Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast

We are fortunate to have Felix Engel on this episode. Engel is a former player and distinguished youth coach in Germany and recognized worldwide for his contemporary approach to coaching. In addition, Engel serves with a different organizations to help mentor youth coaches.

We are fortunate to have Brent Keener on this episode. Keener just finished his 18th season at Mountain Home High School. He led the Tigers to a 21-5 record and a third-place finish at the Idaho 5A State Girls Tournament. ---Subscribe to the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter.---EPISODE BREAKDOWN1:20 - What led you to an uptempo offense?2:15 - Changes adopted in a more uptempo system3:00 - Transition offense principles4:45 - Offensive geography6:40 - Practicing the 3 layers of offense7:40 - Game shot feedback9:00 - Teaching off-ball reads10:55 - Point guard responsibilities13:15 - A big's responsibility in the offense15:25 - 2-person actions with wings16:20 - Ball movement in an uptempo offense18:05 - Teaching spacing principles19:55 - Practice focuses throughout the year20:40 - Favorite shooting drills21:40 - Earring a shooting license23:25 - Separating position players during practice24:25 - Developing  meaningful reps in practice26:05 - Defense that plays into the offense28:15 - Secrets to coaching longevity

We are fortunate to have Reid Ouse for this episode. Ouse is a former college basketball coach who is now the owner / director of Catalyst Training, which is based out of Minnesota. He has worked with some of basketball biggest names, but also offer development and training for coaches & players at all levels. — Subscribe to the newsletter: CoachingIdaho.Substack.Com — EPISODE BREAKDOWN 2:00 - Definition of success in player development 5:00 - The mindset of top players 7:00 - The role of the coach in player development 9:30 - A mix between skill development & game enhancement 12:50 - Manufacturing the right chaotic environment 16:00 - Determining a workout plan for players 18:10 - Best practices for communication 20:10 - Incorporating multiple activities within a drill 22:25 - Approach to shooting 27:00 - What's available at Catalyst Training

We are fortunate to have Chris Oliver return to the podcast for this episode. Oliver, of course, is the basketball podfather with his own show, The Basketball Podcast, and website, Basketball Immersion, two of leading resources for coaches around the world. He also is a consultant with Nike & the NBA involving their youth basketball initiative which we will talk about a little later. --- Subscribe to the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter: coachingidaho.substack.com --- Episode Breakdown 1:45 - Changes in coaching philosophy over time 4:00 - Practice structure when installing a conceptual offense 6:00 - Teaching the game using coaching interventions 7:15 - What coaching interventions should look like 10:00 - Helping players develop their scanning skills 13:25 - Deeper conversations with players around development 14:15 - What teaching scanning looks like in practices 16:50 - The importance of playing 5v5 20:25 - The importance of connecting the different elements of play 21:15 - Ideas for developing a coaching filter for resources 23:05 - The importance of having a Principles of Play 24:30 - Partnership with Nike and the NBA 26:20 - Getting players to love practice

We are fortunate to have the return of Liam Jefferson on this episode.  The episode focuses on how Jefferson develops his practices using CLA methods to introduce conceptual principles in his new position. Jefferson was on earlier this year to talk about his role with the London Lions Youth Academy and installing a conceptual offense. It quickly became one of our most popular episodes. A lot has changed since that time. Jefferson is now the head coach of the Oaklands Wolves and clinician for Transforming Basketball.  --- Check out the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter at ⁠CoachingIdaho.substack.com⁠. --- 2:00 - Responsibilities with the Oaklands Wolves 3:50 - Working with inexperience basketball coaches 5:30 - Documenting offensive & defensive philosophies 6:50 - Introducing CLA & Conceptual offense to new coaches 8:30 - Evaluating success when taking over a new program 10:25 - Long haul vs. short haul when implementing a CLA & Conceptual approach 11:25 - Competition levels for basketball in England 12:50 - Structure of youth academy vs. senior team practices 14:00 - Keys to developing a practice plan 16:00 - Organizing practice activities over the season 17:30 - Practice planning for specific opponents 18:45 - Practice structure using the CLA 21:15 - The importance of pace in practices 22:30 - Individual development in practices 25:00 - Players response to this system 27:05 - Planning practice around intensity & workload

