"Setting the Foundation as a New Head Coach": PhD Hoops Virtual Coaches Roundtable Notes (June 12, 2020)
Mike Blaine
Current HC at Plattsburgh State
Former HC at Medaille College
Setting the Foundation As HC
Both jobs I accepted very late. Only three weeks before school started. Very little time to prepare. Timing will play a big role in your foundation.
Questions to Ask As a New Head Coach
-Who Are You?
-Know your story? Can you articulate your story? How have your previous experiences led you here?
-What are your program principles?
-What is your plan?
-Do you have a plan for what you have to accomplish?
-What are your goals in your first year
-Conference Championship, winning season, raise team GPA, etc.
Who Are You Coaching?
-Most of the time, you won’t have a great understanding of the team you will be coaching and the individuals within the program
-Find out their past experiences?
-Winning program or losing program?
-What are their expectations?
-What are their hopes?
-Individual and collectively goals?
-What are their goals?
-Individually and collectively?
Program Principles
What are your standards?
-Can you define them?
-Kids will challenge them at some point
Coach Blaine’s Standards
Community—-Classroom—-Court
- Community. Ex: respectful at all times. No hats or hoods inside.
- Classroom. Ex: No late work. No missed classes.
- Court—-Ex: Enthusiastic. No turnovers on offense. Two hands high on close outs.
What is your accountability structure?
-Tracking.
-Chart how we are doing in classroom, community, on the court.
-Consequences.
-When we fall short, what happens?
-Reinforcement.
-When they are met or unmet, they must be reinforced. A/TO, Cussing at practice, etc.
-Continuity.
-Keep it up throughout the year.
Do and Dont’s As A New HC
-Don’t Ignore the Relationships.
-Don’t expect them to get it the first time. There will be a learning curve.
-Don’t teach what you don’t know completely.
-Do—-Be yourself. Be authentic. They will know if you are trying to be someone else.
-Do—Remain Vigilant amidst Challenges. There will be pushback from players
-Do—Fight for your Program every day. No days off. Firm with standards.
-Do—Remember your good fortune. 11 years before first HC job. There are coaches who have been assistants for 20+ years without that opportunity. Be thankful.
What are some of first things you must do as a new HC?
Kyle Getter, University of Virginia
-Make the current players feel like they are your players.
-Find out who’s with you? Relationship Building.
-You have to have players + coaches you are can lose with first before you can win.
-Dick Bennett/Richie McKay
Nigel Thomas, North Carolina Central
-Establish Culture
Ryan Badrtalei, UC Irvine
-What can you do to improve the program that costs no money? Culture, recruiting, etc.
-What is this place all about? At UC Irvine, we didn’t establish core values in a program for two years. We had to undue some things before moving forward.
-We had an identity and team handbook, but didn’t verbalize the values of our team.
-Have to be able to follow through on Core Values. You need to be able to re-center team with Core Values. One of them is appreciation. Family, friends, coaches, etc.
Matt Graves, Mount St. Mary’s
-Knowing process of your school. Admissions, meal plans, competitive advantage, etc. Find your advantage/disadvantages.
Taking Over a First Year Program
Pat Phillips
-Hired in Late January.
-New Program.
-No facilities, jerseys, etc.
-Would have an opportunity to create history with each moment that season. 1st basket, first charge, etc. Sell that to recruits.
-Nobody knew what college athletics looked like at my school. I had to fight for my program every day.
What are you looking for in an assistant?
Richie Schueler, PHD Hoops
Some of the best head coaches know their weaknesses. They try to address those weaknesses with who they hire as assistants. Does your assistant’s strengths compliment your weaknesses as a HC?
Scott Combs, Morehead State
-Loyal, hardworking, coaching experience
Head Coach Thoughts
-Sometimes simple is better
-When you win that first tough game, that’s when you get the first buy in.
-Takes some luck. You sometimes need to catch a break or two as a new HC.
Program Principles:
Norm Stewart, Former Missouri HC
-Be on time
-Communicate
-Be a gentleman
Nigel Thomas, North Carolina Central
-Enthusiasm
-Ability to communicate
-Ability to teach
-Important question to ask:
-As a HC, how do you balance grooming your assistants?
-Be authentic. Don’t be someone you are not. The players will see right through it.
Ryan Badrtalei, UC Irvine
-Can you compliment your HC?
-What conversation did he have with a player and how can I follow that up? Make sure that there is trust and buy-in from the players
-Stay on edge and follow behind HC
Richie Schueler, PHD Hoops
-Know who you are as a coach
-Don’t be someone you are not
Coach Andrew Brown (Gardner Webb)
-Don’t hire your friends
-As a HC, you forgot a lot of things. A lot of moving pieces
-I just let guys play at the end of the year and we played better basketball. -What if I would have made more adjustments earlier on?
