Please enjoy this recent publication from Basketball Coach Weekly titled “Adjusting Your Coaching Approach.”
I hope this article may help others in the coaching profession as they attmept to balance coaching and their personal lives.
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
Here are some business tips from Michael Franzese a former mob boss who reformed his life and is now an author, speaker and business leader. I have read Mr. Franzese’s book “Blood Convenant” and also heard him speak when I was an Assistant at Clarion University of PA in the Fall of 2011.
Here is a snippet of Franzese’s interview on the Jim Rome Show with guest host Marc James from August 10th, 2016: http://jimrome.com/2016/08/10/8102016-marc-james-in-the-jungle/
“Business is business. Whether you’re doing it on the street or you’re doing it legitimately, there are still certain business practices that you have to put into play.”
“Honestly, I don’t believe I was a brilliant business guy. There were guys out there that were smarter than me. But there’s certain things that I was able to do to that kept me always ahead of the game. Number one, I was always able to find a good deal. I knew how to weed through the bad ones and find the right ones. At that point I knew how to surround myself with the right people to get the job done and then motivate them to do their best for me.”
“I came up with a slogan that always worked for me and is working for a lot of business people now that I speak to and that is ‘do what you do best and delegate the rest’ and just get the most out of the people you put in place.”
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
It is with a great disappointment that I have resigned this past week as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Sacred Heart University due to family concerns.
With the birth of our second child in early June, it was becoming more and more apparent to me that I did not really know our new addition. Like most parents, I was trying to stretch time at both ends – work and home – and I felt that I was failing as a father and did not want to fail as a coach.
I cannot thank Head Coach Jessica Mannetti enough for hiring me and giving me the opportunity to join her staff. Everyone at Sacred Heart was so very welcoming and I truly enjoyed each and every day I went to the office. Coach Mannetti’s friendship, understanding and support during this decision shows her leadership and compassion for her staff despite her desire to keep me on board.
I wanted to make sure this decision was not rash, yet still make a relatively quick decision in order to give Coach Mannetti the utmost time to find my replacement. It is nerve racking to leave a job, when you do not have any other work lined up, especially when you have a family to help support. However, I felt it was the right thing to do given the circumstance.
I would also like to thank the Coach Yolanda Cole, Coach Ali Heller, the SHU student-athletes and support staff. You are all great people who are dedicated to your craft and I will miss working with you.
Not only was this a difficult decision because of my journey to get back on the sidelines this past season, but also because I felt that we had a great chance to win the NEC and move to the NCAA tournament this season. I will surely be cheering the Pioneers on throughout the year.
I have never been anything but all in and know that I cannot change that approach. I think right now, as a division I assistant though there are certain requirements that the job entails, which are necessary in order to assist in running a championship level program. I had to make a value judgement of myself and my priorities and I did not think I could have performed at the level that Coach Mannetti and the student-athletes needed me to, and at the level which I know how to and expect myself to work at, without sacrificing a tremendous amount of time with my family.
This sacrifice was not the right approach for our family at this time unfortunately.
To all of my friends who have called me and offered their support and encouragement, I appreciate you all.
This was a hard decision but it was the right one…And although it was the right decision it is still a very bittersweet one as well.
I have met many great people in the game and know I have positively influenced the lives of so many of my former players and assistant coaches. Some solace for me during this decision is that I know that I can hold my head high and am confident that I have treated all those I worked for, coached with and been a coach for, as best I could and given it 100% all the time.
The wins are great, but the relationships will always last and will always mean the most to me.
Players and coaches, as always, if I can help you with anything, please do not hesitate to ask.
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
In the coaching world when one person gets a chance, another coach is getting their pink slip.
So was the case at the University of Illinois, who announced that Lovie Smith would be the next Head Football Coach for the Illini (see Shannon Ryan’s article in the Chicago Tribune).
Smith, a well respected NFL Head Coach and great person, himself was done dirty by the brass in Tampa Bay. After just his second year, Smith was surprisingly fired despite his team showing progress with a rookie QB at the helm.
With this in mind, I am ecstatic for Coach Smith to get this opportunity to run his own program again.
Nevertheless, every hire means a fire (or non-renewal). In this case, Bill Cubit was on the chopping block. Several programs within the athletic department were said to be in turmoil, including the football program before Cubit was the interim and then eventual head coach.
What stood out to me was a few things:
It seems as though, despite a glamour hire by Whitman, Cubit was not the problem and he was not even given the courtesy by Whitman to talk to him, evaluate him and get to know what his culture and philosophy were about.
This hire pulls at me in both directions because Lovie was dismissal by Tampa Bay was just as shameful as Cubit’s by Illinois.
The bottom line is: Great for Lovie. Thoughts go out to Cubit and the former Illini Football staff. Shame on Whitman.
I do understand (see Brian Hamilton’s of Sports Illustrated’s take), but do not agree with Cubit’s abrupt firing, but no matter what Whitman’s decision, it was handled entirely unprofessionally.
Not to mention, why were the student-athletes not afforded the respect to be told before the media was notified? It has to be about the student-athletes. Period.
It begs the question that I always ask myself…”who is evaluating the evaluators?”
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
Charlie Kim’s article “9 Differences Between Selfish and Selfless Leaders,” is a good cheat sheet you can use to identify which type of leader you are.
What was interesting to me was the notion of “instead of interviewing and evaluating the company, evaluate the manager who will be your leader.”
This is so critical in order for you program to be successful. A coach or business manager without the support of administration or ownership is doomed to fail.
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
No matter if you are involved with business, education or athletics, you must surround yourself and your organization with hard workers who have a realistic view on their strengths and weaknesses and those who understand that entitlement is root of failure an organizations demise.
