4TH ANNUAL
RISING COACHES CONFERENCE FOR NCAA BASKETBALL SUPPORT STAFF MEMBERS
Andy Farrell · Longwood · (773) 255-8226 Adam Gordon · Mississippi State · (662) 418-9031
Trey Meyer · Miami OH · (706) 832-3529
Adam Cohen · Harvard Brandon Rosenthal · Santa Clara Michael Fly · Florida Gulf Coast
Rising AD’s
July 23-25, 2013 Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV
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Ryan Bamford (Georgia Tech), Bill Chaves (Eastern Washington), Jerry Koloskie (UNLV) & Kevin McGinniss (ECAC)
“The Hiring of a Basketball Coach”
Wherever you are, whatever you do, do the best at your job… always
o The best job is the job you have
o It’s not who you know; it’s who knows you
o Make everyone around you look good
People will take note
It’s a transient profession
o As an administrator, you always have to have a short list
Candidates list that continues to grow
o The PERSON is the most important aspect of the hire
Honest, ethical, upfront
A to Z, it’s all about how you treat people
It's about what you do, not the position or title you hold
Everyone knows about X's and O's
You have to be a good guy
What do you do in the next 5-10 years to position yourself to become a head coach?
o Align yourself with the right people and in the right situation
What’s you end-goal? What are your core principles?
Who will challenge you to be better?
You need to start a blueprint for how you will do things when you get the chance
You must have “Like-ability” skills
o Get involved with your profession
Realize, and realize early, that your position spans across the entire University
Not just basketball!
o Prepare yourself to deal with all people in Athletics
o Learn Compliance & know the rules
APR, Graduation rules, etc.
o Go to other athletic sports’ events
Be a part of it all
Athletics is the front & center of the University… GET INVOLVED!
Selfishly, it’ll help gather support for your program
Blueprints are great, but find out who YOU are
o Add value to the institution everyday
It’s not just about you and your sport
Lift up your entire department
The process (of hiring) is not yours, YOU MUST REALIZE THIS
o It’s not about you
You have one role, and that’s as a participant
Don’t be so self-centered as to think it’s about you
o FIT is incredibly important (This part and the sentence below should be in McGinniss' section)
o Never hire someone off of a resume. It should be about feel and trust
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As a candidate, learn the job you are trying to get
o What support do you have? What don’t you have?
Can you handle this?
Know all about the situation and the job
Through the hiring process, the hiring committee needs to ensure that:
o It’s run fair
o Candidates are communicated with accurately and timely
Always call back
o Flexibility exists
The process does change
o The result is a great one
Only time will tell
Hold yourself to the utmost class and integrity
o 1st impressions are truly lasting
A lot can be said for self-respect and looking sharp
o Remember, it’s the 1st personal impression
People have done their homework on you long before that meeting
Social Media can be dangerous
It’s things that are checked
How have you prepared yourself prior to the 1st personal impression?
It’s your brand… it’s who you are
o Never underestimate the importance of a handshake, eye contact, and dress
o The first 2 minutes are vital when meeting someone for the first time
GIVE ME SOMETHING!
Be very very VERY prepared
o Have a great attitude everyday
7 P’s: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance
o Do a SWOT analysis of the job
Have an “Abundance Mentality”
“I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL HERE!”
Our job is a book
o Some people are just in different chapters right now
How will you handle adversity
It is what it is!
Don't come in and tell the AD what you don't have. They know! You knew what
you were getting into.
o Figure it out!
Make emotion deposits in people’s lives
o Emotional bank accounts
o So many coaches only talk to administration when they need something. You can't just make
withdrawls. You have to create a relationship and make deposits as well.
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Alvin Brooks (@Coach_AB3) – Kansas State
Image and perception is vital
o Realize that people are always watching you
Don’t’ self-destruct via Social Media
Why do you love coaching?
“It’s never been about winning… if it was, you would have a miserable career.” – Bill Snyder
o What are you doing with these young men AFTER they graduate?
Players aren’t robots - Don't just build a player, grow a person.
