A Pen And A Napkin

Welcome back to the pod!! As we wrap up our seasons over the next few days and weeks, there are many things that we need to take care of, including ourselves. Here are some things to think about that you need to do for the good of the program, the good of your players and for your own good.

In our latest episode, legendary Ankeny Centennial (IA) GBB HC Scott DeJong comes on the podcast this week! The 7-time state champion HC discusses coaching 6 on 6, developing a championship culture, building a great defensive scheme, changes in how high school programs function, the value of staff stability, and much more!

Excited to have Shawn Gilbert, the WBB HC at Midland (NE) University, on the podcast this week. In this week's discussion, we discuss hiring a assistant coaches, the role of assistant coaches, developing a great basketball camp, the analytics of the game, ball handling development and many other topics. Great discussion!

Head Boys Basketball Coach at Mount Vernon (IA) Ed Timm comes on the pod this week to discuss his long career as a coach, including the transition from college ball to high school, winning a state title in 2012, setting up an efficient practice, creating an environment where your players are supportive of one another, defensive transition and much more! An entertaining podcast with a newcomer to p...

Welcome to Quick Hitters, Volume I! In our first edition of this podcast, we dive in with five coaches on five topics; Jeff Steines (Ames, IA) on in-game defensive efficiency, Josh Siske (Papillion-LaVista, NE) gives us some good shooting drills, TJ O'Connor (Fort Calhoun, NE) discusses zone pressure schemes, Greg Mays (Hastings, NE) chats about growing as a coach and John Carrier (St. Paul, MN) d...

We're all taking a break the next few days, so it's a great time to not only rest and relax, but to also examine your season, where you're program is at right now and, perhaps most importantly, where you are at as a coach. It's a great time to reflect, to make adjustments and to realize how lucky we all are to be in this profession! Have a great and blessed holiday season!!

In our latest interview episode, Beatrice (NE) GBB HC Jalen Weeks comes on the podcast to discuss a variety of topics, including growing up in a coaching family, his development as a head coach, his half court offensive and defensive philosophy that he teaches and how to build a youth development program in your community. A great listen with alot of good information!

My good friend Casey Hall and I get together to talk about the upcoming NBA season. We talk about the top story lines, break down teams that we think are going to be alot of better and alot worse, then make our picks for conference and NBA finalists, along with our picks for the 2020-21 NBA Championship.

Coaching is a fulfilling but stressful occupation, and sometimes your priorities and your organizational thoughts can get lost in the shuffle. It takes time and effort to stay on top of your program, but what are the important things that you should be looking at? Borrowing from Mike Neighbors, the WBB HC at the University of Arkansas, here is a list of things that should be your priorities and he...

One of the most basic drills in the game of basketball is the Shell Drill, and we all run it in some way, shape or form. Although it's important to just have those days when you need to grind it out, you also need to have different options to do the same drills multiple ways. Here are over 15 different ways you can do shell drill in your practices and get positive results, both offensively and def...

As your season progresses, you are re-evaluating what your theories were before you started practice and how those theories are now playing out in practices and games. Here are some thoughts about the things that you should be looking at and what your priorities should be as you make those necessary adjustments early in the season.

2x state champion Jay Schuiteman, the long time GBB HC at Unity Christian (IA), comes on the podcast to relive a few glory days of the high school years, along with the importance of communication, building a program from scratch, simplicity, "The Process", how to improve as the season moves forward and many other things to build a successful program!

New Milwaukee Bucks AC Mike Dunlap is our guest this week, and he definitely delivers great information on topics such as growing as a HC, important books for coaches to read, how to have "simplicity with detail", coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo, a great discussion on ATO execution, and how to help your players grow mentally. A terrific podcast with one of America's great coaches!

As competitions begin for teams around the country, it is important that you use every minute of game day to your advantage. It is also important that rehearse what you're going to do before games, during game and after games, and to simulate those concepts to the best of your abilities. Here are some thoughts and ideas on how to use and organize these segments of your game days!

Andy Gerlecz, the girls basketball coach at Papillion-LaVista South (NE), comes on the pod to chat about his coaching journey, the influence of Scott Hawk on his career, developing roles, communication, "Bright Spot" coaching, "Daily Vitamins" and how his coaching philosophy has evolved over the years. Great last 45 minutes of just us discussing alot of different things about coaching and how to c...

We are all in the part of the season where we are trying to put together a roster, finding roles for our players, having to consider whether or not to keep some players and eventually determining playing time for our players. This are all difficult decisions, but they are ones we must make. Here are some tips on some things to consider and some advice on how to handle those situations when they ar...

7-time state champion Eric Behrens of Omaha Central comes on our podcast this week to discuss his journey as a coach, from playing for his father to replacing him, making the jump to the collegiate level, working with the South Sudanese community in Omaha and much more. We also talk about the challenges of coaching in the age of Covid-19, along with transition defense, transition offense and out o...

As we start our seasons, it is really important for you to have energy as a coach and to create practice plans that are going to bring the necessary energy to your practices. Gone are the days of 20-25 minute drills; you need to break things down and create an energetic, chaotic practice that will get your players active and ready to work; here's some tips that I have based off of our first practi...

Just wanted to drop a quick pod to explain how some things could/will go as we all head into our seasons and the immediate future of "A Pen And A Napkin"

Sometimes it's just nice to read a book about basketball without feeling like you need to highlight all the passages in the book that you think are important; "The Book of Basketball" is all of that and more! My favorite book of all time, writer and podcaster Bill Simmons discusses the history of the NBA, his "Pyramid" of the league's greatest players, a chapter on the greatest teams in the game a...

Preseason conditioning and preparation can be a grind. You need to build toughness, camaraderie and skill, but you're going to need different methods to do it. Here are some of the ideas that I've used and heard of to help change up your preseason workouts to get your team ready for the upcoming season.

2019 NAIA National Champion Drew Olson, the Head WBB Coach at Concordia University (NE), comes on the pod for a great discussion. We chat about his family coaching tree, his professional influences, pressure defense, analytics and recruiting players to a national championship program. Great information!

One of the most underestimated and undertaught skills of the game is screening; we all talk about it, but how miuch do we break down screening and making cuts off of screens? Here is a discussion starter on screening, philosophy on screening and cutters, and some drills that you can integrate into your practice to help your players screen, read screens and defending screens.

Nick Nurse is one of the best coaches in the world, and he shares his coaching journey in "Rapture", detailing everything from his childhood in Iowa to coaching in England, Belgium, the D-League and eventually the NBA. He discusses his coaching philosophy, how he learned from his mistakes, communication with players, building a strong work ethic and much more. A great read that would make a great...

One of the newest members of the 500 win club in Nebraska, Kearney Catholic GBB HC Rick Petri comes on the podcast to discuss his dual role as AD and coach, coaching with his daughter, getting kicked out of a conference, rebounding, the importance of passing, teaching motion development and growing as a coach. Great information!