Category Archives: Coaching Philosophy

One of the most important ideas from Greg McKeown’s Essentialism is the “reality of tradeoffs.” It’s a concept that is simple to understand but often overlooked in the coaching profession. Tradeoffs are not something we choose to have—they are a fact of life. When we say yes to one thing, we are inherently saying no …

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In today’s coaching landscape, it’s easy to feel pressure to do more. More plays. More defenses. More drills. More technology. The belief is simple: if we just add one more set or install a new press, we’ll get over the hump. But the reality is, most teams don’t suffer from a lack of tactics. They …

Continue reading “Eliminating Tactical Clutter: Why Simplicity Wins in Coaching”

Part Two of our series on Essentialism in basketball coaching.  Most successful basketball coaches operate with a clear, well-defined philosophy. Without one, it’s easy to get lost in trends, constantly shifting tactics and strategies without a consistent foundation. Defining your philosophy is the key to sustainable success. It gives your program direction, helps players understand …

Continue reading “Defining Your Coaching Philosophy: Less But Better”

The power of doing less, but better. Coaching basketball in today’s world comes with an overwhelming number of choices. There are hundreds of offensive systems, countless defensive schemes, and endless training methods. Every season brings new trends, new analytics, and new voices telling you what you must add to succeed. The result? Many coaches constantly …

Continue reading “The Essentialist Mindset in Coaching”

It happened again.  The University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team made another early exit from the NCAA Tournament by falling to Colorado State 67-42. UVA’s performance was dreadful and left many wondering why they even got in the tournament in the first place. The Cavaliers and their head coach Tony Bennett face some well-deserved criticism …

Continue reading ““That System Won’t Work””

In the Summer of 2015 I was encouraged by some coaching friends to start sharing some of the basketball coaching ideas I used as a high school basketball coach. They encouraged me to use Twitter. I was not active on Twitter at the time so I was starting from the ground floor. I suppose the …

Continue reading “The Perils Of “Feature Creep””

Coaches are humans and they come preloaded with differing viewpoints on how to do the job. Demeanors are different. Personalities vary. Coaches have different opinions on what should be prioritized. That’s ok! There is room for many coaching styles.   One of the differences in coaching styles is whether a coach is more internally focused or …

Continue reading “Coaching Styles: Internal and External Focused”