We are fortunate to have Ty Keck on this episode to discuss practice planning and structure.  Keck is the head girls coach at Skyline High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He led Skyline to a 4A state runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2024 and has been a great resource for coaches like myself who have adopted a conceptual offense and CLA principles. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 2:00 - General approach to developing a practice plan 3:10 - What's a practice philosophy that's changed for you over the years 6:25 - Development w/ younger players vs. older players 8:00 - Practice structure from day to day 9:55 - Adapting focus within a practice 11:55 - Creating the environment for a secondary trigger 15:25 - Ratio between 2v2, 3v3 vs. 5v5 17:20 - Ratio of teaching offense vs. defense 19:45 - Factoring conditioning into practices -- Be sure to subscribe to the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter at https://coachingidaho.substack.com/

We are fortunate to have John Adams on this episode. In fact, I was fortunate to spend an evening with Adams in Kenmare, County Kerry during my trip to Ireland. Adams is a co-founder and current chair of the Kenmare Kestrels Basketball Club. The club was founded in 2006 and boasts close to 350 members, with youth and adult teams competing in the KABB (Kerry Area Basketball Board). Adams, who is originally from Maine and has degrees from Notre Dame and Harvard, managed to fit in some time between practices for a short interview at his home. Our discussion focused on the history of the Kenmare Kestrels, how it fits a niche in a country dominated by other sports, and what he has learned as a coach to teams at various age levels.

We are fortunate to have Bill Himmelberg on this episode. Himmelberg is the head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana. The Argos made their way to this year's NAIA National Championship game, but fell to No. 1 Dordt University by 4 points. Himmelberg is entering his 15 season as Providence's head coach. He also has experience coaching at the high school level. -- Check out the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter on substack: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/ -- 1:45 - Was playing for an NAIA title expected at the beginning of the season 2:40 - Determining when your team might be a championship-level team 4:15 - Discussing championship possiblities with your team 7:45 - Where owning restaurant franchises and college basketball meet 12:50 - Developing an offensive identity through early offense and   player freedom 18:15 - Building confidence in younger players in a conceptual system 22:35 - Flowing from 5-out to 4-out seamlessly 31:05 - Packaging actions and naming them for easy communication 35:15 - Introducing concepts throughout the season 37:35 - The benefits for two-way teaching 40:00 - Using a 5-out to attack a zone defense 42:15 - Percentage of time practicing against a zone defense 44:05 - Area of study as a coach for the upcoming season

We are fortunate to have Ryan Josephson on this episode.  Josephson is the head boys coach at Camas High School near Vancouver, Washington. Since starting as an assistant coach for the boys, the Papermakers have enjoyed unprecedented success in their school's basketball history, including a sixth place finish in the 2023 4A State Tournament.  Over the last 4 years, Camas has averaged more than 70 points per game. -- Check out the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter on substack: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/ -- SHOW NOTES 2:05 - Path toward a conceptual offense and using CLA concepts 4:55 - Main principles of the Camas offense 11:00 - Identifying primary triggers for a conceptual offense 19:15 - Using Ghost Screens as a secondary action 23:10 - Other secondary actions to keep flow 27:25 - SSGs that lead to secondary actions 31:40 - Conceptual offense with multiple talented players 33:50 - Identifying good shots in a conceptual offense 37:25 - CLA's impact on player shot selection 39:00 - Forecasting for the future with a conceptual offense 47:30 - Working with your coaching staff in implementation 51:05 - Growth areas as a coach

We are fortunate to have Kirby Schepp on this podcast. Schepp is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Manitoba. Schepp has coached at all levels in his more than 3 decade of coaching, including stints with national teams of Canada and Egypt. Most people know Schepp from his online coaching clinics, including the presentation “Don't Teach Them Plays, Teach Them “How to Play,” which has more than 1 million views on YouTube. Schepp covers a lot for coaches to consider throughout this episode. The main focus of the discussion is Zone Offense Concepts. -- Check out the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter on substack: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/ -- SHOW NOTES 1:30 - Coaching at a national team level 3:40 - Coach Schepp's basketball journey 5:30 - Putting in the time as a coach 10:40 - Breaking down concepts for players 13:30 - Growing as a coach 14:50 - Building player's knowledge of zone offense 21:15 - Offense that zones don't like 23:15 - Concepts that will distort a zone 27:25 - Game planning & adjusting to a zone 31:50 - Teaching shot selection in zone offense 36:35 - A system vs. player strengths 41:10 - Blobs vs. a zone defense 45:05 - Finding inspiration for zone offense 48:20 - Olympic basketball breakdown 51:10 - Growth areas as a coach 53:15 - Keys to re-evaluating your system

