World Basketball by John Saintignon

I am often asked what is it like to coach in the world? How does the game of basketball differ in each continent?

I have been fortunate to have used basketball as a tool to get an education and as such it has provided me with opportunities from leading the country in scoring to having had that honor of playing professionally and now coaching. As a player back in the late 80s, the games were physical with an emphasize of body development and use of screens and low post play. I can remember having gone through screen after screen and learning that If I set good screens, I would be the one who was open to shoot the ball.

The philosophy of the teams and the players were a lot of UCLA type offenses at the time. The pass to a wing, a high post cut, then a down screen to get back open and perhaps even another down screen or back screen to get open shots. But each country has different personnel and thus coaches have to make changes to help their respective teams stay successful.

Currently in the USA there is a change in the system or style of play. It’s open court, spread with players trying to utilize their athletic abilities to get past the defender and into the defense and thus try to make plays from there. Dribble drive system for example is having a huge impact on getting players to spread the floor, create space, and find their teammates open because of the help that comes from having beaten a defender. Each country has different personnel however and that is the beauty of the game. Much like what we saw in the NCAA tournament, each coach had a different philosophy on how to get his players to win the game, some used screen/roll action, others spread the floor with dribble drive options, some used pass, cut, back screen action. Each team was successful as was each coach, because they were trying to play to the strengths of their personnel.

The same in the other parts of the world. Coaches are educated in other parts of the world, not all of them, just like here in states, there are good and bad, but for the most part, coaches are taking tests, reading materials, learning how to improve the game. It still comes down to the personnel that is on the floor. When I was in Bahrain, my players were not big, so playing an inside post up game wasn’t a strength so I had to adjust according to what would be in their best interests.

Coaching in other countries there is size, there is a different exposure to what is out there so the attacks can be adjusted.
Most of the time in the other countries, the daily routine is one in which there are academies that they have been used to. By that I mean the players are coming from an environment of training and development. Most of the time games were 1 time per week as that is based on the soccer experience. Pressure to perform one game per week. That time spent during the week has got to be well spent and that is with the execution of what you believe in as a coach and the strengths of those players who are under you.

If you ever get to coach abroad take into consideration that you will have to be flexible and adjust according to those players that you have. You will have a great time!

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John Saintignon has an extensive background of an experienced and successful basketball coach at the International Professional, NCAA Division 1, NCAA Division 2 and High School levels — and a three-time NCAA All-American as a player and a professional player. Coach Saintignon has been helping players and their families navigate through the NCAA process of helping them get a college scholarship, having wrote a book on the subject while at Oregon State University, “ What does it take to get a college scholarship?”, as well as preparing them for the court. Coach Saintignon trains the athletes and provides performance nutritional advice working alongside Advocare to help his athletes reach their fullest potential. FB: JSSportsNet and at www.advocare.com/130423949

Saintignon was the Head Coach of Fuerza Guinda of the FIBA Americas; Coach Saintignon led his team to a Playoff finish. During the 2011-2012 season of the NBA lockout, Saintignon was instrumental in getting NBA players into jobs overseas having placed Jarron Collins and Mardy Collins into the CBA in China, Salim Stoudamire into Italy, Sam Clancy into Argentina, James Porter into Japan, Calvin Hampton into Bahrain. Over a 100 players have come through Los Angeles to get player development training including the future Hall of Famer NFL Defensive end and Superbowl winner Simeon Rice who came out to LA to train for 3 days in strenuous basketball training with Coach Saintignon.

John Saintignon has been a coach in high school, college and professional basketball in Arizona, California, Oregon, Mexico and Bahrain. Most recently, Saintignon was the successful Head Coach in the Premier League in the country of Bahrain in the Middle East since March 2010, leading his team to a Final Four finish. Prior to that he was the Assistant Coach at Cal State Stanislaus University in the CCAA Conference and an NCAA Division 2 institution. Saintignon was also the Associate Head Coach and Director of Player Development for the Culiacan Caballeros of the top league in the Mexican Professional Basketball League (LNBP). As a first-year franchise, the Caballeros went to the LNBP playoffs in a top 6 finish.

Prior to coaching professionally, Saintignon was the Director of Basketball Operations and Assistant Coach at Oregon State University in the Pac-10 Conference from 2006 to 2007. Before landing in Corvallis, Saintignon was a teacher and Head Coach at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ariz. His previous high school coaching experience included being the Head Coach at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Ariz. (2001-04); Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista, Calif. (1995-01); and Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach, Calif. (1992-95).

John Saintignon led his team at Canyon del Oro to the state tournament twice and was named the Coach of the Year in 2001-02. At Bonita Vista, he was also named the league’s coach of the year after leading his team to the CIF championship in 1999, the first CIF Championship earned in the schools history. At Mar Vista, Saintignon earned Coach of the Year honors by taking his team to the league championship in 1994-95, and the schools first since 1964.

As a guest speaker in Italy, Croatia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Bahrain, Mexico Israel and Argentina, Saintignon has earned a reputation as an authority on player development and has produced several DVD’s on getting athletes better through individual training; “Advanced Guard Workout” is the title, as well as attacking on offense with his Secondary Break philosophy, called “On the Attack: Mastering the Secondary Break.”

John Saintignon graduated from the University of California at San Diego in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a Master’s degree from Liberty University in Sports Administration. He played one season at UC San Diego and three seasons at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In 1985-86, he was the Leading Scorer in the United States (USA) as he led the entire NCAA Divisions with 31.2 points per game scoring average. He earned All-Conference MVP and All-American candidate honors all three of his years at UC Santa Cruz as he scored more than 2,450 points in his career where he is the All-Time scoring leader in University history as his number was retired this year. He went on to play professionally in Spain and Mexico for four seasons earning various honors including several All-Star selections.

A native of Tucson, Ariz., John Saintignon graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Saintignon has been married for 16 years to Angelica and they are proud parents of their two sons, Vicente (14) and Sebastian (11).