I cared for an eighty-year-old retired Navy captain who competed regularly against twenty-somethings in fencing at the Naval Academy. "How do you do that," I asked. "What I lack in speed and quickness, I make up for in guile." The sixth sense is EXPERIENCE.
The average age of the men's Final Four coaches last year was 62.5 years. Three-time defending champion UCONN coach Geno Auriemma is 61. Great coaches are lifelong learners.
Coach Steve Smiley shares observations from retired Jazz Coach Frank Layden.
Here are some excerpts:
- The only thing different with today's players is the quality of the athlete. Everything else is the same. Believes the fundamentals haven't changed.
- "Man-Me-Ball" is still the same, most important concept of defense. (Comment: We call that Ball-You-Man)
- Don't ever want the offense to feel comfortable.
- Red Auerbach = "we do 6 or 7 things, but we do them very well."
- The idea of scouting opponents = "take away 2 or 3 things that they do great."
- Stories about Thurl Bailey in team huddles and guys aren't paying full attention at end of practice: Screaming at them, "Shut Up, the man (Coach Layden) is showing us how to win games!" (Comment: The first price you pay is to pay attention)
- The #1 goal in college is get a degree. (Comment: My primary goal is to return better kids and better students to families at the end of the season)