Some coaches - Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, and Mike Neighbors - read incessantly. The late George Raveling may have been the biggest reader of all.
Reading and digesting books takes time. Busy coaches have limited time for professional or pleasure reading.
Every reader has individual tastes. What books added value for my players and me?
Basketball: Multiple Offense and Defense (Dean Smith)
Coach Smith discusses everything from defensive terminology (based on defense and extent ,e.g. fullcourt versus less), "analytics before analytics" and detailed explanation of offenses like his Passing Game and the "Shuffle Offense" of coaches Drake and Spear. Old but timeless book...
Practical Modern Basketball (John Wooden)
Comprehensive tome that covers every aspect of his program. It includes what you'd expect and what you wouldn't - uniforms and three pages on the responsibilities of managers.
The Politics of Coaching (Carl Pierson)
Pierson shares almost every imaginable iteration of conflict and problems that coaches face. Coach Pierson coached three sports and saw many examples of parents or other coaches working to undermine coaches.
Game Changer: The Art of Sport Science (Dr. Fergus Connolly)
Dr. Connolly gives practical contemporary advice on creating and leveraging advantage in sport. He has coached and consulted with leading coaches in various sports around the world. A book you will refer to often.
The Leadership Playbook (Jamie Bechler)
Bechler's book covers a multitude of leadership topics and provides many anecdotes and examples. 13 chapters explore foundational leadership principles, leading oneself and others, positional leadership, teamwork, and personal development.
Preparing for Special Situations (Herb Brown)
Brown's book works for young and veteran coaches with exceptional organization and attention to detail. I found the chapter on transition defense particularly helpful.
How Good Do You Want to Be? (Nick Saban)
How Good Do You Want to Be by Nick Saban is a leadership and self-improvement book. He details achieving excellence in his system known as "The Process." The book emphasizes consistent focus on controllable actions rather than fixating on outcomes. For Saban fans, Monte Burke's unauthorized biography "Saban" provides an origin story and "colorful" anecdotes.
In These Girls Hope Is a Muscle (Madeleine Blais)
Blais describes the evolution of a girls' basketball season, focused on the Amherst Hurricans, trapped in a rivalry between two star, future D1 players. Beautifully written by a journalism professor, "Muscle" shares a lot of "Inside Baseball" on girls sports. Sports Illustrated included it among the 100 best sports books ever written.
The Ultimate Coaches' Career Manual (Pat Williams)
This book informs thousands of encyclopedic quotes and perspectives from coaches across the spectrum of sports. As expected, it emphasizes developing relationships, truth, and integrity when coaching. See examples in "something extra" (lagniappe) at the end of the article.
Think Again (Adam Grant)
Professor Adam Grant was the youngest (and most popular) tenured professor at Penn. He encourages us to 'rethink' our positions when challenged by better information. His advice to keep a "Rethinking Scorecard" has value for every coach.
Atomic Habits (James Clear)
Clear's New York Times best seller has become the gold standard for habit formation and disruption. In addition to discussing the habit cycle, he shares practical tips for improving everyone's habits. This will help all of us to make good habits easier and negative habits harder to maintain.
Of course, there are many more:
- Toughness by Jay Bilas
- Legacy by James Kerr
- The Boys in the Boat by Dan Brown
- The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh
- The Art of Winning by Bill Belichick
Lagniappe. Quotes from "The Ultimate Coaches' Career Manual"
- "Don't demand respect. You get it from your actions." - Red Auerbach
- "Everybody is looking for instant success, but it doesn't work that way." - Lou Holtz
- "Be able to communicate. Be a good listener. Give positive feedback as well as criticism - both are very important and should be done consistently." - Kathy Delaney-Smith
- "Work hard. Try to be the best at anything you do." - Whitey Herzog
- "Be organized every day. Keep the players active and moving. You can tell a good team by the way they are organized..." - Jack Ramsay
- "What you are doing as a coach really counts, and make sure that your players feel that way as well." - Pat Riley
