Tommy Amaker Harvard Crimson Offense by Wes Kosel

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.



Basketball Plays



0 Comments(s)



November 10, 2014

Tommy Amaker Harvard Crimson Offense by Wes Kosel

Here are two plays from Harvard Head Coach Tommy Amaker. Amaker is entering his 8th season as the Head Coach of Harvard. During his first seven years, he went from 8-22 in his first season to 27-5 in 2013-2014. He has also led the Crimson to 4 straight Ivy League Championships and 3 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Before taking over for Harvard, Amaker was the head coach for the Michigan Wolverines for 6 seasons (2001-2007) and Seton Hall for 4 seasons (1997-2001). He took his 1999-2000 Seton Hall team to the NCAA Sweet 16 and won the NIT in 2004 with Michigan. He has compiled a 315-210 record as a coach with a winning record at each school he has coached at. Amaker played at Duke under Coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1983-1987. As a junior, his Duke team made it to the final game of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Louisville.

Tommy Amaker Harvard Crimson Offense – Crimson O
In this play, 1 passes to 4 who passes to 3. 5 follows the ball to post up on the strong side. Once 3 has the ball, 4 sets a ball-screen for 3 and 1 sets a screen for 5 in the lane. As 3 drives on the ball-screen, he looks to shoot or pass to 5 cutting across the lane. If neither option is open, 4 screens down for 1 who cuts to the wing to get the pass from 3. 2 then cuts across the baseline off of screens from 5 and 4. If 2 isn’t open, 1 dribbles towards the top of the key as 3 fades to the wing off of a screen from 5.

Tommy Amaker Harvard Crimson Offense – Guard-Guard Ball-Screen
1 passes to 4 who passes to 2. 3 moves down under 5 at the block. Once 2 has the ball, 4 makes a hard cut to the basket looking for the pass. 3 cuts off of 5 to the wing. If neither option is open, 2 passes to 1 then cuts off of a back-screen from 4. 1 looks for 2 at the basket. If 2 isn’t open, he moves out to set a ball-screen for 1. 1 looks to shoot or pass off to 3, 4, or 5 for a shot.

Wes Kosel is an assistant coach for men’s basketball under Head Coach Andy Partee at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO. Kosel joined the staff at Colorado College after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas Lutheran University and one season at Haskell Indian Nations University. Kosel has an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from the University of Kansas, and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Houston. The Bartlesville, OK native is also a NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), a certified personal trainer (NSCA-CPT), and taught weight training and aerobic fitness courses while coaching at Texas Lutheran. He has coached AAU programs, volunteered with elementary and middle school basketball teams, and has worked basketball camps for various programs including the Houston Rockets, University of Houston, Texas State, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

harvard crimson