We are fortunate to have 2 guests for this episode.  The first guest is James Anderson, who has appeared on two episodes of the podcast. Anderson is the head boys coach at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Our second guest is new to the podcast. Adam DeGroot is the head coach at Joliet Catholic in Joliet, Illinois. Both coaches run conceptual offense, and in many ways, run conceptual defense. The episode is a mid-summer check-in to discuss what we've learned. -- Check out our newsletter on substack: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/ -- 3:15 - Developing a long-term plan for program building 5:00 - Reasons for leaning toward conceptual play 7:20 - The role of the “Connector” position 10:30 - Developing the “Connector” in practice 13:20 - Second-year development of offense 15:40 - Distribution of triggers and shots 18:40 - Stacking triggers together 21:55 - Introducing Conceptual Offense to younger players 27:45 - Summer surprises - good & bad 31:45 - Describing a conceputal defense 36:50 - How players have picked up the conceptual defense  39:35 - Getting your coaching staff up to speed

We are fortunate to have Brian McCormick on this episode. McCormick name is probably familiar to you. He has coached players at all levels all over the world for several decades, and his impact on the game is remarkable.   McCormick, who has a PhD in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Utah, released his 27th book for basketball coaches in March. NADA is his first book to focus on defense. -- Check out our newsletter on substack: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/ -- SHOW NOTES 1:55 - The evolution of NADA 5:45 - 3 differentiators between NADA & traditional systems 20:40 - No Advantage vs. Defensive Advantage 30:10 - Antiquated Defensive Principles 41:40 - When incorrect decisions are the preferred decisions 45:20 - Using NADA in your program 51:10 - 1v1's Role in Improving Defense 56:50 - Offseason focuses

We are fortunate to have Chris Cheng on this episode to talk about 5-Out Trigger Offense.  Cheng is the head men's coach at the University of Windsor in Ontario. He also happens to be the head coach of Canada's U17 National team which will be competing at the World Championships later this summer. -- Check out our newsletter on substack: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/ -- SHOW NOTES 2:10 - Pathway to a 5-Out Offense 4:30 - Evolution in Offense 5:50 - Offensive DNA 7:55 - Drill to teach pace 8:30 - Drill to game transfer 11:15 - Relocation for proper spacing 13:25 - Second Attacks: NBA 15:50 - Coverage solutions for triggers 18:55 - Off-ball players responsibilities 20:25 - Who decides triggers? 22:25 - Pre-Trigger actions 24:20 - Where players struggle 27:55 - Preparing Canada's U17 team 29:25 - Establishing roles on a national team 30:25 - The growth of basketball in Canada 32:15 - Talent level in Canada's college game 34:10 - Coaching growth area 

We are fortunate to have Jason Hardy back on the podcast. The pride of Valley High School joined us last April to discuss how to use data to game plan and program build. Hardy was the manager for the Idaho men's program while going to school in Moscow. Most recently, he was a grad assistant for the Toledo women's team. Hardy is also a player development coach for CoachSessions. -- Topic Breakdown 1:40 - Defining Early Offense 2:35 - Early offense and offensive efficiency 5:15 - Keys to playing fast 6:25 - Principles of early offense 9:55 - Shot selection in early offense 13:30 - Playing out of advantage 15:35 - Benefits of teaching advantage 16:40 - Numbers behind early offense 19:55 - Early offense drills  23:30 - Teaching decision making 24:25 - Tulsa's transition offense -- Subscribe to the newsletter: https://coachingidaho.substack.com/

We are fortunate to have Liam Jefferson on this episode.  Jefferson is a head coach with the London Lions boys academy. Prior to that he spent 12 years as an assistant and head coach at Loughborough University. Jefferson also was an assistant coach on Great Britain's U20 staff last summer. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 1:40 - The state of basketball in Great Britain 3:40 - Reasons for taking the London Lions job 5:55 - The purpose of the youth academy 7:50 - Roster rules for BBL teams 9:30 - Takeaways from using the CLA in development 12:50 - How the coaches are working together 14:50 - Areas that have been harder to implement 18:35 - A typical week for players 21:05 - Comparisons with England's soccer academies 22:00 - Practice planning and implementation 26:10 - Individual development plans 29:50 - Connection between academy & the top team 32:05 - Categorizing player's roles 35:05 - Using the CLA to teach players (PnR) 39:50 - Purposeful feedback in practice 42:15 - The bridge between practice & games 44:40 - Using film to guide development 48:35 - Personal development as a coach

