Hardwood Hustle

This week, TJ and Sam talk Xs and Os on the offensive side of the ball. Specifically how can coaches evaluate and choose the best offensive actions for their team this season. Behind the decision of your offensive strategy goes a lot of thought: Can you teach it, does it fit your system and players, do you have the time to invest, how will it change your player development, how many actions should...

This week we’re joined by Coach Corey Lowery who has over 22 years of coaching experience and has received coach of the year honors 9 times. Most recently he was the head coach at Lincoln University and now is an assistant coach at Seton Hall. In this episode Coach Lowery shares what he’s learned about building a great program, as well as some big picture takeaways on player development and system...

Each season brings a unique set of challenges and experiences. While we know there will be ups and downs, how are we preparing to be at our best this upcoming season? - This week TJ and Sam discuss the mindset and preparation needed to create and implement a plan of action to ensure you're consistently improving for your players and ready to coach your best season yet! Send us a Message. If y...

This week we discuss the role of assistant coaches. There are takeaways for both head and assistant coaches on how to lead and support the program by making your staff better with ideas on improving communication, narrowing your focus, and anticipating the needs of the program. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After analyzing over 100 million shots, bask...

This week we welcome leadership expert, Devin Durrant to the show. An All-American at BYU, former NBA player, successful real estate investor, and inspirational  speaker. From the basketball court to conference rooms, Devin has found success in multiple ventures, but doesn't credit his basketball prowess or innate leadership knowledge with his accomplishments - instead, he owes it all to the...

This week Sam welcomes Head Coach John Baines to the show to talk Xs and Os. Coach Baines is entering his 10th as the head coach at Elmhurst University and fresh off a run to the Division III National Championship game. In this episode they talk playing fast, rebounding strategies, practice drills, and much more. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After an...

This week TJ welcomes back Paige Tonz to discuss some important topics around the mental side of the game. We all want more confident athletes, but as coaches we need to learn how to help players help themselves.  In this episode learn how to take the first steps in having your athletes practice their confidence before you get to the big game. Check out more here: https://www.paigetonz.com/ Send u...

This week, J.P. Nerbun returns to the Hardwood Hustle. He's the Founder and President of Thrive on Challenge, Author of Calling Up, and Host of the Coaching Culture Podcast. He's coached at a variety of levels and around the world, and now he coaches the coaches. Today we talk about his latest book, The Culture System and discuss how coach's can avoid the pitfalls of culture buildin...

This episode is part of a 2 part series with TJ and Sam as they continue to share what it looks like to execute better practices. In part 2 today, they'll cover off building habits, implementing a games approach, raising competitiveness, and how and when to pivot your practice plan. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After analyzing over 100 million s...

The practice court is the coach's classroom. As we travel through our coaching careers how do we ensure we're getting better in this critical aspect which our season ultimately depends? This week, we start part 1 of Executing Better Practices and discuss developing players' focus, points of precision, communication, and growing intangibles. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to...

When it comes to parents, most coaches are frustrated dealing with difficult parents, or handling stressful parent situations, but today the team shares solutions and tools you can use to lead parents better and have a more fulfilling coaching experience. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After analyzing over 100 million shots, basketball data scientists...

To run or not to run? This week, TJ and Sam discuss the pros and cons of being a fast paced transition team. They also share the things you should be considering as a coach when deciding on your approach to transition offense. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After analyzing over 100 million shots, basketball data scientists at Noah Basketball have uncov...

As coaches, our teams need us to be at our best, but we get pulled in a lot of different direction, lack the support, and too often fall short. This week, we're joined by Cody Royle, a professional Aussie Rules Football Coach who is passionate about challenging the status quo in coaching and helping great coaches stay in the game. He's the author of Where Others Won't, and The Tough...

We all know being a great communicator is essential to being a great leader and coach. Our players are always depending on us to give them the what, how, and why, in a clear and efficient manner. It's true, most also coaches assume they're good communicators. In this episode, Sam and TJ will help you take the guessing out of it and gauge where you're at with 5 tips to help you becom...

This week TJ, Sam, and Lisa dive into the state of coaching and what you can do to combat the challenges you're facing as a coach. We play an important role and have a tremendous opportunity to impact young people and influence our communities for the better. But we need to find ways to be the best version of ourselves and make sure we're on the right track personally and professionally....

This week we're joined by a special guest, Coach Bob Starkey. He's coached both men's and women's college basketball for almost 40 years and is returning this upcoming season to LSU as the associate head coach. In this episode he shares from his wealth of knowledge and experiences around coach development, specifically around teaching and motivating players and helping them rea...

This week, TJ and Sam discuss how to go about improving basketball IQ on your team. For some of us, this is one of our biggest headache watching our players take bad shots, turn the ball over, and making poor decisions on both ends of the floor. In this episode we attack those frustrations with better methods for teaching the game so you can get the biggest return on investment. Send us a Message....

This week, we're once again joined by our friend and DIII men's coach of the year, Head Coach Josh Merkel from Randolph-Macon. In the last 3 seasons they've sustained their winning ways compiling a 100-7 record. We interviewed him last spring to talk about building his program, and this year we get the inside scoop on their national championship run and how they mapped out their sea...

This week, Sam and Lisa discuss how a coach leads their players when it comes to development, role identification and building relationships. Mapping out the development process for your team and your players is a big step forward for coaches. In this episode we share how you can start developing plans, creating opportunities, and evaluating progress. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to rep...

This week we're joined by John Leonzo to break down the Dribble Drive Motion Offense. John Leonzo is an assistant coach at Wright State and is known in the basketball world for sharing his learnings and giving back to the game. After listening you'll not only understand the Dribble Drive offense better you'll also walk away with best practices for any offensive system you run. Send...

This week we're excited to have Greg Sheley join Sam and myself for a conversation about success at the junior college level, the one thing he wishes he would could go back and tell his younger self about hiring a staff, and how to prepare for the big games. In his 30 year career, his teams have won 5 NWACC championships and he's accumulated over 700 wins. We can't wait to have you...

We're joined by Coach Matt Sayman to talk about his unique story as a player with Baylor Basketball, how he's learned perspective as a high school coach at Grapevine Christian and developed his offensive run and gun philosophy. Check out the latest release of Matt's book, The Leftovers . Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After analyzing ove...

This week TJ and Sam cover what coaches are doing to be successful come tournament time and what they're seeing right now from top teams specifically around in-game coaching and strategies. Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info. After analyzing over 100 million shots, basketball data scientists at Noah Basketball have uncovered the formula of the perfect...

This week TJ and Sam tackle 3 interesting topics in coaching right now. Starting off with the handshake lines. How should coaches approach this aspect of the game with their teams? Is it time to do without or double down?  Next they discuss how coaches develop better teams and teammates. With the emphasis on individualism, we need the ability to get outside of ourselves more than ever. And lastly,...

In this episode we're joined by Patrick Touhey, president at Elite Performance Too – E, and author of Create Forever Teammates. Patrick mentors both coaches and players to help them reach their potential, combat unnecessary adult interventions, and bring back the enjoyment in sports experiences that too often is missing. In this episode and in his book, Patrick gives coaches ideas and strateg...