In honor of "The Last Dance", we dive into Phil Jackson's first coaching book, "Sacred Hoops", where he mixes stories from his playing days, his growth as a coach and how he worked to develop a championship dynasty. Mindfulness, vision and relating to players are all part of Jackson's plan of attack, and we sprinkle in a couple of examples from "The Last Dance" into a 20+ year old book. Enjoy!

Our latest episode features Jon McKowen, the highly successful boys basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. We discuss helping his dad win a state title, coaching a future NBA player, switching man to man defense, adjusting off-season expectations because of Covid-19, practice organization and building a youth program. Really good information from one of the best in Iowa!

We all practice special situations, but have you thought about how you can shape your verbage to help your special situations (and your program at large) more efficient? Here are some ideas to create a verbage and also to pre-educate your team on how you want to execute special situations even before they happen.

In the last of our trilogy on "The Cubs Way", we dive into the leadership style of Joe Maddon; how to build trust, on playing hard, getting your players to play with energy, meetings policy, how to build camraderie amongst your players and coaching staff and much more! A lot of good information that is transferable to all sports and leadership positions!

Long time Millard West (NE) GBB HC Marc Kruger jumps on the pod to discuss his coaching journey, how he prepared himself to be a head coach, game organization with both players and assistant coaches, developing motion offense, and a great group of drills. We also discuss our ultimate Cubs starting lineup in the cable TV era (it's what Cubs fans do together). Terrific information!

How do you get your kids motivated to come in and work on their game in the off-season? How do you track what they are doing? What incentives can you give players that are going to be productive for your program? How do you build trust and a sense of ownership with your players going into your offseason? Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your "improvement season" program!

University of Arkansas WBB HC Mike Neighbors jumps on the pod to talk about his lessons learned in his journey to becoming a Division I Head Coach, multiple job transitions, getting your players to play at their peak level, the growth of his newsletter, book recommendations and why Leo McGary was the best assistant coach in the history of television. Great NEW stuff from one of the great ambassadors of the game!

In our latest episode, Omaha Roncalli boys coach JJ Stoffel comes on A Pen And A Napkin to talk about moving over from an assistant to the head job, two state title game runs and the experiences it taught him, playing for a state title in front of an empty arena, practice set up, defensive principles, building a culture at a smaller school and the influence of Rick Majerus on his career.

As a head coach, it is a fine balance between being a micro-manager and not being involved enough. It is easy to get caught up in the minutia of the job, but how do you separate what is important and what isn't? Here's a podcast detailing how to delegate the responsibilities of your job to your staff and stay focused on winning.

Taking the plan and then putting into action is the focus of this podcast. Communication, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, player development, execution of fundamentals and developing as a coach are the focus of this podcast. Enjoy Part II of this three-part series!

4x National Championship coach Jamie Sale of Morningside (IA) College comes on the pod to discuss rebuilding the Morningside program, jumping from one rival to another, keeping the edge, personal off-season improvement, pressure defense, developing great shooters, offensive sets and how Covid-19 ended the national tournament before it even got started this season.

Building your program takes patience, but it also takes organization. Where do you want your players to be at when they reach a certain level? Here is an explination of the individual player matrix that we put together to help rate your players and organized your program from top to bottom and, in the long run, make your job easier when it comes to coaching changes and evaluating your players!

The turnaround of the Chicago Cubs from "lovable losers' to breaking the greatest championship drought in North American professional sports was not an accident; it was the result of a precise plan laid out by the management of the Cubs. To celebrate what would have been Opening Day (and opening month), we take a three part dive into the building of an organization and a champion.

Six-time state champion HC Doug Woodard comes on the pod to discuss a variety of topics, including coaching his grandson, the epic 4th quarter comeback to win the 2020 state title, pressure defense, transition offense, setting up an effective practice and organizing camps. Great information from one the all-time greats!

International basketball afficianado and ESPN college hoops analyst Fran Fraschilla comes on the pod to discuss his growth in the game, the growing international game, practice organization and importance, how to build character and chemistry on your team, player development tips and what coaches you should be stealing from. Great conversation!

