BOB BOYD CLINIC NOTES (PART I)

Tough day today learning of the passing of Coach Bob Boyd who I had the privilege of working with for a year at LSU.  Years before, Coach Dale Brown sent me to the West Coast to spend a couple of days with Coach John Wooden and then on to Coach Boyd's house where we spent a day out by his pool with me peppering him with questions and soaking in his knowledge.  When I came back I told Coach Brown we had to get Coach Boyd to Baton Rouge for our fall Coaching Clinic which we did.  Over the next few days, I will share some of my notes from Coach Boyd that I got from both his home and our fall clinic:

If Bob returned coaching today he be more aware of conversion defense and defensive rebounding. Don Haskins was excellent at teaching conversion defense. Can not overteach it. Two important points in conversion defense is to get into the ball at midcourt and have someone take away the goal.

Larry Eustacy (Utah State) has lead the nation in rebounding margin twice in the past five years. Drives his staff as well as his team on defensive rebounding. Everyday they do a series of defensive blockout drills. He makes it embarrassing for a player to give up a second shot. Bob didn’t feel like he emphasized defensive rebounding enough when he coached.

First two weeks of the season are formative stage of a team. “Getting the bottom into the team” – build from the foundation up.

If coaching again, he would play both man-to-man and zone (there are numerous ways to guard the goal).

Wishes players would show the same kind of disgust when a man beats them on a drive as they do when they miss a lay-up.

Doesn’t believe that extended pressure win in the long run (counterproductive); he just doesn’t want to give up any long ones.

 Use zone against teams that have poor zone execution

 - Not because of foul situation

 - Must have a good “zone teaching attitude” – don’t play zone because your man to man isn’t working

 - Lots of coaches can’t teach gap penetration

Once brought a goal out and showed it to his team and said, “This is what we are guarding.”

Critical to dictate direction of basketball on defense. Most defenders lose their man because they lose their gap.

Advantageous to prepare against a team that plays only one defense.

Doesn’t think it is a good idea to collapse on the post with the defender on the passer. Like’s prostyle collapses with weakside defenders and stunts to recover.

If you pressure the shot, you are vulnerable to the drive – must have an order of priority either as a team defense or through scouting.

Would work on driving line from the wing every single day of practice.

Help is nearly useless if you don’t teach recovery. Don’t compliment help if they don’t recover.

Motion players – must concentrate. Nothing more important than concentration if you play motion.

Look – See and Hear – Listen.

He would not want to be known as a multiple defensive coach but would want to have options.

Two important areas in attacking zone defense are the skip pass and the short corner.

Likes the double skip (“one deserves another”) vs. zone.

Zone defense must not be considered a lazy man’s defense.

Good time to trap – sideouts and inbounds under

Feels it is difficult to zone press than effectively drop back man-to-man

Can confuse a press offense by changing from man pressure to zone pressure. Also feels that the back man of a zone press is a critical part of zone press success.

Wooden – extended defense to create tempo.

 

URBAN MEYER'S NOT-SO-SECRET SECRET FOR SUCCESS -- DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS

It's no surprise but the more you read into Ohio State's turnaround under Urban Meyer, the more you see he is continuing that which served him well at Florida and other coaching stops.  For him, it's about the relationship -- with individuals and with his team.  You can read between the lines and see that developing those relationships through communication are part of the strategy he utilizes.

There was a great article earlier written by Chuck Culpepper for the Washington Post titled: "Rise of Ohio State’s Urban Meyer fueled by player relationships"  -- you can read it in it's entirety hear but here are a few of the excerpts the resonated with me:

“To be honest, the biggest thing about Urban is he instilled more confidence in players than I’ve ever seen before,” said Revill, 34, a then-defensive back. “You could be a very average football player and he could make you feel like you were an all-star. Really, every player felt like we could be the best team in the country when before we knew our statistics didn’t show that. He basically said, ‘We have a scheme in place that literally, if you buy into the system and we execute it properly, we will not lose …’

“People that had negative attitudes the year before were buying in and people you wouldn’t expect to buy into a system like that bought in.” Tardiness ebbed. “He got guys who completely changed their lifestyle and got them where they were 100-percent involved.”

In Revill’s words and in others, that seems to have combined with an accessibility to players infrequent in the icons of last century if more common nowadays. All along the way, Meyer seemed to understand football as a collaborative human experience, and that understanding it that way actually might help the football.

When Florida reached the BCS Championship Game in Meyer’s second season, players there told of atmospheric shifts in the program. Linebacker Brandon Siler said the emphasis had changed to value togetherness so that, “We play for each other and we care about the guy next to us.” Receiver Jemalle Cornelius managed to mention “going bowling and hanging out all the time.” Offensive tackle Steve Rissler said, “I didn’t really go to my coach’s house in the last coaching staff. This time, I have been numerous times and hung out with their kids. I know his wife.”

