There are very few people that I enjoy discussing basketball with more than Billie Moore. First and foremost she is knowledgeable on every phase. Second, she is extremely passionate about the game and the way it should be played. I had the opportunity to first meet Billie through my working for Coach Gunter. In 1976, Billie was named our Olympic head coach, the very first year that women's basketball competed in the games. She named Coach Gunter as her assistant. Since then I have had several opportunities to sit with Billie and pick her brain and have never failed to come away with something that has made me a better coach.In 2001, we brought Billie in to speak our coaching clinic at LSU and below is just some of the wisdom she passed on to us that day.
"Get a system that you can build on. Don't have a system of play that must change each time you get a new team."
"Basketball is a simple game that coaches have made difficult."
"Come March, do you want better plays or better players."
"Have some structure but don't limit.
"My biggest fear as a coach is that our players would play the play and not the game."
"I spent time every day working on footwork. Footwork effects every phase of play. The game is about balance. I used to watch Coach Wooden everyday while coaching at UCLA. After he won his 7th title he took the first day of practice and showed his players how to wear their socks and tie their shoes to avoid blisters. Feet are so important. Wooden did 90 seconds of footwork every day."
"I don't care what offense you run, I care about 'how' your run it.
"The only team that has an equal opportunity offense is one with five bad players."