We need to find out about them
o Build a true and lasting relationship with them
Embrace all of the responsibilities you have, even if you are forced to do them
o It makes you grow a lot more
Don’t complain about it
Understand that it will help you succeed
Once you advance, don't get lazy and rely on your support staff. Stay sharp
o We need to be constantly improving and growing
The better you become, the more you can help others
Which is what coaching is all about
Learn what your Head Coach wants and relay that to the players
o Learn ALL terminology of the Head Coach
Open your mind to new ideas
Build your inner circle and seek 2 or 3 mentors who can advise you
o Who is going to vouch for you?
Genuine relationships with people
Little things matter and it goes a long way
The more you help others, the more help you get
o Call or text people when you don't need anything from them
Don’t choose a job for money
o Create a need for yourself and you’ll get opportunities
When you get a new job, understand the housing market thoroughly
ESPN.com Article from Dana O’Neil
o Be a basketball coach!
Your current players are your biggest recruits and recruiters
Do more with academics, speaking engagements, etc.
Change your punishments with the team
o Time, exercise, who does it, etc.
Walk the walk
There’s always more than one way to win
o Entitlement culture vs. Earning culture
Bricks vs. saves
Be on time!
Make sure the person you are dating truly understands the profession
o Have balance, but your family IS your #1 priority
And they need to know this
1 hour of time means a lot and can go a long way
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Andy Enfield (@CoachEnfield) – Southern Cal
Opportunity to be successful starts with knowing that this is what you want
o PASSION for this business / profession is necessary
Have a personal brand
o We all have positives and negatives
We didn’t invent the game, so don’t act like it
Appreciate the people you work with
o We form opinions of people immediately and they do it to us
Right, wrong, or indifferent
It’s still what we do
o Understand who you want to be hired by and project an image
BUT BE YOURSELF
What makes a great coach (Head & Assistant)?
1) Loyalty
You can be counted on
2) Dependability
Have your things done that you’re suppose to have done
Be proactive and find an answer
o Problem solver vs. Problem creator
3) Work Ethic
4) Creativity
Make suggestions
5) Professionalism
Represent your University and yourself in the right way
He has my job and what am I going to do about it?
o Don’t be jealous
o Don’t put down people who have been given opportunities
You never know where you will coach next
o It’s about timing
Realize that you’re not going to get every job that you apply for
The power of persistence
o Create your own luck
Sometimes you need to take a longer path to get a result you desire
o Find a way to get the job done
Your credibility helps you
Failures are by the hundreds and there will be struggles and disappointments
As you go though the tough periods, you will question yourself
o That’s why you need to have that passion
o People around you may question you and your choices
You need to feel it in your heart
Seize the moments
Wherever you are, make an effort to get to know people and learn
When looking for Assistants, the Head Coach put himself in the shoes of various entities
o Recruit, administrator, parent of a student-athlete, parent of a prospect, etc.
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Kerry Keating (@SCUHoops) – Santa Clara
Do your job!
Have respect for coaches at all levels, regardless of title
program and how you’re viewed as a leader
A quality managerial staff is vital to success
Always have a pen on you, no matter what
o Get a notebook to put ANYTHING in it that will help organize the Head Coach
Be on time and Sit in the front row at athletic department meetings to set high standard for your
Getting along with members of the staff is crucial
o They need to be best friends
They shouldn’t be competing with one another for recruits
The common denominator is the Head Coach
A bad staff can be the death of a team / program
The staff should help hire the open position on the staff
Having children makes your job better and makes you better at your job
o It motivates you to be a better coach and a better person
Establish an emotional relationship with recruits, parents, players, etc.
