Don Meyer 1999 Coaches Academy Notes by Jonathan Gatlin

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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Basketball Coaching | Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes

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December 4, 2013

Don Meyer 1999 Coaches Academy Notes

Here are some Coaching Notes from the 1999 Coaches Academy, presented by Don Meyer. This clinic had outstanding speakers, the likes of Rick Majerus or Coach Meyer himself. There are absolutely amazing points made in these notes, drills presented, and ideas that will help coaches learn that “Leadership is taking responsibility not credit”- Rick Majerus. Know who you are as a coach, give your gift away, Sweat with your players; these are some examples of what these notes teach. I recommend reading them over and over and allowing them to shape who you are as a coach because honestly us coaches have something new we can learn every single day.

I thought I would bring you coaches to the last four bullets on offensive basketball is: Spacing, Angles, Momentum, and Deception. Spacing is key and every single offense, usually when teams are successful on offense it is because the players have bought into spacing. Spacing allows driving lanes, spacing allows for drive and kicks for 3’s, spacing allows a post game to be effective, spacing allows for offensive rebounding , spacing allows for effective back-cuts, and much more. I will go out on a limb and say, effective spacing allows winning on the offensive end.

Angles are also an important expect with dealing with offense because the game of basketball is about angles. When you want to perform something as, in the basketball world, basic as a layup it is about driving with the correct angle in order to place the ball off the backboard at the correct angle. Momentum in a basketball game is important and even people outside of the game itself, spectators, can see when a team has momentum on another. I believe the momentum the notes speak of is, if something in the offense is clicking, say for example, your team is getting baskets in the post consistently and you continue feeding the post, you have a certain momentum over the defense and that allows your team to experience a momentum in the game. When a team gains a momentum it can be devastating for the opposition.

Finally, the notes speak on deception and because the defense is reacting to the offensive player being a deceptive play-caller will give your team a leg up on the competition. Coaches, I hope you learn from these notes, enjoy them, and hopefully they help you continue on your road to coaching success!

Jonathan Gatlin is a recent graduate of North Carolina State University finishing with a major in Sport Management and a minor in Coaching Education. He has worked for AAU programs, coached intramural athletics, and worked various basketball camps. He is a student of the game looking to further his coaching career as a Graduate Assistant. “Teaching the game, Training for life”. I think that you will love his notes from Don Meyer.