Tim Crothers' great work "The Man Watching" is an excellent guide for male coaches who are coaching female athletes while examining the successful model of North Carolina's legendary women's soccer HC Anson Dorrance. Included in the pod is our "Anson Dorrane Program", which is a 12-14 day program you can use with your team to increase communication, understanding and creating the "Competitive Cauldron" necessary for great teams to grow.

One of Nebraska's legends, Gretna GBB HC Jerome Skrdla comes on the podcast to discuss his long career, how the game has changed, moving his program up to Class A (NE's highest class), how to coach with a good friend, creating a great work ethic in your program, shooting drills and developing toughness. So much good information from one of Nebraska's best!

Analytics are all the rage in basketball, but we as high school coaches don't have the resources to calculate our analytics as much as we would like. Inspired by Boston Celtics HC Brad Stevens, this sheet helps you analyze every possession on both sides of the ball, including shot selection, where you get your shots from and how efficient your offenses or defense are.

Book Club is back! Today we break down Coach K's "The Five Point Play", a book on leadership based on "The Fist": Communication, Trust, Collective Responsibility, Caring and Pride. There are also some outstanding quotes and general coaching thoughts that comes from one of the greatest to ever do the job!

Boys Town (NE) Boys HC Tom Krehbiel comes on the podcast to discuss the Boys Town structure, putting together a team on the fly every season, the Metro Basketball Coaches Association, "RAP", and the future of basketball this summer with our current global health situation and how it will effect next season. Alot of great information on this one!

After your season ends, you enter the last phase of your responsibilities for your season; organizing your post-season. Here are some personal and professional tips to help you end your season on a high note while also beginning the process of preparing both yourself and your program for the upcoming season.

We sit down with 11x state champion Russ Ninemire, 4x state champion Tom Tvrdy, Papillion LaVista South Head Coach Andy Gerlecz, David City Aquinas HC Nate Wall and Sidney HC Tyler Shaw to discuss rules changes (including a shot clock), evaluating your season, the influence of AAU on high school programs, shooting drills and much more!

What a terrific episode with Matt Kern (York, NE), Jennifer Wragge of Elkhorn (NE) and the former HC at Millard North, Dave Diehl. We discuss team chemistry, building towards a productive off-season, teaching movement without the ball, defensive drills, getting better as a coach in the offseason and what Coach Diehl will be doing in retirement . . . which is VERY interesting! Absolutely awesome pod!!

Bishop Heelan's Head Boys Basketball Coach Andy Foster comes on the pod to discuss his journey to the head coaching position, skill development, summer work, organizing his summer workouts and stories about playing for the legendary Don Meyer. Terrific conversation!!!

Making the state tournament is the goal to almost every high school team; qualifying puts you in elite company! With this comes a rush of responsibilities that sometimes overcomes the competitions itself, so here are some tips to keep yourself organized so that you can put your team in the best position possible to not get to the state tournament, but to win it!

In a great episode, LeMars (IA) Head GBB Coach Judd Kopperrund the passion of high school basketball in Northwest Iowa, building a consistent winner at LeMars, influences on his career, attacking zone defenses, creating an identity and much more! Great listen!!

Having a solid relationship with your administration can help you work through alot of things, but it is important that you, as a coach, build those relationships with your administration. Here are some do's and don'ts in working with your administration to create a positive work environment.

If you win 748 games, you're doing something right. Legendary South Dakota boys coach Larry Luitjens discusses losing a job, his relationship with the Lakota Nation, working through tragedy, practice setup, organizing his programs and the importance of great assistant coaches. Terrific pod!!!

Both coaches and parents have a vested interest in the players that are associated with your program. Sometimes those views don't align with one another, so what are some ways that you can work together and make your relationship with your player's parents the best it can be? Here are some ideas to help you out.

Long time Iowa girls head coach Tony Vis joins the pod this week to talk about his career, the advantages and disadvantages of coaching at multiple schools, being an assistant now and the adjustments it takes, attacking pressure, applying pressure and weight room workouts. Great stuff from a long time coach and friend!!