We are fortunate to have Drew Dunlop on this episode.  Dunlop is a co-founder of The Pro Lane, a development facility in Wisconsin that works with players at all levels.  Dunlop has coached around the world and is recognized for his modern approach to training.  At The Pro Lane, he helps designs training environments that allows players to explore solutions that transfer to the game. https://twitter.com/CoachDrewD https://twitter.com/TheProLane EPISODE BREAKDOWN 1:30 - Path from player to development coach 3:35 - Confidence as a coach to try something different 5:40 - Identifying that this coaching method works 6:50 - The process of making a learning environment 9:00 - The importance of whiteboards during training 10:35 - Using questions to guide learning 12:30 - How technology factors into development 15:00 - Emphasizing modern game skills 16:50 - Teaching players adaptability in finishing 18:45 - When in doubt, add a defender 19:55 - Teaching off-ball screening 21:25 - Methods for teaching players 22:35 - Teaching players about off-ball cutting 24:00 - The role of defense in the training 25:40 - Incorporating rebounding in development 27:25 - Including common triggers and actions 28:50 - Teaching spacing in development sessions 29:25 - The amount of off-court time as development coach 30:20 - From idea to implementation 31:40 - Teams, players to watch 32:40 - Growing as a coach & business 35:05 - Creating a focus for a development session

We are fortunate to have Nathan Williams on this episode. Williams is the head coach at Bonners Ferry High School. He helped guide the Badgers to their first state title in boys basketball last month.  Prior to that, Williams has coached at a variety of levels, including seven years as the head coach in Stanfield, Ore. Williams was also a standout basketball player in high school and was member of the Whitworth team that played for an NAIA championship in 1996. 1:35 - First State Title for Boys Basketball 2:40 - Characteristics of the 2023-24 team 7:20 - The role of older siblings & toughness 9:10 - Approach after finishing second the previous year 11:30 - Preparing a team for what they might see at state 15:30 - Coaching influences growing up 18:25 - Changes as a head coach from previous stops 21:20 - Teaching aspects of the game 23:40 - Culture building at Bonners Ferry 29:10 - Lessons from playing higher level teams 30:25 - Developing lateral quickness 32:00 - Preferred offensive attack 33:55 - Creating confusion for the defense 35:30 - Advantage situations in the post 37:00 - Preferred defensive approach 40:25 - Lessons learned from coach sons 42:15 - Having a son who is a college prospect 44:50 - Looking ahead to next season

We are fortunate to have Andy Harrington on this episode. Coach Harrington is the head boys coach at Owyhee High School in Meridian. The Storm just concluded a dominate season and are now celebrating their second 5A state title in the last three years. This marks Coach Harrington's third state title as a coach. And, of course, we have to mention that he is an OG when it comes to the podcast, having appeared on Episode 7 of the podcast. 2:15 - This year's state title run 4:00 - The importance of offense 5:40 - Vision of the Owyhee administration 8:15 - Influential people & resources 10:25 - Getting ahead of player issues 12:20 - Determining roles & playing time 14:25 - Giving assistant coaches subbing duties 16:15 - Other assistant coach responsibilities 21:10 - Fundamental work in practice 22:20 - Building offensive responsibilities 24:00 - Favorite offensive actions 24:50 - Defensive priorities for players 28:25 - Teaching rebounding 29:20 - Cutting back on film 32:40 - Liam Campbell attributes 35:20 - Prepping for next season 37:05 - Storm troopers 38:45 - Organizing a big tournament 41:10 - Motivations as a coach 43:00 - Growth areas since 2020 44:10 - The importance of having a vision

We are fortunate to have Tyrel Derrick on this episode. Derrick is the head girls coach at Lakeland High School in Rathdrum.  In his second year, Derrick guided the Hawks to the 4A state tournament where they lost to Pocatello in the third place game. Prior to coaching girls, Derrick was an assistant for the Lakeland boys team. Derrick was a very talented guard at Lakeland in high school who surpassed 1,000 points in his career and went on to play at Wheaton College.

We are fortunate to have Jon Yu on this episode.  Yu is passionate about teaching the game through a Constraints-Led Approach. Much of this episode focuses on Yu's use of the CLA, especially when it comes to shooting. Yu is from British Columbia, Canada who is coaching this year in Vietnam for the Saigon Heat and as a player development coach for The Performance Lab. Prior to moving to Vietnam, Yu was held the same role for College Prep Italy under friend of the pod, Alex Sarama.Yu also has coached high school and AAU basketball in Canada.

