1. HAVE A PLAN

• Goals/Vision
• Masterplan
• Offensive and Defensive System
• Philosophy
• Identity
• Develop drills to grow your system
• Instill your CORE VALUES

”Here is WHAT we are going to do..and here’s HOW we will do it!”

2. TALENT

• Find it!
• Recruit it!
• Sign it!
• DEVELOP it! This is the lifeblood of your program
• Bring in players who fit your system and your CORE VALUES
• Connect with your captain or star player. You must be on the same page, must build trust

“Great Talent…makes great coaches!”

3. STAFF

• Hire great people to help you and challenge you
• Know your weaknesses—hire people who fill those voids and that compliment you in areas of technical knowledge, experience and communication styles
• Delegate practice and bench responsibilities
• Give ownership to your assistants
• Never underestimate the importance of loyal/hardworking support staff!
• All staff understand their role and embrace your CORE VALUES

“Surround yourself with GREAT people and make them better!”

4. PRACTICE AND PREPARE

• Wise use of practice time creates opportunity for success
• Use practices to implement your system; 
• Practice must be planned, organized, detailed and timed
• Practice must be game like, intense and competitive. Instill a sense of urgency, every possession matters!
• See your CORE VALUES in your team practices
• Develop fundamentals and team skills
• Whole-part-whole

“Failing to prepare..is preparing to fail!”

5. TECHNICAL EXPERTISE 

• Know the game. Keep learning. Improve your knowledge of the X and O’s. Seek clinics, books and videos that will help you grow.
• Watch – study tv college-men/women, NBA/WNBA games
• Ability to teach the game in practice
• Coach the game from the bench. Make adjustments, adapt, be decisive.
• Make decisions under pressure in highly competitive atmosphere; anticipate, multitask
• Find a mentor-coach (email me!)
• Ask for help and support

“When you are through learning, you are through!”

Sept. 28, 2012 – Indianapolis, Indiana, United States – September 28 2012: Indiana Fever head coach Lin Dunn during a game between the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.(Credit Image: � Pat Lovell/Cal Sport Media/ZUMAPRESS.com)