A STEP UP LOOK BACK

Back from yet another A Step Up Assistant Coaching Symposium and refreshed for another year.  There are no words to describe the appreciation I have for Felicia and Johnny Allen for their amazing commitment to not just our sport but for the position of assistant coaching.  There is no clinic around that dedicates itself entirely to helping assistants through speakers, group teaching and networking opportunities.  If you are an assistant coach and haven't joined us at one of the Step Up symposiums, you are missing an incredible growth opportunity.  Hopefully I'll see you there next year!  Here are just a few pears of wisdom I grabbed from pages of notes that I scribbled down:

Ray McCallum
Assistant Coach
Georgia State
Tips for improving Zone Offense
1. Recruit shooters
2. Get ball up quickly
3. Ball and player movement
4. Attack the short corner
5. Dribble penetration
6. Screen the zone
7. Practice - not enough time spent vs. zone

C.Y. Young
Assistant Coach
Florida State
Evolution = Improvement
Push the ball up the floor in transition.  "Attack before the concrete gets hard."
"Treat everyone you meet like they're going to die at midnight."

Kevin Goll
Eastman Beaudine
Search Firm
What's important is quality of relationships with people across the board.
Good to show success in challenging situations.
Be a great story teller

Eddie Fogler
Search Firm
Worry only about things you can control
Biggest mistake in an interview -- ramble -- be precise
Periodically stay in touch with administrators (huge)

Sytia Messer
Assistant Coach
Baylor University
Desire to be more than just a recruiter

Johnnie Harris
Associate Head Coach
Mississippi State University
Always have an answer -- be prepared
Make decisions you know the head coach would make

Tony Newman
UCLA
Assistant Coach
Meet weekly on Monday mornings to go over Skill Development
Use NBA/WNBA comparisons for motivation and technique
"There's a difference between those who play basketball and basketball players."

Al Brown
Duke University
Assistant Coach
Motivation is a big part of our role as a coach with skill development
"Doesn't matter how fast you are if you don't have good footwork."
Best drills are the ones you create as you season evolves.

Robert Dallimore
Assistant Coach
Arkansas-Little Rock
Must have a job so you can coach/mentor
Key to communicating with recruits -- tell stories, ask questions

Jolette Law
Assistant Coach
University of Tennessee
Relationships -- Develop, Cultivate, Maintain
Don't just call coaches when you need a player
Operate with integrity

Glen Wright
CEO - Worth Financial Advisory Group
Coaching is about service
Taxes -- not about what you pay, about what you keep

C. Vivian Stringer
Head Coach
Rutgers University
"It's not about what we have but more about what we do with what we have."
Goal: authentic relationships
Prepare for the now