Alex Sarama from Transforming Basketball joins the podcast again for a Thanksgiving discussion. Sarama discusses his roles with the London Lions, Portland Trail Blazers, and Rip City Remix. He also reflects back on lessons learned while leading College Prep in Italy. Finally, he shares information on his new venture, Transforming Basketball. Did you know that the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast has a newsletter? Be sure to subscribe at coachingidaho.substack.com.

We are fortunate to have Phillip O'Callaghan on this episode.  O'Callaghan is a tennis coach and secondary PE teacher in Cork, Ireland. He has a popular twitter account and Substack newsletter dealing with skill acquisition. NOTE: There are a couple of minor technical issues involving the audio. EPISODE TOPICS 1:20 - O'Callaghan's interest in skill acquisition 3:25 - How frustration led to a better way to train 5:00 - Skill acquisitions impact on other aspects of coaching 6:16 - Defining some skill acquisition terminology - Ecological Dynamics, Non-Linear Pedagogy, Constraints-Led Approach 8:15 - More terminology - Affordances & Scaling 11:30 - Individual development vs. Team development 12:30 - How to use CLA when introducing athletes to a sport 14:50 - Why should you use a defender to train an athlete a new skill 16:45 - The principle of representative learning design 18:30 - Using CLA with advanced athletes 20:25 - The role of decision-making in practice planning 22:15 - The role of the coach in using CLA in development 24:05 - Evolving as a coach using a CLA approach 25:20 - Thinking of constraints as opportunities 27:30 - Giving players freedom to play 28:30 - What coaches can expect from players using a CLA approach 31:45 - Can there be some wrong ways to use the CLA 32:45 - Untraditional ways to success are OK 34:00 - Using the Practice Activity Continuum 36:20 - The process of planning a practice 38:50 - Why players enjoy learning in a CLA environment 42:00 - Why you shouldn't jump head first into CLA

We are fortunate to have Nicole Symons on this episode of the podcast.  Symons is the head girls coach at Coeur d'Alene High School. She led the Vikings to a 24-2 record and the 5A state title in Idaho this past season. It was the first state title for Coeur d'Alene since 2014. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 2:20 - Approach to turning a program around 4:25 - Timeline for competing for a state title 6:55 - Selling players on the hard work 10:50 - Bring swagger and confidence into a program 15:00 - How do you make practices harder than games 18:10 - Building a relationship with players so they work hard 20:25 - Helping players become the right type of leaders 24:45 - Keys to coaching your child 28:25 - Having two parents as basketball coaches 30:20 - Deciding to come back after your child has graduated 32:45 - What's the role of the high school team for high-level recruits 36:00 - Determining team concepts with a D-1 recruit 40:30 - Dealing with expectations after a state title 43:50 - Advice to yourself: Dealing with Parents --- The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast has a newsletter. Check it out here: coachingidaho.substack.com

We are fortunate to have Kurt Guelsdorf on this episode of the podcast.  If you are like me, you've probably used one of Coach G's resources, especially if you run any Dribble Drive action.  Guelsdorf was a very successful high school coach in Oregon. He is now the associate head coach at Clackamas Community College. In this episode, we talk some Dribble Drive but also hit on a number of topics of interest for coaches young and old. Episode Topics 1:30 - The impact of asking why as a coach 3:30 - Experience leads to simplification 4:00 - Willingness to share concepts & ideas with others 7:45 - The role of reading in success 9:15 - Advice to first-year head coaches 11:10 - Thoughts on choosing a system as a head coach 14:50 - Deciding when it might be time to move on from a program 18:40 - Environment vs. Culture and its importance in success 23:55 - Planning for the upcoming season in late summer 27:30 - Filtering what you've learned into a workable format for the season 31:30 - What is that intrigues you about the dribble drive? 33:40 - The evolvement of spacing concepts in the dribble drive 36:25 - Defenses that can disrupt a dribble drive offenses 39:00 - Melding different systems with the dribble drive 42:55 - Thoughts on implementing press defenses  47:42 -  Shot-clock considerations: 2v1s, end of shot clock considerations 51:15 - Incorporating special situations into practice The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast now has a newsletter. The newsletter has a bunch of great resources including drills and concepts that I use with my program. It also includes write-ups to help you become a better coach. To subscribe to the newsletter, go to CoachingIdaho.substack.com. There you will find an archive of the past newsletters.

