Coaching Characterstics
I wrote today on facebook about coaches that can win with more or less talent and some of the characteristics that they have and I want to expound on that a little. Not every successful coach does it the same way. Sometimes coaches mold their style to the team they have and others just coach a certain way that seems to work for them.
I use Coach K as an example often because he’s such a great example. He takes McDonald’s All americans and really gets them to buy into a team concept at an early stage in their college careers and it makes that program really run well. Coach K took that same philosophy and applied it to the olympic team and they won a gold and had those guys really thinking only about the team and winning the medal. It’s honestly unappreciated because others look at that program and say “yes, they win but look at all that talent.” Truth is they would win games with Coach K or any coach but it is the way it is done. Rick Barnes is my alternate example of a coach who gets high school all americans but Texas is no threat to ever win a title. Barnes will win 25 games a year and churn out some pros but his teams aren’t going to win it all because he hasn’t figured out how to get those kids to buy into the team concept first and I don’t think they are recruited that way. Duke is always scary to play when the players have fully bought into what Coach K is selling and they have bought in this season.
People often ask my opinion of Bobby Knight and Rick Majerus and since I have first hand experience with Majerus I can speak with greater confidence. Majerus makes sure he is incredibly prepared and he does his homework. He asks a lot of his players and challenges them constantly and I’m sure Bobby Knight was the same way. Bobby KNight’s successful Indiana teams all bought into his concept that not everyone can or should be the star and if they were going to win they needed to believe it. Coach K is a Bob Knight disciple but they come across differently. Coach K isn’t all hugs and high fives like a lot of people think he is and Bob Knight didn’t choke every player that came into his program but they both wanted the most from their kids and they wanted to win with a passion. You recruit the best players you can that fit the team concept and let them play.
Bill Self left Illinois high and dry for Kansas and nobody can blame the guy. Kansas is Kansas so I have no hard feelings for him. Self is an incredible recruiter who believes he is only as good as the kids he gets into school. He’s said it as much several several times. Self got Illinois Dee Brown, Deron Williams and James Augustine and then left after a season there. 2 years later Bruce Weber led Illinois to the National Title game and a team that only lost 2 games the entire season. I’ve often wondered what would’ve happened if Self had coached that team and I don’t think they would’ve gotten that far. Self got a National Title a couple years ago and I’m happy for him, but I don’t think he’s a great coach or manager of the talent that he has. I loved his use of Morningstar this year when he clearly isn’t as talented as others on the bench, but sometimes you need the guy out there who will play defense and pass and be happy with that. He will always win because he can get good kids in there but we haven’t seen the last of Kansas being a 1 seed losing in the 2nd round.