To this day, Revill values dinners he had, as a captain, with Meyer, Meyer’s wife, Shelley, and Revill’s wife, Carlye.

“He is a good guy,” Revill said of Meyer, “but I don’t think him going with the captain of the team to dinner is because he wants to be nice. It’s because it’s a part of his plan, a part of him wanting to get people super-involved in what he’s doing.”

BO ON A BACK UP PLAN AND MAKING SURE YOUR TEAM IS IMPROVED AFTER HALFTIME

I've always been a big believe in "Plan B" (and even Plan C & D).  You always go into a game with an organized plan of attack but the best coaches are flexible in their preparation and in their game execution.  We might want to come out and trap ball screens -- and we will work on it in practice.  But if the offense throws us a new wrinkle or if are execution does not give us the pre-conceived results than we are going to hedge, ice or slide thru.  And we are going to make sure we work on at least two in practice just in case.

I loved Bo Schembechler's thoughts on this concept as he wrote in "Bo's Lasting Lessons" with John U. Bacon:

They say the first casualty of war is the war plan, and I'd have to agree with that.

I knew more about Woody Hayes than any coach I ever went against, hands down.  I played for him, coached for him, I studied him.  I knew that guy cold!  And every time we played each other, he still did something I didn't expect -- ten straight years!  Hot damn!  I didn't know he was going to do that!

So that goes to show you, as much time as we spent scouting and preparing and planning -- and I don't think any team in America prepared better for anyone than we did for Ohio State -- the game never went exactly as we thought it would.  It just never does.

That's all right.  If things aren't going your way, you adjust.  Forget your game plan, forget your ego.  Get the best information you can, and give your team the best chance to succeed from that point forward.  To do anything less is to let your people down when they need you most.  And that just inexcusable.

The best time to do this, if you're a football coach, is halftime.  When you leave your locker room for the second half, you're not going to be the same team.  You're either going to be better informed, or you're going to fall behind because the guys in the other locker room are making better adjustments than you are.

We almost never spent that time on inspirational talks, but on technical adjustments.  To make the most out of our time, we followed a strict routine.

NO EXCUSES

On the rare occasion when (Bear) Bryant did lose a game, he'd appear on his weekly television show looking grim.  One time the host told him, "The Lord just wasn't with us, Coach." Bryant, without missing a beat, growled back, "The Lord expects you to block and tackle."

From "The Storm and the Tide" by Lars Anderson

OREGON'S FOOTBALL STAFF'S UNIQUE METHODS OF TEACHING

Here are a few excerpts out of an article written for the Wall Street Journal by Jonathan Clagg on the approach utilized by the Oregon football staff that works hard at steering clear of yelling at their football players:

In a move that may send football traditionalists into a sideline meltdown, Oregon coach Mark Helfrich and his staff have ditched the age-old technique of screaming at players to motivate them. Instead, Oregon’s coaches have implemented a softer, less confrontational and altogether cuddlier method of running their team.

“It’s not about who can scream the loudest,” said Helfrich, the Ducks’ 41-year-old second-year coach. “We have excellent specialists in their field, great leaders of young men that need to teach guys what to do, to show them and tell them and find a way to bring that home. There’s hopefully way more talking than yelling.”

Granted, the Oregon practice facility won’t be mistaken for the library. But players say that raised voices are almost unheard of during team meetings or workouts these days.

Rather than scream at a player over a dropped pass or a key penalty, Oregon’s coaches rarely react with anything more severe than an arm around the shoulder and some gentle words of encouragement.

“When you put your arm around a guy and say, ‘This is how it could be done better,’ they understand you care about them and you just want what’s best for the team,” said Marcus Mariota, Oregon’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. “Those guys already understand that they did wrong.”

Oregon’s nonaggression policy isn’t limited to players. Offensive coordinator Scott Frost says that the spirit of civility extends to the coaching staff, where the lowliest graduate assistants are treated with the same deference as top members of the staff. “Guys in our program don’t get yelled at and treated like they are beneath the coaches,” Frost said. “There’s more enjoyment and laughing in our building than almost any football building in the country.”

This is just a portion of the article.  Click here to read the entire story.

URBAN MEYER'S "PLAN TO WIN"

While the head coach at the University of Florida, Urban Meyer had what he titled the "Plan to Win."  It was, as described author Buddy Martin in his book "Urban's Way" as follows:

There's a blueprint of success for the Gators, and it's all right there on Urban's virtual stone tablets.  The life of Urban Meyer is metered out on the expanded version of a day planner, parts of which are given to all coaches and players.  Tucked inside the 129-page document is the Plan to Win.  It's only one page.  While Meyer will admit to changing or tweaking his offense, or even learning to listen, and growing as a coach, Urban's organizational philosophy is the same as it was yesterday -- and will be tomorrow.