We are fortunate to have Christian Narciso on this episode.  Narciso is professional basketball coach from Italy who has had the opportunity to coach at different levels across Europe. Most recently, Narciso was a head coach in Malta where his team enjoyed a successful season, including claiming the Louis Borg Cup. The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast is now on Substack. Subscribe today at CoachingIdaho.substack.com/

We are fortunate to be visiting David Arseneault Jr. for today's episode. Coach Dave is the head men's basketball coach at Grinnell College in Iowa where he was a standout player for his father.  Grinnell, of course, is know for its System — a fast-paced style that employs trapping all over the court and quick shooting.  Before taking over at Grinnell, Arseneault was the head coach or the Reno Bighorns for two years, including a season where they set a D-League record for offensive efficiency.

We are fortunate to have Carly Clarke on today's episode. Clarke is the head coach at Toronto Metropolitan University. She lead TMU to an undefeated season and national title in 2022. Clarke is also a coach with Canada Basketball. She's an assistant for the senior women's national team, and this summer she will coach Canada at the FIBA U19 World Cup. In this podcast, we talk about the rise of the women's game, developing a process as a coach, providing and receiving feedback, and the role of a mental performance coach. Be sure to check out the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast Newsletter. https://coachingidaho.substack.com

We are fortunate to have Jason Hardy on this episode. Hardy was a standout at Valley High School before attending the University of Idaho. There, he was a manager for the mens team for three years. Hardy's life changed drastically this winter when he did an internship with the University of Toledo's woman's basketball team. The Rockets upset fifth-seeded Iowa State in the NCAA tournament before losing to Tennessee in the second round. Hardy recently announced he will be a graduate assistant at Toledo next season. The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast has a newsletter. Check it out! https://coachingidaho.substack.com/

Note: There were some audio issues in this podcast. We are fortunate to have Shawn Freeman on this episode of the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast. Freeman is the head boys coach at Sugar-Salem High School. The Diggers beat Bonners Ferry to win the Boys 3A State Title last month. It's Sugar-Salem's fourth state title since 2017, and Freeman's been at the helm for all of them. The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast now has a weekly newsletter. Sign up at CoachingIdaho.substack.com.

We are fortunate to have Nate Sanderson on this episode. Sanderson is a highly successful girls basketball coach in the state of Iowa. You probably know Sanderson from the Coaching Culture Podcast and his work at the Thrive On Challenge. It is through these platforms where Sanderson has helped coaches around the world create strong cultures within their programs. In this episode, we discuss the end-of-season assessments, mentoring assistant coaches, and staying confident as a head coach. Did you know ... the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast now has a newsletter. Check it out at https://coachingidaho.substack.com.

We are fortunate to have Adam Hiatt on this episode of the podcast. Hiatt is the head men's coach at Montana Tech in Butte. The Ore Diggers just finished the season 29-5 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament. Hiatt's Idaho ties run deep. He was a standout player at Bonners Ferry High School, and then spent 2 years at Ricks College — when it was Ricks College. He also got his college coaching start at the University of Idaho under George Pfeifer and was the head coach at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

We are fortunate to have Kareem Kalil on this episode.  Kalil is a high school coach in Denver, where he had the opportunity to coach both the girls and boys teams at DSST: Byers. The girls team won its conference, qualifying for the state tournament for the first time in the school's history. Kalil also spent 3 months coaching at College Prep Academy in Italy, and will be heading back next week to finish the season. In this episode, Kalil talks about differences between coaching in the United States and Europe and ways to incorporate authentic learning into your program.

We are fortunate to have Jim Winger on this episode of the podcast. Winger is the long-time boys head coach at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene. Winger started as the head coach at Coeur d'Alene High in 1992 and then moved to Lake City when it opened in 1994. He stepped away from coaching for 5 years, but returned in 2008. At the time of this interview in early January, his team was the top-ranked 5A team in Idaho and in the top 40 rankings of teams nationally.

We are fortunate to have Francesco Nanni on this episode of the podcast. Nanni is an Italian professional coach, who has more than 10 years of experience at various levels in Italy. He has established a big social media following from his clips of game breakdowns and drills. Nanni recently released a serious of videos through Basketball Immersion that provide coaches with hours of drills for developing 1-on-1 skills for players at all levels.

We are fortunate to have Basketball Development Coach Steve Dagostino on this episode. Coach Dags has helped develop players of all ages and all levels since 2008. He and his staff typically train more than 1,000 players per year. Coach Dags is a Court Coach for USA Basketball's junior national team, and runs NBA Pre Draft workouts. Besides working with NBA players, he also coaches his daughter's youth team.

