D” to “O” as a transition break or secondary break or even fast break. read more

WE KNEW HIM AS COACH
by Lute Olson

It was three years ago this week that we lost one of the great people to ever coach to this game. His name is synonymous with March Madness. The greatest compliment you can pay can pay someone in this profession is to simply call him “coach.” Admiration, success and the respect of one’s peers are what earn a man the simple title of “coach.” read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSISTANT COACHES
by John Giannini, La Salle

In corporate America the CEO gets all the credit for a company's success. He or she is made out to be the one person responsible for everything good that has come to the company. But there are always people who put in just as much time and effort, without the glory of getting mentioned on CNN. In college basketball we call these people assistant coaches. read more

THE GAME IS BIGGER THAN ME
by Dee Stokes, Southeastern University

As I was driving down the street one day (my best thoughts come at weird times, of course) a thought popped into my mind…”The game is bigger than ME…!” It prompted me to dig a bit deeper and eventually more thoughts filled my head which led me to pen this poem. read more

MID-MAJOR SUMMIT
by Jimmy Patsos, Loyola MD

At the 2006 Final Four, in Indianapolis, I was asked to succeed Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton and serve the one-season term as chairman. Since that announcement was made I have received a number of calls and emails from coaches wondering if there will be any changes or modifications to the current system. read more