The four main staples of Urban's mandate for success and his organizational schematic -- his bible of football coaching -- are:

1. Play great defense
2. Turnovers (all coaches are required to teach ball security the same way)
3. Score in the red zone
4. Win the kicking game

Included in the 129-page manual is a set of core values for players:

1. Honesty
2. Respect women
3. No drugs
4. No stealing
5. No weapons

Also included are the guides on how assistant coaches should coach.  The magic potion is simply "Do your job."  That includes the following for coaches:

1. Take care of your family and your health.
2. Take care of your players (academic, social, spiritual, family).
3. Be an expert at your position and excel as a teacher.
4. Recruit every day (expect to sign two to three players per year).
5. Be passionate about coaching and football.

THREE QUOTES COACH CAL SHARES WITH HIS TEAM

The following comes from an article written by Jim Afremow for SportingNews.com a few months back.  Afremow is also the author of an outstanding book, "The Champion's Mind."

In addition to being a master recruiter, Coach Cal is a student of sports psychology. He understands the importance of discussing the mental game with his players as much as he covers the physical game.

“It all comes back to having the right mindset,” he said. Here are three quotes that Coach Cal shares with his players to help them play with the mind of a champion:

— “Through it all, you have to stay positive.” That is, stay on a positive track rather than tracking the negative. When adversity strikes, and it always does, champions strike back instead of giving up.

— “Play through the mistakes instead of letting go of the rope and losing your mind.” In other words, have selective amnesia. Champions understand that the next possession is always more important than the last turnover or missed shot.

— “You’ve got to keep that ‘what if we win, what if we lose’ clear out of your mind.” The key is to focus on the action steps that lead to victory rather than that the victory itself. Champions trust the process to deliver the desired results.

SHOWING CONFIDENCE (FOR THE RIGHT REASONS) IN YOUR PLAYERS BUILDS TRUST

I've heard Doc Rivers speak on several occasions and one message that always resonates is the importance of developing trust between players and coaches.  There are daily instances where trust can be developed, strengthened, weakened or destroyed.  To follow are excerpts of an article written by  Sean Highkin for BleacherReport.com that shows on particular way that the Bulls Tom Thibodeau showed his star player Derrick Rose that he trusted him -- even during a slump:

After an awful first three quarters, not once did Tom Thibodeau think about benching Derrick Rose.

It would have been a completely understandable decision. Thirty-six minutes into the Bulls’ 106-101 Thursday night win over the Denver Nuggets, Rose was 2-of-14 from the field with four points and no sign of breaking out of his shooting slump anytime soon.

Thibodeau’s faith was rewarded with a 13-point fourth quarter. Rose got to the rim and to the foul line, and he provided the spark as the Bulls won a game in which they’d trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half.

Rose has said for the last several days, as his shooting has cratered, that he wasn’t going to change anything he was doing, that he was sure he’d play himself out of it. It’s a mentality that’s been instilled in Rose, and in every other Bulls player, by their coach.

“Players go through it,” Thibodeau said after the game. “He won’t be the first or the last player to go through a slump. As long as he’s shooting the ball properly and they’re the right shots, it happens.”

Thibodeau has a few pet phrases that he likes to repeat at basically any opportunity, and they’re a telling window into his worldview. One is, “You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low.” He’s never been one to panic, and he isn’t going to change his rotation because of a couple of bad performances.

Another of Thibs’ favorite sayings is, “The magic is in the work.” Like all successful NBA coaches, he stresses process over results. If one game doesn’t go the way he wants it to, he’ll live with it if he sees his players playing the right way.

That’s why, for as hard as he works his players, for as much of a drill sergeant as he is, he’s never lost his locker room during his five seasons in Chicago. His players know he has their backs as long as they put in the hours.

“That’s the thing about Thibs,” backup point guard Aaron Brooks said at practice last week. “Some coaches contradict themselves, but he’s always consistent with what he tells us. So even if you don’t always like it, you have to respect it.”

You can read the entire column here.

10 THINGS TALENTED PEOPLE DO TO MAXIMIZE SUCCESS

One of the absolute books I've read, and one that we periodically have our team's read is "Talent Is Never Enough," by John Maxwell.  Talent flows everywhere but successful people take talent and combine it with a work ethic and prioritized structure for maximum results.  Here is a great list I read from BusinessInsider.com in a column written by Heather Huhman. 

Here are 10 things people possessing great talent always do:

1. They talk about their long-term goals.
Talented candidates aren't afraid of their future. In fact, they're excited about their career and what's in store.

