Change for the Better

Big Blue Nation and the University of Kentucky recently won its' 8th NCAA men's basketball national championship.  Head coach John Calipari and his much publicized dribble drive offense finally got his first national title after a near miss with the University of Memphis in 2008 against the Kansas Jayhawks.  Though Coach Cal added to his already spectacular career, the dribble drive did not really add a national championship to its resume.  The last two months of the season, including the tournament, saw the Wildcats run more set plays than many of Coach Cal's past teams.  This was not because it doesn't work.  It wasn't because the dribble drive was even bad for this group of talented players.  No, he went away from it because they were good running it but not great running it.  They were #1 in the nation running it, but there was some doubt that they would win a national championship in March running the dribble drive offense.  Like Coach Cal, I love the dribble drive.   My team runs it.  But, just like Coach Cal, I love winning even more. 

Why Pat Summitt is the Best

(editor's note:  published on April 18, 2012)
Today is a sad day not only in the state of Tennessee but across the nation.  Pat Summitt, all of 59 years young, 8 national championships, nearly 1,100 wins (most all-time, men or women) and countless branches on her coaching tree, stepped down from being the Lady Vol head coach.  Coach Summitt's associate head coach, Holly Warlick, will take over the reigns full-time.  Head Coach Emeritus is the new title that Coach Summitt has earned.  Just like everything else she has done in her career, I am sure that she'll be the best at this position.  What follows are just a couple of reasons why she may just be the best coach ever...in any sport.  I can hear the outcries now...what about Lombardi?  What about Wooden?  What about Bear Bryant?  No argument from me that if there was a Mount Rushmore of Coaches, they'd certainly be considered. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that Coach Summitt's likeness would be etched in stone...and not just because she is the best female coach or the best coach of a female sport.  

1.  She Humbly Understands Her Importance--In meeting a new woman in the movie Anchorman, Ron Burgundy, proudly proclaims "I am what you call a big deal around here.  People know me!"  Like the anchorman, Coach Summitt may be a big deal but unlike the anchorman, she is humble in her actions.  I have seen Coach Summitt on multiple occasions working intensely trying to run a camp or evaluate a prospect at an event when somebody approaches her for an autograph or picture.  Not only does she grant the request, she does it with a pep in her step, a smile, and a genuinely positive attitude.  She didn't become the first millionaire women's coach just because she won.  She was also worth that money because she is a brand.  She is a larger than life figure that provides hope and an example to thousands of people per year (plus she is not afraid to don a cheerleader outfit on occasion). It is no coincidence that the Lady Vols are at the top of the nation year in and year out in attendance, as well as occupying quite a few seats on the road.  In addition, her players have become an extension of her in the community and the arenas.  They are well-mannered and always willing to show appreciation to fans.  This past October, we took a four-hour trip to Knoxville to visit the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (one of our players, Vee Young, has her jersey hanging up) and to watch a Lady Vol practice.  After the practice was finished, Coach Summit came over to our group and talked to them for a few minutes.  She then volunteered to take a picture with us.  This was a highlight for so many of our players that grew up Lady Vol fans.  This was after a tough early season practice and less than two months after the announcement of early onset dementia.  Why did she spend time with us?  Because Coach Summitt knows no other way to act.  Coach Summitt has that special gift of making fans of all ages, shapes and sizes feel a part of the program. 

2.  The Lady Was Tough--Coach Summitt's players were first-class and were certainly "Lady" Vols off-the-court.  However, on the court, Coach Summitt treated them like athletes.  They were competitors because she was a competitor.  She didn't have time for excuses and preached taking responsibility for actions.  It wasn't okay to miss a layup or turn the ball over just because you were a girl. Be a player. Be a champion. Arguably, the Lady Vols were the flagship program of women's athletics for the past 30+ years.  However, they rebounded and defended like they were backed into a corner and had to scrape and claw their way out.  For years, Lady Vol players demonstrated how you could be a female and at the same time still sweat, bleed, and compete at the highest levels of athletics.  I love the story about her being on a recruiting home visit when she went into labor.  Just the thought of working away from home that close to the due date is pretty incredible.  She was tough enough to not have the baby (Tyler) until she was back in Tennessee.  Some might roll their eyes as if she had anything to do with that, but anyone that has followed her career will know that with Coach Summitt, it is hard to discount any story about her toughness or business like approach. Additionally, think about her career at UT and how many teams she coached and how many players took to the court.  You would be hard pressed to find examples of idiots or criminals.  Instead you find example after example of Academic All-Americans, future coaches, fine citizens and first-class student-athletes.  That consistency is amazing and demonstrates why the Lady Vol brand has lasted and flourished for so long.

