Basketball Coach Development Center
The Strategies and Tools You Need To Become a Better Coach
Successful coaches are highly effective in their own development so they can develop their players, team, and program. There is no way around it: if you want to be a successful coach you have to develop yourself first. Especially if you are a new head coach, an aspiring coach, or a coach turning around a program, focusing on your development first is the difference between success and failure.
Offense
Coaches who know offensive strategy have the upper hand. Learn the ins and outs of various offensives and gain the upper hand.
Defense
Defense wins championships. Take control of your opponent by knowing how to coach numerous defensive strategies.
Program Building
Every coach wants to win, not every coach is willing to put in the time to win consistently by building a program.
Coaching
Successful coaches know more than X's and O's. They have the ability to bring people together and communicate effectively.
Leadership
The Coaching Lab Podcast is all about learning to better lead, teach, and coach the players on your team and in your program.
Offense
Offense is the most important part of the game. After all, if you can't score points your team won't win games. Understanding what causes problems for the defense and can lead to more points on the scoreboard.
Defensive
Offense wins games but defense wins championships. A coach has to know what their defensive beliefs and philosophy are in order to get the most out of their team.
Program Building
Program building is the foundation of consistent success. Lets take a look at how you can effectively build a program and what this can do for you and your team's success.
Art of Coaching
Coaching basketball goes much deeper than X's and O's. Coaches have to balance their schedule with work and family along with wear the hats of coach, counselor, mentor, disciplinarian and consultant for your players.
Leadership
The Coaching Lab Podcast is all about learning to better lead, teach, and coach the players on your team and in your program.
Clinic Notes - Coming Soon!
The most robust collection of clinic notes from basketball legends like Bobby Knight, Coach K, and Bob Hurley along with current college and high school greats from around the country.
Other Basketball Coaching Articles
Exclusive Championship Coaches Group
Due to the overwhelming amount of time it takes to coach a successful team and run a successful program, I've created the Championship Coaches Group. This means you don't have to spend hours searching the internet for resources any longer. You'll have a group of coaches to chat with and you have access to The Vault which consists of the Coaching Library, Youth Library, Coaching Courses, and Drill Vault. You'll also have access to a Private Coaches Community. No more waiting for the next coaches clinic, buying DVD's, or searching the internet for hours.
Your site has been more beneficial than any other resource I have come across in my coaching career. - Coach Tripp, Varsity Basketball Coach, New Buffalo HS, Michigan
I will say your resource library has been a life-saver for me for sure. I'm entering my first year as the Varsity Girls Coach after previously serving as a Varsity Boys Assistant and Middle School Boys Basketball Coach. Sliding over that one seat comes with a lot of responsibilities and tasks. I appreciate your collection of resources for sure. - Coach Jordan, Alpharetta HS, Georgia
Discover What It Takes To Be A Successful Coach
Hi, I'm Coach Matt Dennis, the creator of this website. I've put together and organized the resources around becoming a better basketball coach because of my journey and desire to become the very best coach I can.
When I first started in coaching, I was hired as a middle school basketball coach and then an assistant coach at the varsity and college levels before getting my first head coaching job. I remember those days fondly and appreciate the opportunities I was given to learn and grow as a coach.
I quickly realized that moving up the basketball coaching levels came with a new set of challenges. Then I moved over one seat and almost fell off the seat as I realized the pressure and responsibility that came with leading my own team. I no longer could sit back and learn; I had to step up and lead.
My journey as a head coach has allowed me to be a head coach at the college level and currently at the high school level. My decision to coach in high school was all about family. I wanted more time with my family and the high school schedule has allowed me to get the best of being a dad and husband while still fulfilling the call to coach.
Another area I have been able to focus on is helping other coaches become successful as well. Often times, coaches have the information they received from their mentor or the coach they played underneath and don't realize there is so much more knowledge out there. What I'm telling you is that becoming a successful basketball coach isn't all about having the best ideas. It's about learning and stealing as much as you can so you and your team can be successful.
My aim is to help as many coaches as possible build championship basketball programs and teams through the Championship Coaches Group.
Stop The Guesswork
Along your coaching journey, there are four areas to master as you create your coaching philosophy: offense, defense, offensive transition, and defensive transition.
Each of the areas has its importance in the game and if you want to be a success you need to stop the guesswork. Understanding each area and executing in each area will move your team towards success faster than anything else.
This is how I took an 8-22 college team and turned them into a 22-8 record the next year and how I turned a 3-18 high school team into a conference champion and state-ranked team in my second year.
The four areas don't have to be done exactly the same way I've done them, but you can't leave one out if you want to find the most success possible.
Understanding the options you have in each area is paramount. Once you know your options you need to find what fits your style and team the best. And finally, you need to get in the gym and coach your team to success.
The Path Forward
Expanding your knowledge & turning yourself into a highly effective coach is not easy. But it is possible. It took me almost 10 years to figure out what it takes to win consistently & I continue to expand my knowledge and understanding of the game.
I have good news for you, though: coaches at all levels have learned the four key areas and all of the options that took me years, in just weeks or months. I've seen coaches turn programs around and implement new strategies in a fraction of the time it's taken other coaches who "know it all" already.
Stop waiting for the next good player to come through and start putting your current players in a position to win.
You can fast track the path forward by joining the Coaching Vault. You'll get to learn the systems and strategies from great high school and college coaches in each of the four key areas as well as other critical areas.
Leading A Program Into The Future
While coaches at all levels need to know the four key areas, varsity coaches have a unique responsibility to lead an entire program into the future.
Leading your team is a big task. Leading a program can be a monumental task unless you know where you're starting and where you want to end.
There are no shortages of obstacles and challenges to overcome: parents, administration, community engagement, youth programs, summer camps, team camps, assistant coaches, lower level coaches, fundraising, team building and program building all come into play.
If you'd like to have a mentor who will will help you know what to do to build a championship program and team I'd love for you to click the link below and join me in the Championship Coaches Group.