Mike Leach was one of my favorite coaches to follow.
His personality, unique way of thinking and leading, and his knack for turning underdogs into winners always made him an intriguing coach to steal ideas from - even if he was a football coach and basketball is my thing.
I mean, the guy made me, a guy from the east coast, follow college football teams like Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State - teams I’d never watched a game of in my entire life until he was there.
Leach passed away in December, but he left behind some classic videos, great quotes, and a unique perspective.
He was the author of two books - Swing Your Sword and Geronimo.
As a young coach, Swing Your Sword was one of my absolute favorite coaching/leadership books.
The book does a great job of mixing in stories (in typical Mike Leach fashion) with detailed insight into how he ran things at Texas Tech and what he believed about coaching.
I highly recommend it to anyone in a leadership position (and Geronimo is great, too).
And, it’s the featured book this month for the newsletter.
Here’s a quick look at six of my favorite quotes from the book (it’s been extensively highlighted so this wasn’t easy):
“If you’re not loaded down with reasons why something won’t work, the reasons why it can work become much clearer.”
Having conviction in what you’re doing - regardless of what it is - trumps a lot of other things. As coaches, it’s easy to look at ideas or our team and think, “well, we can’t do that”. But is it true? Maybe focusing on the reasons why something CAN work is a more beneficial practice.
“Enjoy what you do, though, is an oversimplification. If you’re ever really good at anything, you don’t enjoy it all of the time because there’s a chase and a challenge to it that goes beyond enjoyment.”
There’s so much truth in this. Whether you’re a player or a coach (or a teacher or engineer or scientist or social worker), there are going to be rough patches where what you’re chasing seems too far away. When your pursuit feels hopeless and useless. If you’ve ever been in that space, you know it’s not enjoyable - it’s painful.
“Never confuse activity with results.”
This quote serves as a great reminder in a number of settings - meetings, committees, practices, scouting reports, game plans, etc. Just because you’re doing something doesn’t mean it is impactful.
“You told him a thousand times and he still won’t do it? Then you’re not worth a damn as a coach. If I had to tell someone a thousand times to do something, he ain’t the problem. I’m the problem.”
I don’t think I even need to comment on this one - it’s our responsibility as leaders to get those we lead to do what they need to do. If they aren’t doing it, we need to figure out how to get them to do it. End of story.
“therapeutic milieu, which is more than worrying about the patient, the medicines, and the surgeries; it’s about creating the environment around the patient to be able to maximize their health.”
Culture. Culture. Culture. If you can build an environment that makes it easy to be a good teammate, play hard, enjoy the game, do things the right way, etc….the “health” of your team and program will be maximized. It’s on the leadership to create an environment conducive to winning and reaching maximum potential - whatever that may be.
"Technique is more important than the scheme. You have a chance with whatever you run, if you have great technique. If you have a great scheme but you don’t execute it well, you have no chance.”
You can have all the pretty offenses and set plays in the worlds. You can have all the reads drilled into their heads, explain every pick and roll coverage, add all the wrinkles based on the scout that you want. BUT…if your team isn’t skilled/doesn’t have the right technique first? It’s not going to matter.
P.S. - Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can help you as a coach!
Hoops Companion Master Playbook/Drill Book with over 500 pages of plays and drills
Film Consultations - I can scout opponents or provide a scout of your own team. Email thehoopscompanion@gmail.com for more info!
Create Your Coaching Portfolio Course to help you organize your coaching, develop a portfolio, and focus your philosophy (self-paced course)