We all know about the analytics revolution, but as high school coaches, we don't have the time and resources to use analytics the way alot of us would like. Here are some simple analytical ideas that you can use to help your team on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Steve Lutz, assistant men's basketball coach at Purdue University, joins the pod this week to discuss recruiting and team building, player development concepts and drills, what separates pros like Carsen Edwards and Doug McDermott from everyone else and what to look for while hunting for a job. Great information from an outstanding coach!

The dog days of the season are upon us, and everyone is tired. How do you keep everyone fresh, both mentally and physically? Here are some ideas for your team and your program to move your squads forward with positive activities while also give them a break from the grind of the season!

Our first group taping in a live setting was a great success, as we sit down with three highly successful coaches in Kelly Flynn of Fremont (NE), John O'Connor of Bennington (NE) and Jerome Skrdla of Gretna (NE). We discuss the influence and legacy of Kobe Bryant, how coaching has changed, changes we'd like to see in girls basketball, attacking pressure defense, creating chaos in practice and how you pace a season as a head coach. So much good information to share for all to hear!

As the season moves along, it is easy to get sucked into the latest crisis or to feel TOO good about your team. You need to remind yourself to come to practice and competitions every day ready to teach the game as you would in the classroom. Here are some important reminders about teaching during this important stretch of the season!

We step outside the realm of basketball and crossover to soccer in this week's Book Club. Chris Brady and David Bolchover wrote "The 90 Minute Manager", analyzing the qualities of a soccer manager to leadership. A lot of good, crossover information comes out of this book!

This episode features Tyler Struck, the head boys basketball coach at Nevada (IA). Struck discusses the influence of Greg McDermott on his career, and also the pros and cons of taking over a highly successful program. He also gives us insight on the process of switching from a man to man defensive scheme to more zone, dribble drive implementation and developing the concept of "mindfulness" with his players. Great episode!!

As we move into mid-January, teams are starting to hit their stride with their own schemes, so you should be able to move into a more detailed scouting report and prepping your team. What to look for, how to present it to your team, and how to divide scouting responsibilities amongst your staff are all touched on in this pod!

Jay Wright's "Attitiude" is a great read for any aspiriing coach or leader. Coach Wright details how he has built a top-notch culture, the challenges he faced as his program came down from great heights and how he built it back up to a championship level

Hillsdale (MI) Head WBB Coach Matt Fritsche goes into detail about all he's learned at every stop, how to build a program, keeping a positive spin on things when things aren't going your way, shooting drills, defensive philosophy, practice planning & more

It's early January, and your base system is in; it's time to work on situations that could make or break your season. End of quarter, end of game, negotiating foul trouble, BLOB's, SLOB's, free throws and timeouts are all discussed on this podcast!

Rick Pitino is one of the most successful coaches in the modern era of basketball, and he explains the thought process that has made him so successful in this book. Pitino outlines 10 steps that will help anyone achieve their goals in all walks of life!

Coach Drake Beranek from Kearney (NE) High School is our guest this week. Beranek discusses his coaching influences, including his father, being a young head coach, skill development, his offensive philosophy, pheasant hunting, & turning down Don Meyer

This episode covers the various roles that an assistant coach should or could take, from how they communicate to the attitude they should have to how they work with their head coach. There are also tips as to how a head coach can organize their own staff!

The return of "Book Club" is the second half of Seth Davis' "Getting To Us", covering the philosphies of Auriemma, Doc Rivers, Brad Stevens and Dabo Swiney. Self-doubt, organization, enjoying winning and building programs are all featured in this pod.

This episode features Kirk Walker, who coached for over two decades at the high school level before jumping to the college hoops. We talk about ball movement, rebounding, team communication, rebuilding a program, building offensive confidence and more!

In this episode, host Marty Plum discusses how lessons learned from his father-in-law and how he lived his life, as a hard working farmer, can be applied to coaching your teams. The simplest lessons are often the best.

As competitions begin, how do you attack that process? Here are our tips for the day of your competitions, from your mental state to gameday procedures to handling post game discussions and how to handle wins and losses. Prep yourself as well as your team