Learn from the things you don’t like, so that when you’re a Head Coach, you can fix it
Carry a journal with you and write things down
Be ready to go go go, early in your career.
o “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if
you feel the heat around the corner.” - Heat
Keep each other sharp and make each other laugh
Best advice from Jerry Wainwright
1) Don’t drink during the season 2) Stay in good shape 3) Dress well (you can never overdress)
4) Shut your mouth
Trust yourself and what you’re doing
“Get a guy” everywhere you go (restaurants, airports, around campus, etc.)
o They control the system and can get things done for you
Tickets and t-shirts are leverage that you hold
Build your X’s and O’s Library now
Learn technology, trends, etc. of modern players
o You need to be the IT guy on your staff
Take care of your Head Coach and be organized
o Find out what keeps him happy (favorite drink, snack etc.)
o A free and clear mind is vital for the Head Coach
Send follow-up notes
o On good, quality (card-stock), notecards
Walk campus and have 2-minute Meetings with people
o Introduce, learn, establish, and then follow-up
Start saving money now!
Be honest and speak from the heart
o Have true emotions about what you will say
Learn the emotional aspect of coaching
2 books: The Energy Bus & One Word
TRUST
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Pat Skerry (@CoachPatSkerry) – Towson
There’s no clear-cut way to coach
INPUT = OUTPUT
Pay attention to guys that are out there doing it the right way
o Observe other staffs
Change habits, build culture
Think like a Head Coach, but act like an Assistant Coach
o Have everything organized and be ahead of the game
o Take things off the Head Coach’s plate
SERVE others
Put out the brush fires, bring things to the Head Coach that are forest fires
Bring energy and enthusiasm daily (be jacked-up)
o If the Head Coach asks you to do something… IT’S IMPORTANT!
How can you help improve your program?
o There’s no perfect way, but bring new ideas to the table
Don’t oversell and underdeliver when recruiting
o It’s not about who you are recruiting, it’s about who you get in the end
Target 6-10 people, and tactfully stay in touch with tem
Bring a mentality every day of “bringing it” and working
o The fall is faster than the climb
It's a great game but a bad business - good people get fired all the time.
“Fit” is vital for taking your next job
o It has to make sense
o Let it find you
When the team wins, everyone gains
o Don’t worry about who gets the credit
Chemistry and communication are crucial
o Develop thick skin
Are you prepared for this next job?
o You can ask questions too - interview the interviewer
o What’s your plan?
Recruiting, staffing, scheduling, player development program, marketing, etc.
Keep investing in your profession
Higher expectations create a higher sense of urgency and responsibility
When making your hire, you need someone who you can trust
When recruiting, be yourself and have a great relationship
o What’s your focus? Do what you do!
Practice time doesn’t cost money
o Change habits, give structure, have consistency, and send messages
You can lose a game, but you cannot lose your culture
o Lose gloriously
o Your team has to know what you’re all about
Sports are humbling
Have a veteran assistant coach who can give the head coach perspective.
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Dennis Gates (@CoachDGates) – Florida State
We can’t give you any story but our own
Use integrity and find a way
o Complacency will hurt you - you have not arrived
o Don’t wait on the icebreaker
Find a connection with everyone
o You are a few degrees of separation from anyone
Your interview is occurring daily and you may not know it
o It’s never too early and often too late
The financial compensation (if any) is minimal, compared to the experience and opportunity
o Survival mode
o Blind faith - belief that your hard work will produce great results.
You never know when you will get your return on investment
Everyone has it, not everyone knows how to apply it
Talk to EVERYONE when recruiting
As an exercise in recruiting, try to track down an NFL head coach's phone number
o They will have a scope of who your recruit is, inside and out
Talk to and get to know the person to your left and to your right
o Resumes can be put into a stack of 2 or 200 based off of relationships
Resumes are merely protocol for HR
o Jobs are gotten long before the formal interview takes place
o Find out how your boss got hired
Have a connection with him so that he sees himself in you
Sit in your boss's office and pick his brain everyday. Make your boss kick you out.