3. She Surrounded Herself with Winners--Think about the last few coaches that have been a part of her staff.  It has been a who's who of basketball coaching respectability.  Some may not be household names to the average basketball fan, but to the diehards, her staff have represented a sort of all-star team.  Coming into this year, her three assistants were Holly Warlick, serving more than 30 years as a Lady Vol coach and player; Mickie DeMoss, former head coach at Kentucky and Florida; and Dean Lockwood,  a  men's college head coach for 12 years, in addition to a men's assistant at Tennessee, Central Michigan and Army.  If you watch them practice or observe the behavior on the bench during games, it doesn't take long to notice that they know what they are doing.  They are not "yes" people; they are solution people.  They are successful people.  That is who Coach Summitt surrounds herself with.  My fellow Michigander, Dean Lockwood, once told me that there are few things out there that could pull him away from working with Coach Summitt.  He didn't say "for".  He said "with".  He couldn't say enough about her and the trust she bestowed upon her assistants and the loyalty that they felt from her.  And this was all before she gave them each a brand new Mercedes Benz.  When Stephanie Glance, the long-time associate head coach for Kay Yow was passed over for the full-time job at NC State, Coach Summitt hired her on staff.  She was overqualified, but Coach Summitt wanted another great mind around her and Coach Glance probably wanted to work for a great "boss".  Even the last few coaches to leave all did so for head coaching positions (Nikki Caldwell--UCLA; Stephanie Glance--Illinois State; Mickie DeMoss--Kentucky/Indiana Fever).

At the end of the day, what makes Coach Summitt the greatest is that she achieved unparalleled success on the court while doing it without even a hint of inappropriateness.  Nearly every positive leadership and coaching characteristic could and has been applied to her.  She is a model for so many people in some many walks of life.  Even the grace and strength of character she has shown during the last year has been impressive.  She didn't hang on like a pro athlete clinging to something that he once was.  Coach Summitt didn't embarrass herself or lose touch with the game.  Yes, this talented senior class did not achieve all that was expected of them, but in all fairness they were still very successful.  Losing to eventual national runner-up Notre Dame last year and this year, bowing out to the eventual National Champion, Baylor Bears, is not at all a failure.  Coach Summitt might not have won a championship in her last year, but she certainly went out as a champion.

All of the following books are highly recommended if you are a coach, leader or fan of Coach Summitt:  "Sum It Up", "Reach for the Summitt", "Raise the Roof"

Jamy Bechler is a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker, Trainer and Coach.  Contact him at CoachBechler@CoachBechler.com to find out how you or your team can be more successful.   You can also subscribe to his leadership insights & newsletter by clicking here.

15 Best Books for Coaches

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
John Wooden

In a previous post, I talked about some of the best books for leaders, whether you are a coach or not.  Today, I will recommend the books that will help a coach in nearly any sport at any level.  A couple of the books may seem sport specific, but contain information and insight that can help you regardless of what you coach.  Even if you are not an avid reader, flip through some of these books and steal one or two ideas to implement with your teams or to strengthen your coaching philosophy.  These are 15 books that are different than my list for leaders.  However, I would definitely suggest looking at those books as well.

1. "A Season on the Brink"  (John Feinstein)
2. "The Bowden Way: 50 Years of Leadership Wisdom"  (Bobby Bowden)
3. "Coaching Team Basketball" (Tom Crean)
4. "The Men of March:  A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches"  (Brian Curtis)
5. "Runnin' the Show:  Basketball Leadership for Coaches and Players"  (Dick DeVenzio)
6. "Catch Them Being Good"  (Tony DiCicco & Colleen Hacker)
7. "Education of a Coach" (David Halberstam)
8. "Sacred Hoops:  Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior"  (Phil Jackson)
9. "Inside Women's College Basketball:  The Anatomy of a Season"  (Richard Kent)
10. "Five Point Play"  (Mike Krzyzewski)
11. "The Winner Within"  (Pat Riley)
12. "How Good Do You Want to Be"  (Nick Saban)
13. "Raise the Roof"  (Pat Summitt) 
14. "They Call Me Coach"  (John Wooden)
15. "Practical Modern Basketball"  (John Wooden) 

 Jamy Bechler is a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, speaker and trainer.  You can contact him at Jamy@CoachBechler.com.  You can also subscribe to his leadership newsletter by clicking here.

