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Basketball Coaching - General Topics

By Dr. James Gels, From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook
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Tip: Basketball Coaching 101 - How to use this basketball playbook

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Quote: "Anybody can boil water and coach basketball." Uhhh... well there's a little more to it than that if you are going to be good at it. It starts first with having a passion, getting the job and having a philosophy. Selecting a team (tryouts), having a system (X's and O's), understanding court-side strategies, organizing practices, teaching, inspiring and leading players, relating to management (admin), parents, fans, officials, and working in the off-season - these are just some of the things involved.

Still want to do it? It comes down to the passion, doesn't it? The articles below may be helpful in your progression as a basketball coach.

Basketball Coaching Categories



Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma
Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma - passion.

There are many facets to coaching basketball. Becoming a basketball coach is a process, not something static. Good coaches keep an open mind and are constantly learning new things, and are not content to "stand pat" with what they know. This learning is multi-faceted - not just learning new offenses, defenses, plays, etc, but also learning how to better teach fundamentals, how to motivate, how to get along with others, how to deal with players, parents, fans, and how to build your program.

Before we move on, see Basketball Coaching 101 - How to use Coach's Clipboard Basketball Playbook.

Building a Program

Developing a Coaching Philosophy Writing a Coaching Philosophy How to Build a Basketball Program The Assistant Coach What Basketball Coaches do in the Off-Season 4 Ways To Be An Effective Basketball Coach in the Off-Season Off-Season Basketball Workouts

Teaching Basketball

Positionless Basketball Teaching Styles Teaching Basketball Fundamentals Are We Teaching Closeouts The Best Way How to Teach Basketball by Drill Progression How To Use "Check Downs" To Teach Half Court Offense

Jay Wright
Jay Wright

Organizing Practices

Planning Practices Creating a Master Practice Plan Pre-season Middle School/Youth Practice Plan Selecting and Using Drills Competition in Drills, Your Greatest Tool to Improve Execution Focus Your Practices on Impactful Skills & Drills that Win Games

Selecting Offenses, Defenses, Plays, Strategy

How to Plan for a New Season Coaches Preseason Checklist: A Quick Guide to Preparing for the Season Selecting Your Half-Court Offenses Selecting Your Half-Court Defense(s) Selecting Plays Selecting a Press Defense(s) Selecting Your Press Offense(s)



Game-time Tips and Strategy

Pre-game Preparation Pre-game Warm-up Drills Game Coaching, Strategy Late Game Strategies for Winning Close Games Why Games Are Lost Taking Good Shots - Shot Selection Reducing Turnovers Tips for Better Passing Post Game Talks Defensive Intensity - Charting Deflections Calculating OER and DER Basketball Late-Season Tune-Up

General Coaching Articles

Shot Clock in High School Basketball - Yes or No? Toughness by Jay Bilas Struggling Through a Losing Season Importance of a Strong Coach-Athlete Relationship How to Motivate Your Team Throughout the Season Basketball Coaching Do's and Don'ts Tips on Entering the Coaching Profession Team Building Strategies Basketball Coaching - Importance of Communication Anatomy of a Championship Season with its Challenges to Traditional Coaching Philosophy Coaching Youth Basketball How Youth Coaches Can Prepare Players for High School Basketball Parent - Coach Relationships Parent - Player Guidelines Pre-Season Tryouts 8th Grade Tryouts Running, Organizing a Youth Basketball Clinic Playing AAU or Club Basketball Mental Aspects
basketball coach


Conditioning, Nutrition, Drugs


Alan Stein
Alan Stein
Alan Stein's Training Drills
Basketball Speed Starts with Stopping Basketball Conditioning How to Condition for Basketball Managing Long-Term Player Fatigue Basketball In-Season Strength Training Athletic Development - are we pushing our young athletes too fast? What to Eat Before a Game or Practice The Recovery Snack About Food Supplements - Growth hormone (HCG), Creatine, Andro Why Wearing Proper Footwear Matters Coach's Guide for a Drug Free Basketball Team

Coaching Forms, Diagrams

Coaching Forms Court Diagrams Court Dimensions

Basketball History, Terminology, Other Stuff

Basketball History Basketball Terminology Motivational/Humorous Quotes