“Dad, you’ve got to sit down…” …A very common expression heard on Rockhurst University game days. Oftentimes to appease a scrutinizing referee and many times varying in tone, intensity and volume. Regardless, an expression with the significance that makes me lucky and blessed. In my 15 year coaching career (which included assistant coaching stops at…
Success in college coaching is based on relationships, and relationships are the real reward of college coaching. I have had a great 35-year experience in the college coaching profession, and some truly special people have impacted and shaped my life along the way. As many coaches pursue the elusive feeling of happiness and contentment in their careers, they sometimes are blinded and miss…
I always tell myself that I’m less of a coach and more of a gardener or harvester of talent. I find that players are so malleable, and as coaches, we have the power to speak success, positivity, and greatness into their lives, on and off the court – if we take the chance to do…
It was November of 2004 and football season had just ended at Greer High School. Growing up, I always played sports and did everything the other kids my age did. This continued into middle school, where I played baseball and C-Team football. Once I got to high school, the size gap was a little too…
Like the country it originated in, Basketball is a melting pot of serendipity. The game combines beauty, grace, intelligence, stamina, creativity, agility and strength, which only begin to scratch the surface of the myriad of skills required. Basketball is balletic and brutish, strategic yet spontaneous; calculated but cacophonous! Its tempo and unique display serve to…
Funny thing happened on the way to planning out my life and mapping its course… a God-directed change in plans occurred. I was well on my way to getting our house, my email inbox and our family’s schedule, more organized (organization which included writing blog posts more consistently and finally cleaning out the garage… though,…
1st Quarter I recently had the chance to visit with the individual who gave me my first full-time coaching opportunity. David “Smokey” Gaines was one of the first African American Division 1 coaches, a Hall of Fame Harlem Globetrotter, and Dick Vitale’s top assistant at University of Detroit. As a bright-eyed coaching prospect, I thought…
March 6, 2018 I was fired. One year ago today. From my alma mater. On my birthday. This means today is also my birthday. I am thankful for another year, especially one so unpredictable and extraordinary. This year, I have been learning how to be a parent while also filling legal pads with new offensive…
I get the question all the time: “Man, how did two of you become head coaches from the same family”? Honestly it was a ton of luck and fate. Our passion for the game was always there and like most brothers we prided ourselves on beating the brakes off each other in everything we played….
On Wednesday October 3rd Washington Post Columnist, Sally Jenkins, wrote a perspective on NCAA Amateurism in the wake of the recent FBI probe that has rocked college basketball. In response to her piece, former college coach and Pitt standout Pete Strickland pens a letter to Ms Jenkins to share his perspective… Ms. Jenkins, Good morning….