We are fortunate to not just have one coach on this episode, but three coaches with us today. The common thread among today's guests? We all spent some time coaching basketball in Idaho this summer. Well, 3 of the coaches are actually from Idaho. The fourth coach, Alex Sarama, is from England and spent a week last June in the Gem State conducting clinics on implementing his BDT Offense with Lake City, Skyline, and Sandpoint girls basketball teams. Since that time, I've spent a lot of time discussing the game with Skyline's Ty Keck and Lake City's James Anderson. My conclusion: You won't find two more knowledgeable basketball coaches in the state — especially when it comes to Sarama's BDT offense. The podcast is a discussion about our experiences coaching the BDT offense since Sarama's visit. If you are considering adopting the BDT offense, this the podcast episode for you.

We are fortunate to have George Couros on today's podcast. Originally an educator in Canada, George is an Innovative Teaching, Learning and Leadership consultant based in Florida. I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Couros last month at my school, and I'm currently reading his book The Innovator's Mindset. I've really enjoyed applying his message and approaches for encouraging an innovator's mindset in my classroom … and also in my basketball coaching. Couros is also a basketball junkie. He played the game growing up and also has experience as a coach and referee. He's a proud season-ticket holder to the Orlando Magic.

We are fortunate to have Nate Colvill on this episode. Colvill is the new head women's coach at North Idaho College. He comes to Coeur d'Alene with an extensive basketball background, having played at the University of Montana in the 90s. He has coached at both the high school and college level, including a stint as an assistant for the Lady Griz where he coached my current assistant coach Madi “Madison” Schoening. Colvill is an expert in post development and recently held a post camp in Coeur d'Alene. He also has a daughter who is 6'7 and is being recruited nationally.

We are fortunate to have Nabil Murad on this podcast. Coach Murad is from Ireland, and we conducted the interview at a hotel in Dublin. (Apologizes for any disruptive background noise.) Murad has coached basketball around the world, including the United States and UK. He is currently coaching in Austria, where among other things, he is the U16 Men's National Team head coach. Among other things on this episode, Murad discusses Individual Development Plans and encouraging players to be strong communicators and leaders.

We are fortunate to have J.P. Nerbun on this episode. Nerbun, who played basketball at the University of South Carolina, just released his second book called The Culture System. The book gives readers a glimpse at the secrets of successful team cultures. Nerbun consults with athletes, coaches and parents at every level across the world helping with culture building through TOC Culture Consulting. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 1:10 — What is culture in regard to sports team and programs? 2:25 — What part of the Culture System is most overlooked? 5:40 — Creating an authentic leadership philosophy 8:45 — Self-assessment methods to look at ourselves and program 13:20 — How to document and share your Culture System 16:30 — How to introduce change to a current standard 18:30 — What's an appropriate number of standards? 20:35 — What are landmarks for coaches to make sure things are working? 22:50 — Addressing the challenging part of coaching 26:30 — Does having a Culture System impact performance? 28:10 — Is a Culture System different for a team trying to go from good to great vs. a team going from bad to good? 32:10 — What was your “Why” for writing this new book?

We are fortunate to have Marshall Cho on this episode. Cho is the head boys coach at Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. Cho is also apart of USA basketball. He has worked the Nike Youth Summit since 2012, and most recently was at the Junior National Team Minicamp in April. Previous to working at Lake Oswego, Cho has coached in New York City, Mozambique, and DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland.

We are fortunate to have Chris Oliver on today's podcast. I believe it is safe to call him The Hoops Podfather or The Basketball Coaches' Coach. Odds are you've learned from Coach Oliver whether it's on The Basketball Podcast or from one of the many resources from Basketball Immersion. In this episode, Oliver shares his thoughts on how coaches should approach practice. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 0:55 - Who should practices be for? 2:22 - Practices as dance recitals 4:27 - Do practices have too much “busy work?” 6:42 - Is the statement “I know you don't like this, but …” acceptable for a coach during a practice? 10:15 - Normalizing the hard or less exciting parts of practice 11:25 - How does challenging players fall into athlete enjoyment? 14:10 - Tips for how to change your practices 18:12 - The benefits of two-way teaching 20:19 - Accepting and explaining the messiness of practice 24:00 - The role of practice in team cohesion 25:00 - Assessment methods for determine the effectiveness of a practice 26:47 - What has the Basketball Immersion journey meant to you? 29:00 - What does Basketball Immersion offer coaches? 32:48 - Servant leadership growing basketball