Be connected to the Boosters
o Get put on their mailing lists so you know what’s going on
You have to re-recruit all players (current and PSAs) on a weekly basis
o The girlfriend controls more (much more) than you realize
You don’t know what you don’t know
o Build for success (Russian Toy Boxes always has something new to discover)
You are where you are for a reason
Know coaches on the way to the gym, home, vacations, etc. to help exercise the profession
Everyone has a personality, just like your fingerprint
o Respect the hierarchy of the profession and of age
Ask questions, all the time
Time is required to develop relationships
o Early sacrifices pay off big later
o No job is below you
Find a way to establish authority with your players, but always hug them after
Don’t embarrass your players in public
o Your players need confidence
o Every player is painted with a different brush
Have a silent confidence and humility
Take advantage of Basketball Without Boarders, FIBA, etc.
o Find a kid with a motor and that can run!
Practice communication
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Robert Ehsan (@RobEhsan) – Alabama-Birmingham
Go to clinics
o Learn, improve, get to know people
o Re-read the notes!
Too often we just file the notes away and never look at them again
There is value to them!
o Pick 2 things that you hear or learn that can help you become better
Focus on them, act on them
Email yourself things you need to remember
Hand-write people
o Take time to thank people for their time
If you don’t follow-up with someone you meet, you are failing
It’s a small world
o It’s a smaller profession we’re in
You don’t have to network with the Head Coach all of the time
o Other people can help you along your way
o Other people are more realistic with time
You have to build trust
o Do everything
Every little job needs to be done with urgency
In the best way possible
Time is never wasted if you believe in what you’re doing
o Especially with your players and in aspects of the program
To win the lottery, you have to play the lottery
A lot of future relationships will be with your current peers
o Get to know them
Personally and professionally
If you have a chance to join a new staff that’s taking over a new program… do it!
o Put your mark on the program
o Observe how it’s done
You need someone in your corner to help you
o Your peers will help you get your next job!
Read more
o Never Eat Alone
Know the lay of the land, wherever you are
Volunteer to help with different parts of the Athletic Department
o Be an Idea Guy!
Run ideas through your assistants for potential job opportunities
Page 10
Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) – CBSSports.com
If you are serious about what you do, invest the time
Dealing with the media is required in the coaching profession
o It’s a reality in this day and age
No story stays local anymore
o There is a true power in Social Media
o The media controls the message
You may need the media on your side one day
At the collegiate level, players’ behavior is a reflection of the coach
o Different than the professional level
May not be fair, but it’s the real
Relationships with the media and the perception of the message can be controlled
o The angle of the media can be controlled through a valued relationship
Media writers can decide on the shadow that’s cast on a story
Or the positive spin
o The personal relationship matters
Benefit of the doubt, or time to handle the matter
Get in with your local beat-writer
o Get them a story right off the bat
Great relationship formed easily
Realize that “the story” is going to come out anyway
o Use it to your advantage
One hand washes the other
Media writers aim to be fair
o Good, bad, or indifferent
Head Coaches will ask about potential hires to some members of the media
o Reputation and perception are equally important
Know that the media serves a purpose to every program if used properly
o Promote the positive aspects of the program
Remember, that even though the media is asking the question, you can deliver a message that you
need to deliver still
o Regardless of the question being asked
Calipari is the best at this.
“Grab an umbrella”
Take an opportunity to help someone daily
Page 11
Dan Bere (@DanBere) – IPFW
Don’t be ignorant to the lower levels o Every step-up gives a new sense of entitlement o “I’ve got a pretty good job.”
There is no exact route in coaching o There are about 700 Division 1 Assistant Coaches o Outwork your competition o Control what you can control
Head Coaches-treat it as a business o Must learn how to be successful at fundraising
Assistant Coaches- Get your current players better
Feel out when to give input to those above you o Watch and study the assistant coaches
Pay attention and learn
Document the drills
Basketball has become too “Hollywood” o Do it to become a basketball coach
Be an athlete o Stay in shape
Never sit down during practice Always wear shorts and dry-fit shirts
Attitude that you are grinding it out with them o Earn the respect of your players as an authority figure
Can’t let them walk over you
It’s ultimately about the players o They are the reason you are here
Must be able to serve them as a leader
Surround yourself with winners o You will be recognized by your company
Appearance is critical o Must look the part
Be able to recruit o Find out who is helping the recruit make the decision
Better understanding comes with more experience
Goal is going to NCAA tourney
Do what you require of your players
Dominate your role o “What role do I play?”