Ask candidates about their long-term goals during a job interview. Those with great talent will talk about their prospective future with the company and what they plan to accomplish if hired.

2. They're resourceful and prepared for anything.
Great talent is prepared for any situation. The ability to think and act on the spot is a quality few people have.

People with top-notch talent know their resume inside and out, have their portfolio ready and can answer interview questions without stumbling over their thoughts.

3. They display confidence in any situation.
There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance when identifying top talent. Confident individuals, however, can handle any situation and accept the reality that it's OK to be wrong.

During the interview, ask candidates about their weaknesses. Look for a candidate who can confidently speak about weaknesses and explain the lessons they have learned.

4. They market their versatility.
Individuals who are truly talented possess a wide range of skills and can transfer them to different roles and succeed.

Ask candidates about a time when they had to try something new or apply their skills in an unusual situation. A good candidate will be able to share an experience or two.

5. They prioritize results.
Talented people care about results. They have a burning passion to accomplish their goals, both in their personal life or career.

Those who possess top talent will talk about what they want to accomplish once hired without the interviewer having to ask.

6. They ask smart questions.
Bright individuals are curious people. Because of this, they'll ask questions to learn more about an organization and how it functions.

During the interview, a talented candidate will ask questions about what he or she is expected to accomplish if hired. They will inquire about the attributes of the top performers at the company and about what it takes to drive results.

7. They're extremely flexible.
Many organizations continuously update their goals and implement new strategies. Top talent can adjust to such changes without becoming derailed from success.

Ask candidates about a time when they had to quickly adapt to a new situation and what happened.

Risk taking is involved at any business. Talented people aren't afraid of pushing the envelope to discover new ideas.

Ask candidates about a time where they had to take a risk. Their response should provide enough insight about whether they can take big enough risks.

9. They bring passion to the position and organization.
This might seem like a cliché, but passion is a quality that sets apart those with great talent from lackluster candidates.

When a talented person is passionate about what he or she does, that individual is not afraid to tell a prospective employer. In fact, when someone is truly passionate, a hiring manager can see it in the individual's personality and previous experience.

10. They communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
Strong communicators have the ability to take organizations to the next level.

When speaking to candidates over the phone or in person or exchanging emails, pay close attention to how they communicate. This gives employers a better indication of their communication skills.

You can read the entire article here.

SABAN, MEYER: CONTRASTING WAYS OF MOTIVATION

The most valuable lesson I learned as a young coach is that there are a variety of ways to coach and motivate.  A perfect point is the two distinctly different ways the Alabama's Nick Saban and Ohio State's Urban Meyer utilized the national rankings as motivation.  Here is an excerpt from an article from AL.com by Drew Champlin.  You can read the entire article here.

Alabama was 7-1 and ranked No. 6 when the committee released its first rankings. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said he didn't "really look at the rankings" each week, knowing the final rankings were most important. With games against then-ranked foes Mississippi State, LSU and Auburn forthcoming, plus the SEC Championship, winning out would get the Crimson Tide where it needed to be.

"So you have to keep focusing on the next game and try to do the best you can to get your players to be well prepared and to play their best and continue to improve throughout the season, so that you end up in the right place," Saban said Thursday during a press conference with coaches from all four playoff teams.

Saban said the weekly rankings could have been a distraction.

"I think the challenge is to get the players and the people in your organization, your staff and everyone to, you know, realize that, sell that, and stay focused on the things that are going to affect their performance and not get sort of affected by the external factors like a poll, like a ranking, like a scoreboard," Saban said. "All those things sort of can change how you compete and how you play."

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer took a different approach. The Buckeyes' chance at reaching the playoffs was thought to be a longshot after a week 2 home loss to Virginia Tech.

Meyer thought his young team would be better in 2015 and started looking further ahead. But OSU kept winning and winning this season.

"As we started to play better, I would throw that nugget out there every once in a while on Sunday, because everybody watches (the ranking shows)," Meyer said. "You can't ‑‑ like you said, you get tired of hearing it.  I actually (was) like ‑‑ if we lose another game, you probably wish you would hear about it."

Ohio State's big regular season win was a 49-37 road win at then-No. 8 Michigan State on Nov. 8. The Buckeyes come into the playoff on an 11-game win streak, highlighted by its 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.

"Our players were very well aware," Meyer said. "That was the talk of college football.  I had a very young team, and anything I could do to motivate them, they wanted to be a part of this.  And so we would discuss it and have a quick conversation about it every week, because I know they are hearing it from home. 

"So if I had a much more mature team, probably take a little bit more of an approach of 'just don't worry about it.'  But we utilize that.  This is college. You want to tell your children, 'some day, you played in the first College Football Playoff,' so we used that quite a bit."