What Makes a good Coach?
- Thread starter mike37
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1) Integrity (they are trusted)
2) They are passionate about coaching (that passion motivates their players and staff)
3) Good communicators/listeners..
4) Teach life lessons, not just X's and O's....
5) Their players enjoy playing for them - all of the players, not just the starters..
6) Along with being coaches, you need to be social workers, counselors, friends / parents. People that your players can come to when they have problems...
7) Make sure that your players know that you are there for them, NOT just basketball, but anything that is happening in their lives. ( IF they know you care, they will do anything for you )
I agree. But if you can accomplish those things you have done a great job.
The ingredient necessary to become a good coach is very simple. It takes players and a traditional high school who has a community that backs the basketball program. I don't believe having players in a non-traditional school is something that we can bet on for success. Parents buy houses in traditional schools over schools who never win.
Who are some of the traditional high schools in Missouri that wins year after year. These schools have players every year, that does not mean a couple of bad years could occur but that will be short lived.
Some will argue when traditional school coaches move on, there replacement never misses a beat.
1. Sikeston
2. CBC
3. Vashon
4. Chaminade
5. Charleston
6. South Iron
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Some repetitive, and in no particular order.
1. Knowledgeable X and O’s and heart to teach it
2. Excellent communicator (administration, parents, players, community)
3. A heart to serve their athletes
4. A constant focus on improvement
5. Humility
6. An acknowledgment of the impact they have on their players, and a desire to be more than a coach to them
7. Love for the game
8. Genuine sacrificial love for their players
9. An incredibly sacrificial support system (family, community, friends, assistant coach.)
1. Knowledgeable X and O’s and heart to teach it
2. Excellent communicator (administration, parents, players, community)
3. A heart to serve their athletes
4. A constant focus on improvement
5. Humility
6. An acknowledgment of the impact they have on their players, and a desire to be more than a coach to them
7. Love for the game
8. Genuine sacrificial love for their players
9. An incredibly sacrificial support system (family, community, friends, assistant coach.)
Apparently you must be at a class 4 in St. Louis or above to have a chance, and even better if you have a private school that is able to recruit players.
Mike, if a coach does not win how will we know about this coach? Can you name a few of these successful coach who does not win.
Also, nothing traditional about a high school that recruits, gives scholarships, and is able to travel cross-country to play a sport.
I think if we are asking a broad audience of people who is a good coach, they will mention coaches with lots of wins. If you ask players who is a great coach, you will probably have different criteria. But I will concede it’s hard to get around losing year after year
Before Holifield got to Sikeston, they had very little tradition. Decent success here and there, but not to the level of what Holifield has achieved. For Sikeston to even be mentioned as a traditional school is a testament to the coaching job he has done there. Prior to his arrival, nobody would have mentioned Sikeston as a traditional power.
The Neelyville girls play in class 2. they won the class 2 state championship last season. The Neelyville girls program has been on a roll for years. I'm not sure if they have changed coach during all these winning years. Maybe someone can make the case that different coaches continued the winning year after year.
The Sikeston Girls, large school visit Neelyville, a small school tonight. Would anyone take the bet that Neelyville will not put a " Clock Job " on the Bulldogs tomorrow evening?
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Greg Holifield has done an outstanding coaching job @ Sikeston for 20 plus years. I'd give him an A plus. When Greg retires, I expect the winning to continue if there is not a big drop off in talent. The Sikeston fans are a big part of the Sikeston basketball program.
The MSHSAA is hoping Sikeston returns to Springfield and bring all those fans. It appears to me the Sikeston fans are second only to the Poplar Bluff fans when Tyler H. was dominating the hardwood in Missouri. Poplar Bluff was a two time class 5 state champions ( 2004 and 2005 ). John David Pattillo was the coach.
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Yeah all the best player's parents are moving to Annapolis in droves.
If anybody has ever won with home grown kids it's South Iron.I agree winning does matter. But what if a coach that has won a lot moves to a school with lesser talent and doesn't win. Or if they never win but move some where with lots of talent and starts winning. How do you know if that person is a good or bad coach? I think there are some bad coaches out there that win despite there bad coaching and good coaches that never win a lot because of the talent that is handed them.
How about Scott County Central? Where has that tradition gone? Is it just bad coaching now? Mexico? How will Webster groves be after there coach leaves?
How about Scott County Central? Where has that tradition gone? Is it just bad coaching now? Mexico? How will Webster groves be after there coach leaves?
I agree 100%, Mike. Players make or break the coach, for the most part. I don’t care how good the trainer and jockey may be, a mule will never win the Kentucky Derby.