What makes you different o What are you doing to get noticed
Develop your hotlist
Work with your 5 year plans o Be ready for the unpredictable and hope you get lucky
Never lack energy o Learn to go without sleep
Have pep in your step o Only head coach can be negative
Page 12
John Welch – Brooklyn Nets
Know what you want o Have a definite purpose
Be aware of where you want to end up
“I enjoy what I do”
Your job is to change people o Takes years to truly change a person
Make sure people know if you want to be a Head Coach o Be ambitious but don’t piss people off
See opportunity o If it happens that’s great, otherwise move on
NBA is totally different than college o Rely a lot more on schemes
Think like a Head Coach o What would I want me to be doing
“I don’t know about you but I’m tired of this losing…” o Some people like to coach and some people like to win
Need to love basketball o Must be self-motivated
Think like you have the most important job on the team You will have the tendency to do your job better
Work because you can, not because to have to
When you are younger, you have nothing else to lose o Either do what’s best for the team or what’s best for you
Never quit a job until you have a new job o “Burn the ships” o There isn’t a worse and more humbling feeling than to be without a job
NBA is the hardest audience to coach o There are 30 NBA Head Coaches o Know your target audience
Coaches should be out there before practice o Welch has missed several pre-practice meetings with the staff because he doesn't think the
players should be on the court without a coach.
Loyalty is a two-way street
The intelligence in the game of basketball is rising o Use your smarts
Dress nice
Be yourself o You can’t be much more than you are
Can’t do something if it’s not important
“Don’t get beat” o Practice technique to keep your man in front of you regardless of which way he goes
Page 13
James Brown (@WorldofAlfa1) – ALFA Worldwide LTD
As individuals, we often don’t think of ourselves as brands
You have to be a chameleon o You must be able to appeal to a lot of different people
Create cheerleaders o People who talk about you when you are not around o Always delivering a positive message about you
Look for the right opportunity, long-term, to build your skills
Know how to use your body language o Posture, eye contact, walk, etc.
Make the necessary changes to be your best o Build your brand step by step
Improve your look o Your actions will affect your future o Reconsider who you associate yourself with
Your reputation is too valuable to leave up to someone else’s actions
When you meet someone, you develop an impression of them quickly o First impressions are lasting
Learn to perfect the 90 second elevator speech
Deliver a concise message
Be remembered o Positively
o Practice talking with people Practicing communication is vital
o Leave an impression that would create further conversation
You never know who you are going to meet o Must always be “shining”
Be at your best An interview can happen at any time
You use your brand every time you step out of your home o Work, meetings, conferences
Someone is always taking notice of you
And taking inventory of how you present yourself o Is this someone I want to be associated with?
If you can’t get by the appearance, you can’t get to the substance o It’s a reality of the world
It’s a reality of the profession
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Thank you’s & RCE in the news!
We would like to thank all of our speakers who generously shared their time and wisdom with us at the Rising Coaches Conference. We hope that these notes will benefit you or your program in some way.
Second, on behalf of all the attendees of the Rising Coaches Conference, we want to thank our sponsors for their generosity & support of Rising Coaches Elite. Without their financial assistance, we would not be able to provide these services to the coaching community. Please extend your thanks to them, as well as James Kerti, who runs and constantly updates our RCE website.
Finally, on behalf of the co-founders of Rising Coaches Elite, we want to thank you. Your passion for the game, your dedication to bettering yourself as a coach, and your ability to teach the values and standards that you were once taught is priceless. We also wanted to thank you for your constant support of Rising Coaches Elite, as we continue to try to provide a service to the grassroots of coaching. If you didn’t make the Conference this year, we hope to see you in 2014!
2013 NBCSports.com Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2013 CBSSports.com Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2012 Yahoo! Sports Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2012 NBCSports.com Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2012 Slam Magazine Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2011 CBSSports.com Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2011 ESPN.com Article about Rising Coaches Elite
2011 NationalHoopsReport.com Article about Rising Coaches Elite