I was thinking about this as I watched last night’s episode of “The Profit” which involved an entrepreneur’s son who felt that he was owed a 10% equity stake in the company for no particular reason. It reminded me of a similar situation that occurred in my coaching career.
I once had a player come in to speak with my coaching staff about how they “deserved to play”. Keep in mind, that this was a freshman who had no real recourse for this statement and in the coaches eyes was uncoachable, lacked certain on the court skills and was not invested in their teammates (or the program’s) ultimate success.
What was the thought process behind this statement?
I have an idea although it is most likely a mixture of factors and not just one lone piece. I imagine it is that this individual was spoiled/coddled by their parents (cruises, new car, etc.) and were never told “no” in any real sense. If I were to guess, they probably got “things” when the got an A on a paper or if they merely cleaned their room.
The expectation was that they got something, instead of just doing something their best or the right way because that’s how it should be done 100% of the time. Their reward was a material item, not self pride in knowing they did the job the right way.
I don’t want to make this solely about parenting, because I still believe that each individual has a choice to make regarding if they will have an elitist/entitled attitude or not. However, this type of parenting, surely doesn’t help the child.
Moreover, in athletics especially when players are used to winning, either because they play in small high school leagues with minimal competition or AAU teams that play in low brackets and simply are more talented, constant success creates a climate where hard work and constant improvement is not really that important. The mentality of “if I work hard we will win by 25 and if I don’t we will win by 15” eventually catches up to the student-athletes in athletics, education and life.
As one can imagine, I chuckled (on the inside) when I heard “I deserved to play” thought process. I was quick to point out that “nobody deserves to play and that this program is a meritocracy and I play those players who can help our team be successful. Not one minute more or one minute less.”
Coaches must be weary of having ANY players in their program that “deserve” minutes, to start, be the leading scored, etc. One leads to two, and two leads to three, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
As the head coach, I try to instill that nobody is bigger than the program by doing ALL OF THE LITTLE THINGS to show (not say!) that not even I am above the program. Carrying uniforms, gear, sweeping the gym floor, etc. are all “menial” tasks for some head coaches, but to me it shows my players that if I can do the daily tasks and pay attention to the details, they can too.
It’s about work and success not image and attitude.
Leaders must address this behavior immediately, especially if coaches are taking over a new program and did not get to build relationships with player(s) during the recruiting process. If the player(s) cannot change their mindset coaches will be doomed to DEATH BY ENTITLEMENT or coaches will have to remove them from the program.
This is the only way to lay the foundation for building a true championship culture.
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
Here was my guest blog on HoopDirt.com and WHoopdirt.com last week in case you missed it.
http://whoopdirt.com/guest-blog-assistant-coaches-role-in-preparing-scouting-reports/
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
Money magazine’s Jocelyn Black Hodes’ article “10 Reasons You’re Not Rich Yet” is not only about financial worth but also can pertain to your organization or personal life.
Here is how each point can be interpreted for coaches:
#1 – You Spend Money Like You Are Already Rich – We all have budgets, so stay within yours or it may cost you (your job!) in the long run
#2 – You Don’t Have a Plan – What is your ultimate goal? You need to answer this question realistically so you can plan accordingly (recruiting, player development, fund raising, etc.)
#3 – You Don’t Have an Emergency Plan – What if someone gets sick? What if a player is injured? Who will step in and take over? Head coaches must have plans for these emergencies. Not only will they help their program get through this difficult time, but they will have strengthened their leadership skills and reputation.
#4 – You Started Late – If you don’t have a plan or solid philosophy, you better get one!
#5 – You’d Rather Complain Than Commit – There is nothing worse than having complainers around to infect others. Get rid of complainers and if it is you that is doing the complaining, you should ask yourself, “why do I coach?”
#6 – You Live For Today in Spite of Tomorrow – Always keep the future in mind. Just because you are on a winning streak now it will definitely come to an end. Prepare for rainy days by having a long-term vision of how you see the program in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, etc.
#7 – You’re a One Trick Investor – You must be versatile in your program. Give each member (players and coaches) the ability to work outside their comfort zone to expand their abilities and confidence.
#8 – You Don’t Automate – Use technology to your advantage: set schedules, reminders, call/facetime to build networking relationships, create your brand, etc.
#9 – You Have No Sense of Urgency – What time is better than now? Procrastination is the enemy of greatness. If there is something that you do not particularly like to do, then make sure it is a strength of someone else on your staff.
#10 – You’re Easily Influenced – As the leader of the program, you have to have a “filter.” Filter out the junk and keep the valuables. Be a 49er!
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
This recent Sports Illustrated article by Melissa Jacobs, makes a case for Chip Kelly being the right hire for the San Francisco 49ers. I think it is at least a logical argument for hiring a coach who seemed to not have the necessary personality to connect with his players during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Although having the necessary tactical skills are very important, nothing is as important as treating players with respect and getting to know them on a personal level, in my opinion. X’s and O’s can be learned, personality and caring can not.
Although the 49ers do need a whole system transformation in order to get the necessary production out of Colin Kaepernick, it will be interesting to see if Kelly can make the changes necessary or if the 49ers should have went with an “Unusual Hire” (see “Taking a (Calculated) Risk in Hiring”) to fill its head coaching vacancy
The Case for…Chip Kelly- Sports Illustrated – Jan. 25, 2016 – Melissa Jacobs
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
With the impending weather that the Northeast is expecting and the Mid-Atlantic has already experienced, here is an article entitled “Game Planning for Mother Nature” that I wrote for HoopDirt.com / WHoopDirt.com in February of 2014.
Hopefully these tips will help coaches navigate around delays, cancellations and other unexpected happenings when harsh winter weather strikes.
Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo
Expressions from the Hardwood 