Mike, there must be some type of winning to be recognized as a top coach. An example of winning and be recognized is Greg Holifield @ Sikeston. The media is reporting on his 400 win @ Sikeston and 500 win overall. I do understand your point about a lot of very good coaches that never get a chance to coach in a traditional school and receive recognition for their effect.
We must remember anyone can become a high school basketball coach if you have a college degree. The trick here is getting a school to hire you. If I was making a recommendation to our future young coaches, don't take a head coaching position as your first job. Seek out a traditional school, try to be a water boy or any thing to be around a winning program. Being around a winning program, learning will be rewarding in the long run as a future head coach in a traditional school.
Mike, speaking of Webster, Jay Blossom needed an asst coach his first year @ Webster, I was ask to fill that position. Tim Moore was the AD, I was retired. I would drive to Webster each day to full fill my duties as an asst coach. I enjoyed this position very much however the drive to Webster each day was not fun. I would arrive @ Webster about an hour before practice each day. I would go to the Athletic Director's office ( Tim Moore each day. ) Tim Moore won a large class state championship in 1995 @ Webster before becoming AD. I will never forget what Tim Moore told me. He said, Webster and other traditional high school may have a bad year ever so often but they will bounce back stronger then ever in a 2-3 year span.
Another comment about traditional basketball schools, the players think different, the players respond to hard work and coaching, Losing is not an option but does happen on occasions. In a Traditional school, I find the instructions by the coach is usually cared out regardless of the instruction. Good players in traditional school can make adjustment and make the coach look like a genius. I am not saying it 's not important to have a strong fundamental sound coach to continue the winning because coaching is important but having players are more important.
Good players can make a average coach look like a champions however a great fundamentally sound coach can make average players overachieve by getting a few upset wins but.
Coaching in a large high school is much different then coaching in a small high school. Some of our large high schools have 25-30 sports teams and clubs. the power in some of these large schools may be the wrestling team or band not the basketball team.
Invic, a very good truthful post. When I was growing up, I had someone I wanted to be like. These were the basketball players who were poplar in school. I wanted to be like these basketball players some day, it became a goal. I had the quickness, speed and could outrun everyone in my grade school and high school. ( about 200-250 enrollment in high school ) I practice a lot, got help from a lot of people in basketball and baseball. Without these players who I looked up too and growing up in a lower income family, things would have been more difficult in my adult life.
Black players in the enter cities are still playing basketball and a possible way out. Students in our large schools like the Parkways, Zumwalts, Wentzvilles and the Howell districts have many sports and activities for involvement. As an example, look @ what Sikeston has done playing in the St. Charles County. It's something like one overtime defeat in seven years in these 8 team tournaments. Sikeston is serious and the Zumwalts, Howells and Zums are not but be very selective when scheduling them in wrestling, football and baseball because a beating would mostly happen.
We can not have sports assembles any more in our large schools. All 25 teams and clubs wants an assemble for their organization.
St. Louis and Kansas are not producing high level basketball players compared to Memphis, Illinois and Indiana however names like Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum and Otto Porter are the exceptions.
Agree but some additions.
1. Good at evaluating talent. Have to know what talent a person has to bring out the best in them.
2. Ability to increase talent of all players. Many coaches can increase the talent of their top players but not their less talented players or vice versa.
3. Ability and time to create a top level feeder program for their school. Every top program that sustains it for many years has a great feeder program. Private schools may be an exception where probably being a good recruiter comes into play more.
I remember coaching my sons and playing in leagues in St. Charles and we played games at SC West. Coach Hollander would ref or be helping organize the games every Saturday. I actually remember watching his high school team play a late game and then appear on local TV afterwards. Then the next day was at the gym when my 9 year old team was playing at 7 am.
Some teams that back in the day had great feeder teams and high school teams were.
SC West
Borgia
Zumwalt South
Duchesne
Desmet
Whitfield
Do not believe you can be a successful coach without wins. You may not win every year but sooner or later you have to get the W's.
But you can be a great mentor to young men which may be more important than being a successful coach.
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We all know what makes a good coach, discipline, x and o, trust, etc.
The difference between a avg and a great coach is simple. Average coaches will have good seasons with talent and horrible seasons without talent. Great coaches go on runs with talent and have good seasons without talent.
The difference between a avg and a great coach is simple. Average coaches will have good seasons with talent and horrible seasons without talent. Great coaches go on runs with talent and have good seasons without talent.
In order of importance 1) motivate 2) evaluate 3) teach and 4th least important, but still critical strategy
