Reflections from 17 Years on the Court

I’ve coached youth basketball professionally for over 17 years across five countries.

The coaching pathway isn’t like traditional jobs or careers. There isn’t a linear path to follow that allows you to land the job that you want. Instead, there are twists and turns, ups and downs, and more surprises than you will be prepared for.

Here’s what Stand Van Gundy had to say about moving up the coaching ladder.

Here’s my unsolicited advice for young, upcoming coaches.

1. Be in the Right Place at the Right Time - Or Just Be Everywhere

The golden rule I’ve learned?

You can’t predict when opportunities will knock. So, the strategy is simple: be omnipresent. This might seem like casting a wide net, and to a point, it is.

In 2012, I skipped College classes to attend a coaching clinic in Belgium. Alan Stein and Mike Jones (DeMatha High School) were keynote speakers. I showed up early to the event, and since the organisers were still setting up, I jumped right in to give them a hand.

From setting out chairs to welcoming other attendees at the clinic, I stood out in the organisers’ eyes. That evening, they invited me to dinner. The other guys invited to dinner - Alan Stein and Mike Jones. Suddenly, I had unfiltered access to two of the very best coaches the game had seen.

This single encounter is what paved the path for me to get a coaching job at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, VA in 2014. The above story isn’t just a one-time thing.

I constantly put myself in positions where opportunities were plentiful. After all, the more you engage with the world, the higher the chances are of stumbling upon golden opportunities.

2. If You Don't Step Forward, You're Always in the Same Place

If you wait until you are ready before you take the next step, you will be waiting for a while.

After three years of coaching at a very mediocre level, I stumbled across an ad on the Basketball Ireland website. A well-established club was looking for a coach for one of their teams. The club was a forty-minute journey from where I was living, there would be no pay and more importantly, they probably wouldn't be interested in me - my experience and resume were minimal.

I contacted the Club anyway. What was the worst thing that could happen? They’d probably say, “Thank you, but no thank you!” Somehow, they took me on board.

Taking this leap of faith jump-started my coaching career, allowed me to explore coaching and offered me more opportunities than anything else I had done to this point. This simple step allowed me to become the Head Coach of a Premier League Team five years later.

3. Say Yes... A Lot

There is power in saying no! When you have identified your priorities and know where you are going, saying no can keep you on the desired path.

However, when you are first starting and are young and full of energy, saying yes a lot opens up so many opportunities.

I was completing my Masters in 2015, when several opportunities presented themselves. Cutting a long-story short, I somehow said yes to coaching a The High School Team in Rathgar, Dublin in addition to teams with three different clubs in different age groups. Meteors U18 Girls, Dublin Lions U12 Girls and Dublin Sonics U16 boys. As if, that wasn’t enough, I also agreed to coach a Blanchardstown IT College Team.

I had overextended myself and bit off more than I could chew. I had begun to say yes to my coaching so much that people began wondering if I was working off some community service hours. I wasn’t.

The experiences that I got from coaching multiple teams at the same time was invaluable. I learned how to be adaptable. I learned how to read my players and meet them where they were at. I experimented with different offensive and defensive schemes with each team.

I learned how to go from coaching a bad practice with one team to regulating myself before stepping into another practice so that I wasn’t carrying any baggage. I learned that certain drills work for one group but not another. Every experience was a learning opportunity, and I was racking these up.

5. Ask a Lot of Questions

Often we don’t ask questions because we don’t want to be embarrassed. There’s a freedom to ask questions though. The opportunity to learn and gain new insight.

Throughout my coaching journey, I have always remained curious. Even to this day, I want to ask questions to better understand the person. I will ask the referees questions. I will ask opposing coaches. I will ask the management and GMs of other teams. It doesn’t matter who.

If something stands out that peaks my curiosity, I’m going to ask. This allows me to gain insight into the person and how they think and see the world around them while exposing me to new information that I can choose if it makes sense for me in my situation.

Why did you sub this player out? Why did you not call this foul, but on the next possession you called the same thing a foul? What goes into signing a player? What are some things that’ll make you cancel a player’s contract?

Every question opens up a learning opportunity. It is up to you what you do with that.

Reflections on the Court

Looking back, each step, each ‘yes,’ and every question were the building blocks of my coaching resume.

For those just beginning, remember, coaching is more than a game; it’s a journey into the heart of human potential, culture, and community. Let these reflections guide you not just to become better coaches, but to foster environments where excellence, learning, and growth are not just goals, but the very essence of your coaching philosophy.