I'm fortunate to have Anthony Pugh on this podcast. Pugh is a Player Development Coach based in Ohio, who works with players of all ages and skill levels. He is the founder of Clockwork Athletics. Besides providing detailed development for players, there are plenty of resources for coaches to help improve development within their program. In this episode, we discuss helping players develop their finishing around the rim. BREAKDOWN 1:05: Becoming a skills development coach 3:10: Difference between sharpening skills and developing new ones 7:05: Developing skills that fit into the player's role on a team 8:45: How many finishing moves does a good player need? 10:45: The trickle-down affect from the NBA 11:47: Finishing points of emphasis for young players 14:15: Teaching players not foul on finishing moves 15:35: Helping players to make quicker decisions when finishing 17:24: 3-part process for teaching a finishing move 21:40: How quickly do new skills show up in game situations 24:53: Teaching players how to use the glass 29:06: Keeping players engaged in training 31:00: The thought process when finishing 32:23: Teaching players other options than finishing 35:30: Methods for creating finishing situations 36:57: Breakdown between 1v0 vs. live situations in training 40:13: Overcoming the "I can't" or "I will never do this" phases

I'm are fortunate to be joined by Lyle Fuller in today's podcast. In the episode we discuss the impact that Name, Image, Likeness policies being adopted by state activities associations around the country could have on high school sports. Fuller is a practicing attorney who graduated from Duke University in 2000. He is also a broadcaster and longtime Idaho high school sports fan in Preston. BREAKDOWN 2:00: Idaho Activities Association adopts NIL policy 4:35: Why does Idaho have a policy? 5:52: Ohio considering NIL rules 10:30: How might high school athletes profit off their NIL? 12:30: Benefits and issues that could come from NIL 15:00: Will Idaho athletes get NIL deals? 16:50: How much money makes an NIL deal worth it? 18:25: Will this impact communities with multiple schools? 21:50: What do you think NIL looks like in 5 years? 27:30: Duke basketball talk with a Duke graduate 30:30: How good was the boys basketball in the 4A South East Conference?

We are fortunate to have Colby Blaine on this podcast. Blaine is the head men's coach at the College of Idaho. In just his fourth year as head coach, the Boise High grad as already surpassed 100 wins with the Yotes. That includes a 32-5 record this season, which saw the CofI advance to the Elite 8 in the NAIA National Tournament. In this episode, Blaine talks about the past season, why college basketball in Idaho is underrated, and the process the coaching staff uses to define players' roles.

We are fortunate to have Alex Sarama back on the podcast. Sarama is a basketball coach based in Italy. You probably know Sarama from his work with Basketball Immersion, where he's become a team and coaching development resource for basketball coaches around the world. Sarama recently wrote about developing a comprehensive vision and coaching development plan for basketball programs. On this episode, we dive into what a comprehensive vision that includes styles of play is and why it is important. Sarama also identifies ways you can share this with coaches in your program and help develop buy-in.

We are fortunate to have Darren Hansen on this episode of the podcast. In this episode, Hansen answers questions related to strength and conditioning development for basketball players in and out of season. Hansen has a degree in Exercise Science and is the owner of HansenAthletics, an online strength and conditioning platform that focuses on a performance-based approach to develop athletes. Hansen works with athletes worldwide, but has physical location in his hometown of Pocatello where he works with athletes at all levels and abilities.

We are fortunate to have Ty Keck on the podcast.Keck is the Skyline Girls Basketball Program Director. He just finished his seventh season as head coach and has helped the Grizzlies win trophies the last 2 years at 4A state tournament. That includes Skyline's first appearance in the state final, where the Grizzlies lost to Burley. Keck talks about a season that he's called a "roller coaster." Keck also discusses the process of implementing a conceptual offense.

We are lucky to have Zachary Eastman on today's episode. Eastman is the head coach of the Lapwai boys basketball team. Lapwai just finished off an undefeated season (27-0) to win their second straight 1A Division II championship. It was the program's 12 state title. Lapwai led the state in scoring with 83 points per game and beat two 5A teams. Senior standout Titus Yearout will play next year at the University of Idaho.

We are fortunate to have Andy Jones on the podcast. Jones is the head coach at Timberline High School in Boise. The Timberline girls just beat rival Boise High to claim their first 5A basketball title since 2003. It's the seventh state title for Jones, who is now just 2 titles behind the legendary Emery Roy for most titles.

We are fortunate to have Allison McNeill on the podcast. Coach McNeill is a legend when it comes to basketball coaching. After playing at the University of Oregon and short spurt overseas, McNeill coached at the college level in both Canada and the United States. She went on to coach the Canadian Women's National Team for 16 years, which included a quarterfinals appearance in the London Olympic Games.