David Stern has seen college basketball and German soccer overcome point-shaving scandals. He never imagined his own league would be thrown into one.The NBA commissioner blamed “rogue, isolated criminal” Tim Donaghy for that, creating a betting scandal that has devastated the league and threatened the credibility of every referee.
“My reaction was, I can’t believe it’s happening to us,” the commissioner said Tuesday.
Today those other sports remain popular, and Stern thinks the NBA will also eventually recover from the “most serious situation and worst situation that I have ever experienced either as a fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or a commissioner of the NBA.”
In the last 25 years, I have aided over 80 coaches to reach their goal of coaching in college. Over the years I have developed a system that will give any coach a chance to reach this coaching pinnacle. My expertise is teaching this path to eager young coaches. Will you be next?
If you want to pursue a college coaching career, you must know that the second step is the toughest. All Step #1 entails is deciding that you want to coach in college. Step #2 moves you from wanting to doing. Doing the work it takes to make this monumental journey is the toughest part of all. If you are one of those coaches who has moved into the “doing” stage, I want to acknowledge you for making the decision to move to further your coaching career.
There is no magic pill to take for turning your desire into an actual coaching position. There are, however, specific steps you need to take to just have a chance to get one of these jobs.
Overall Actions to Take:
1. Clearly define your goals
2. Establish time tables for each goal
3. Write out an action plan to accomplish each goal.
4. Will you move first then find a job or visa versa?
5. Determine logistics of moving, relocating, finances, personal considerations, family.
Specific Actions to Take:
1. What kind of position do you seek?
2. At what level of college coaching do you want to eventually end up at?
3. How willing are you to climb the ladder to your desired position?
4. Are you willing to make significant financial sacrifices to reach your goal?
5. What is the status of your coaching network in the US?
6. Determine your strengths and weaknesses and how you would present them to a head coach or Athletic director.
7. What areas would you need to develop in order to be qualified as a college coach in the US? In this email I have given you some ideas to consider. I offer a Teleseminar, “The Path to College Coaching,” which is designed especially for coaches that are willing to take on this challenge with the attitude of not failing.
Most that fail do not commit to doing whatever it takes to reach their goal. I hope these 12 ideas will help you on your way to the big time! Please let me know how I can help you on your journey.
Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA apprearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com.
Ending nearly three months of suspense about his future, the Miami Heat center said Sunday night at his annual Zo’s Summer Groove charity game that he’ll play again next season — a choice he kept secret to the end, insisting he was still deciding just hours before the actual announcement. Truth was, Mourning’s decision was made weeks ago. The Heat’s reign as NBA champions ended with a first-round sweep this past season by the Chicago Bulls, and he simply isn’t willing to let that be the final chapter in the book he’s writing on his career. “I want to redeem myself and try to help this team redeem ourselves as an organization and try to get back on track,” Mourning said. “That wasn’t the Miami team you saw in the playoffs last year. … I was embarrassed. I was truly embarrassed by that outcome. I know for a fact we’re a better team. It left a sour taste in my mouth and it’s time to really end it all on the right note.” This was the third straight summer Mourning considered retirement before choosing to keep playing. Next season will be his 15th in the NBA, not including a full year he missed with kidney problems that led to him getting a transplant in 2003.
The Miami Heat may be moving toward Plan B in their quest for backcourt help this summer.
Milwaukee point guard Mo Williams moved closer toward signing a $52 million, six-year deal to stay with the Bucks on Friday, the same day that another of the Heat’s point guard targets — South Florida native Steve Blake — got a three-year deal to join the Portland Trail Blazers.
Williams’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, wouldn’t say Friday night that the Heat are officially doomed in their pursuit of Williams, but acknowledged that all indicators are pointing toward the 24-year-old returning to the Bucks.
Like most sports, the winning team in basketball is determined by how many points your team scores. A high school game is only 32 minutes long, putting pressure on each possession to be efficient and productive. This article looks at three aspects of offense; shot distribution, selection and location.
If there are 60 possessions in a high school game (45 due to turnovers and free throws) and you shoot 45% from the field, your team will average about 21 made baskets a game. I would guess that your team could generate about 6 open lay-ups. If you fast break and press, probably a couple more. That leaves about 15 baskets your team still has to make.
The following questions are very important ones to ask and ponder:
1. Based on your team and offensive philosophy, where will those shots come from?(I mean where on the floor, not who).
2. What kind of shot distribution would you prefer from your team based on what you know about your team? Answer this based on how YOU want the shot distribution to be, not on what your team would want.
3. Now, the challenge is to match your “offensive plan for shot location and distribution” to match the offense you run. This will take some time, but the time will be well worth it. The biggest offensive mistake I see in high school basketball is the “aimless offense.” The “aimless offense is where there is no consistent base that dictates who shoots and where they shoot from. “Answer this: If you were a football coach, would you put your guard at quarterback and your receivers on the line? Of course, not. How does this relate to basketball?
In basketball would you have a 21% shooter taking threes? Who would you want taking more shots per game, a 52 % shooter or a 30% shooter? Who is allowed to drive the ball into the paint and can make plays consistently without turning the ball over? What have you defined as a “bad shot” for you team and do they all buy into it? These are questions that must be answered and decided upon before your next season.
The best advice I received was from Jim Crews, the current Army coach who had been a player and assistant coach at Indiana as well as the head coach at Evansville. He said that PURPOSE is the most important thing in offensive basketball. He advised me to do this: In practice while your team is in the middle of a possession, shout “Stop.” Ask them what they are trying to do. In other words you are asking what their focus of that possession is. If they say, “Trying to score, coach,” you must then address the specific purpose of their attempt to score.
This is an excellent thought and one that coaches need to ask themselves. Too many times the offense “searches” the defense without any clear purpose. Ultimately, someone will take a shot because they feel it’s time to take a shot. That is a recipe for defeat because usually the shot distribution, selection and location are way out of balance.This is a ton of things to think about but if you spend time on this, return your answers to me, we will be making great progress together!
Before your next season, I challenge you to analyze your offense in terms of the kind of shots you want on the offensive end. By looking at shot distribution, selection, and location, you will be designing a productive and efficient offensive machine!
Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com
Chauncey Billups bounced around like a basketball early in his career before finding an NBA home with the Detroit Pistons.
The All-Star point guard now will extend his career with the team he led to the past five Eastern Conference finals.
Billups and the Pistons agreed on a five-year, $60 million contract Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person, who requested anonymity because of league rules preventing contract announcements before July 11, said the deal is worth $46 million guaranteed over four years and the fifth year is a team option.
Billups was drafted third overall in 1997 by Boston and was with Toronto, Denver, Orlando and Minnesota within his first four years in the league.
The Seattle SuperSonics appear set to pluck another piece from the San Antonio Spurs.
The Sonics have scheduled a Thursday news conference amid reports that the team has hired P.J. Carlesimo as its new head coach. Team officials refused to comment Tuesday on a report that first appeared on the San Antonio Express-News Web site, which said Carlesimo had been chosen by Sonics ownership.
Carlesimo and former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey have been considered front-runners for the Seattle job. Casey told The Associated Press on Tuesday evening that he was informed by the Sonics they were going with another candidate. Casey said he was not told who the choice was.
“They said they were going in a different direction and that I made it a tough decision,” said Casey, a former assistant in Seattle. “I’m disappointed.”
Seattle general manager Sam Presti, who spent the last seven years working in the Spurs’ organization before becoming Seattle’s GM on June 7, was traveling and unavailable for comment.
