Ep 2318 Building Your Bench: Selecting an Impactful Assistant Coach

2025-05-17

Teachhoops.com⁠ ⁠WintheSeason.com⁠ In this episode of Coach Unplugged, host Steve Collins discusses building a successful coaching staff with co-host Coach Barker. Steve begins by thanking sponsors Doctor Dish and teachhoops.com, emphasizing their contributions to the basketball community. The main topic revolves around the qualities needed in assistant coaches. Steve outlines three essential roles: the "energizer bunny" who handles administrative tasks, the "Yoda" who has deep basketball knowledge, and the "Nelly" who challenges decisions and a...

Teachhoops.com⁠

⁠WintheSeason.com⁠

In this episode of Coach Unplugged, host Steve Collins discusses building a successful coaching staff with co-host Coach Barker. Steve begins by thanking sponsors Doctor Dish and teachhoops.com, emphasizing their contributions to the basketball community.

The main topic revolves around the qualities needed in assistant coaches. Steve outlines three essential roles: the "energizer bunny" who handles administrative tasks, the "Yoda" who has deep basketball knowledge, and the "Nelly" who challenges decisions and avoids being a yes-man. He stresses the importance of assistants providing diverse perspectives and skills to complement the head coach's strengths and weaknesses.

Coach Barker adds that new coaches should prioritize assistants with whom they have strong relationships and trust over purely technical knowledge. He also highlights the importance of having a diverse coaching staff, including younger coaches and those who can handle specific tasks like parent communication or film analysis. Barker also mentions the benefit of having someone on staff who is present in the school to handle day-to-day issues and maintain player relationships.

They both agree that a well-rounded coaching staff is critical for a program's success, with each member bringing unique strengths. Trust, respect, and the ability to work well together are crucial factors when selecting assistant coaches. The episode concludes with Steve and Barker reflecting on the importance of enjoying the company of one's coaching staff, especially during challenging times.

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