The Basketball Teacher Podcast

Being a coach who can adjust is vital in the game of basketball and that's why we were so happy to bring on Coach Kurnitsky to discuss how he does it. Coach shares his insights on his base offense and defense, when he recognizes changes need to be made and how to identify when to switch things up. We also discuss late game situations, mental composure and how to balance coaching versus letting...

Taking over a program without a history of success can be difficult, but this was the situation Coach Arnold found himself in. In this episode he shares his journey of going from zero wins to building up a contending program. He discusses what he did on day one, how he built the program in his image and what he did on the court to find success. Coach also shares what culture pieces he brought in t...

Need to speed up your player's internal clock and speed at which they make decisions? We have some great ideas in this episode with Coach Krebs who shares just that. Coach shares the ways he gets his team ready to make quick decisions and how it fits into his overall offensive scheme. We discuss philosophy, how to improve basketball IQ and how to use practices to get players playing with a fas...

We dive into the topic of causing havoc in this episode with Coach Gaff. Coach shares his defensive philosophy, why it works for him and how he gets his guys up for playing defense. We talk about the drills and skills he works on to get the most out of his team. Coach also shares his tips on defensive buy-in, how to stay disciplined and refining the press. We also talk about aspects of player deve...

Many players want to play in college but how can a coach make sure their players are ready for the next level? This is what we discuss with Coach Brown as he talks about the work he does with his players both on the court and off of it. Coach shares some of the offensive and defensive principles that matter most to him, how he gets players ready for any system as well as training basketball IQ. Ad...

We are so happy to welcome back Coach Carpentier (Carp) as a guest on the show. Coach has taken over a new program since we last talked to him and he comes on to share his journey of starting over and building a new program. Coach shares what he has learned on his previous journeys that he is applying to this one, the systems that will stay the same and how he plans on hitting the ground running t...

Are you familiar with the Princeton Offense? Learn more about it and its implementation with Coach Jason Baker. Coach shares how he gets his players to buy into this offense, the way he installs it and how he creates shot opportunities out of it. We discuss installing the different series involved in it, how he practices it and how he gauges success out of the offense. We also discuss decision mak...

What are your program's values? How do you demonstrate them on the court? We asked this very question to Coach Shane Bryant and received his insights. He shares how he instills his values in all aspects of his program with advice on finding your values, having them reflected in your practices and player accountability. We also discuss how to modify and adjust your practices while still holding tru...

We discuss strategy and game planning in this episode with Coach Steve Allen. Coach shares how he plans and takes away his opponent's best option. Coach shares his defensive scheme, how he goes about scouting and the way he practices to take away what a team wants to do on offense. We also discuss defensive principles and how to stat and track if the game plan was a success. If you love defense an...

In this episode we have Coach David Stein on to discuss how he took over and built a program from the ground up. Coach shares his story on what Whittier Tech was upon arrival, how he went about creating a strong culture and, then, his process of putting in X’s and O’s. Coach shares his philosophies and insights on program building, how to build practices and other challenges he had to overcome alo...

In this episode we have Coach Muhammad who talks about being a learner and a teacher. He shares his insights on how he teaches the game to his players and his process for getting them to learn offense and defense. He shares tips about teaching basketball IQ and other on-court situations as well. Additionally, we discuss the process of self-reflection and how a coach can adapt and change their coac...

Turning around a program is no small feat and doing it as a young coach is even more impressive. Coach Baldinelli shares his story and journey as a coach who took over a program and got it on the right track. Coach shares the state of the program when he arrived, how he made a plan for it to become better and how he put the plan into place. Coach also shares his offensive and defensive philosophie...

Coach Martin Wall joins us to discuss efficiency and offense. We have a conversation about the most efficient outcomes he has, what he likes to run on offense and how he tracks stats and other information. Coach also shares how he teaches basketball IQ and improves players offensive decision making to lead to better outcomes. We also discuss adapting to different defenses, culture and a lot more....

Having pride in your program is essential for both players and for coaches. Coach Waldvogel comes on to discuss what he does to help his players feel more pride in their program and be excited to represent their school. This episode has a heavy emphasis on culture building, teamwork and player bonding. We get into how all these different aspects lead to on-court success and how your playstyle is a...

Love defense? Looking to improve or implement the pack line for the first time? Whatever your situation is you need to hear Coach Foust break down how he installs and runs the pack line. Coach shares his terminology, how he gets his players to achieve the desired outcomes of the defense along with ways to make it work for you. We also discuss how to use practice to make your defense better and way...

We discuss an important in today's episode as we discuss how coaches can keep and recruit girls into playing basketball. Girls basketball enrollment has been up and down over recent years with girls looking at other options or other sports. Coach shares his view as to why this is, how he creates a program that keeps girls engaged in the sport and a lot more. If you are passionate about the game an...

No coach wants the ball to stick on offense which is why we are so happy to have Coach Felder on to discuss how he increases ball movement. We discuss what he likes to run on offense, how he installs his offense and what actions he uses to encourage increased ball movement. Coach also shares drills he likes to run as well as elements of his practice plan. We also get into teamwork, general passing...

Many coaches talk about wanting their team to be a family but how does one go about actually doing it? Coach Watkins Jr. is here to discuss just that as he breaks down his program's culture and how he makes it a family like environment. We discuss what went into building this culture, challenges he's faced along the way and how this culture has allowed him to find success on the court. Coach also...

Coach Jacob Heck discusses player buy-in and what it means to buy into a role. Coach shares his philosophy of how he wants every player to be elite at a skill, discusses how players earn their roles along with what players can do to elevate or change there role. We also discuss practice and how players work on sharperning their skills in their role, There is also talk about scouting, small college...

We know that fostering healthy and positive relationships with players can be difficult which is why we brought on Coach Gabrielle Smith to remind us all on the importance of relationships. Coach shares her insights on how she had developed meaningful relationships with players. She also shares how she has connected and made connections with players from difficult circumstances as well as keeping...

Having a solid core group of players makes all the difference as a coach. You need players you can trust, will work hard and who embody the key components of your culture. Coach Underwood joins us to discuss how he's build his core of his program. He shares his thoughts on buying, program values, how be builds his players trust in each other along with his preferred style. Coach also shares how he...

We celebrate 5 years of The Basketball Teacher Podcast by looking back at clips from EVERY episode over the past year!

It's all about movement and motion in this episode with Coach Doug Burnett. Coach shares his offensive philosophy, his ideal actions he looks for in the offense, improving player decision making along with skill development. Coach also shares his thoughts on preparing for different defenses as well as his own defensive philosophy. If you need help with offense and want to learn about positionless...

The modern game of basketball is all about spacing and motion which is why we are so excited to bring you this great conversation with Coach Eddy Wagner. Coach shares a lot with us including his offensive philosophy, training players to make good decisions as well as the art of setting a good screen. We also discuss the concept of teamwork and selflessness and how to keep the ball moving along wit...

Grant Bingham joins us as we dive into the world of analytics in this episode. Coach shares the stats that matter to him and his methods for tracking success and failure. We also discuss how to communicate statistical information to players as well as designing practices with your statistical outcomes in mind. Coach also shares the connection between the stats he tracks and what he runs on the cou...