Are You Growing?

“Do or do not...there is no try” the Jedi Master, Yoda, said to the young Luke Skywalker. I was a youngster when The Empire Strikes Back was in theaters. I loved that line then and I love it today. It can be used in a variety of settings.  However, as I have been thinking about leadership the last few weeks, it has become apparent that some of us get stagnant and don’t really commit to growth as leaders. We say we’ll try, but we don’t really.

Greener Grass?

In his book WINNING EVERY DAY, the former Notre Dame football coach, Lou Holtz, tells the story of the Trappist monk who was allowed to say only two words every three years. After the first three years, he met with the his order’s Brother Superior and  said, “Bad bed!” 3 years later, he came back to say, “Bad food!” After 3 more years of silence, the monk said, “No TV!” Another 3 years passed. This time, when the monk met with Brother Superior, he handed him his robes and sandals and announced, “I quit!” Brother Superior said, “Well don’t expect me to try to dissuade you. You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here!”

Complaints, excuses, envy, ambition...we’ve all been there.  Unless you are in a perfect place (which would make you an Angel), the grass may appear to be greener on the other side of the fence. The truth is that every job, every person, every situation has some flaws.  Until you own your circumstances, you will never truly maximize the potential of your situation.

What's Important to You?

In light of the recent Bobby Petrino debacle at the University of Arkansas, I thought it would be appropriate to reprint an article I wrote for the May 2011 issue of THE ENCOURAGING LEADER.

As an avid Michigan football fan, I appreciate the following story.  An Ohio State student and U of M student were taking a graduate school entrance exam.  Afterward, the proctor called both of them into an office and proceeded to tell them that they both missed only one question on the test, but that the Michigan student was receiving an “A” and the OSU student would fail.  When prompted, the proctor replied that the UM student had answered “I don’t know” for one of the questions.  Ironically, that was the same question the OSU student missed.  Except the OSU student answered “I don’t know either”.  Lately, it hasn’t pained me to see Ohio State football in the news for apparently violating NCAA rules. But, I can appreciate Jim Tressel’s success as a coach.  He seemed to be a class leader that did things the right way.   Is Jim Tressel a cheater?  Is he a bad person?  I don’t know for sure.  However, I can say that it appears his moral compass was off, at least for a moment.

Another Leader "Crashes"

Joe Paterno, Jim Tressell, Bruce Pearl, the list goes on and on.  You can now add former University of Arkansas head football coach to the list of great coaches...great leaders, that fell short of their obligations as individuals of character.  As leaders of young men (or women), it is imperative that a coach abide by higher standards.  Character and integrity do go hand in hand with what a college (or high school) coach's expectations should be.  At these levels, a coach is expected to help develop character in their players.  It is a difficult task, made nearly impossible if a coach doesn't model an acceptable behavior themselves.

Defense Wins Championships

All of us sports fans have heard it said that "Defense Wins Championships".  Though that axiom has a lot of legitimacy, it is hard to say whether it is 100% true.  Lots of things go into winning a championship. However, I must say that this year, it seemed that I noticed more winning coaches praising their team's defensive efforts as the main reason for their success.  This has gotten me to thinking about my team and whether or not we should emphasize defense even more next year. It probably can't hurt. Regardless, here are some of the examples that I am talking about when it comes to defense helping a team win a basketball championship.

James Justice Wins College Slam Dunk Championship

Congratulations to James Justice, the 5'9 All-American guard from Martin Methodist College, for winning the 2012 State Farm College Slam Dunk Contest.  He beat out seven NCAA Division I players, including Miles Plumlee from Duke University.  If you didn't see it on ESPN, then I highly recommend it.  If nothing else, seeing the judges (including Bobby Hurley and John Salley) react after James' last dunk is priceless.  Here is the footage (courtesy of SBnation.com).

http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/29/2913006/ncaa-slam-dunk-contest-highlights-gifs-final-four