Friday night the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 111-106 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals to make the series 2-1 New York. Game 4 is Sunday afternoon.
The Denver Nuggets finally got a win Friday night in the Western Conference semi-finals beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, 117-90 to make that series 2-1 Minnesota. Nikola Jokic scored 24 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and dished out 9 assists. Game 4 is Sunday.
Now, time for something serious…
An unbelievable story out of Wisconsin. A parent is suing two high school basketball coaches.In all my years of being involved in the greatest sport in the world, this is the first time I have heard of something like this. I sent the story to a few people. Here are a couple of things they had to say:
“DAMN. ABSURD.”
“JUST CRAZY. UNBELIEVABLE!”
“SHAKING MY HEAD.”
“JUST AMAZING. INSTEAD OF GETTING BETTER, IT IS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL.”
“INSANE. THE COACHES ASSOCIATION MEMBER IS RIGHT, WHO WOULD WANT TO COACH FOR $3500 BUCKS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING SUED? NO ONE WILL.”
The father and son filed the lawsuit claiming retaliation for speaking out against the coaches. The lawsuit said the coaches caused the Whalen’s emotional harm. They are asking for an unspecified amount of money and are hoping the case goes to a jury trial.
The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association weighed in Thursday.
“If playing time is decided by parents instead of the coach, and a coach can be sued over playing time, then you tell me who is going to go into coaching?” the WBCA executive director Jerry Petitgoue said. “I think it sets a bad precedent for all high school sports to be honest with you.”
In his magnificent memoir,“My Losing Season, Pat Conroy wrote, “Good coaching is good teaching and nothing else.” Boy was he right.
Being a coach is hard. Seems to be more difficult these days at all levels. Winning is hard. And for the most part, you have to win to keep your job. But here’s a twist…
Tuesday the Milwaukee Bucks fired their head coach Adrian Griffin. The former Seton Hall Pirate was in his first year as head coach for the Bucks. It was his first job after being an assistant coach in the NBA for 15 years.
Here’s the crazy thing; Milwaukee is 30-13 and in first place.
I have zero knowledge of what went down. Was a player disgruntled? Did someone complain about Griffin? Was it a possible “Mel Tucker” or “Ime Udoka” situation?
Regardless, Griffin is out of a job…for now. Someone will hire him as an assistant coach. What really blows my mind is Doc Rivers is being considered to take over for Griffin.
Big mistake.
I have never been sold on Rivers.
Give an assistant coach a chance. Yeah, yeah, I can hear you now, “Griffin was an assistant.” Give someone who has paid their dues over the years. There’s a lot of good guys out there that deserve an opportunity. Rivers has been fired three times. He’s still living off his NBA title in 2008 with the Celtics. That was 16 years ago.
“10 Outta 10” calls these types of guys, “recycled garbage.”
According to ESPN Jim Harbaugh is leaving the University of Michigan and heading to the LA Chargers. Good for him. College coaching has turned for the worst. (High School coaching has also become a lot more difficult) Who wants to deal with chasing kids around the country and dealing with players on your current roster who want money? (NIL) Who wants to deal with the NCAA? Question in Ann Arbor now is who gets the Wolverines head job? I say give it to assistant coach Sherrone Moore.
How about Jemele Hill? I know Hill, she wrote a story about me back in the late 90’s when she wrote for the Detroit Free Press. A tweet popped up from three years ago from Hill when Dan Campbell was hired by the Detroit Lions. This is unreal.
“This is who black coaches are losing opportunities to.”
WHAT? She has got to be kidding? This has nothing to do with the color of Campbell’s skin. And Hill is from Detroit.
I love Dan Campbell. Ever since I watched HBO’s Hard Knocks a couple of years ago and we were introduced to Campbell, his coaching staff and Lions players, how could you not like them?
Lions OL Frank Ragnow had this to say about Campbell following the Lions win over the Bucs this past Sunday:
“He’s sincere. Same guy every day. Best leader I’ve ever been around. He authentically loves his guys.”
By the way, Campbell has turned the Lions around and has made them relevant. Not a bad hire.
That’s what Maryland’s women head basketball coach wants to know.
USA Today talked with Frese about the situation today in youth sports.
“People get all consumed by the ego and just winning at a young age,” Maryland’s women’s basketball coach for more than 21 seasons tells USA TODAY Sports. “I remember my kids started basketball, and they’re being put in a zone defense to win a game. And I’m like, ‘What are we doing?’ We should be teaching these kids man before you teach them zone because they need to learn the game.
“We’re not trying to win a game for 12-and-under basketball.”
“I watch things being driven by adults,” she says. “I would sit at soccer games and cringe when we’re, as adults, ripping officials. My son now referees for soccer and has had parents go after him and others in the parking lot.”
Another incident involving a coach being attacked.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the basketball coach benched Jevin during the Willis High School versus Conroe High School basketball game for his behavior toward the opposing team’s player. Jevin Allen and several of his family members were infuriated with the coach’s decision. When the team returned to Willis High School, Jevin Allen and his family decided to confront the coach in the parking lot.
Deputies said Jevin Allen and his family started an argument with the basketball coach before Jevin punched the coach in his face. At the same time, Jarrick Allen began attacking the coach, deputies said.
Sad news out of the basketball world. Brendan Malone, father of Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has passed away. He was 81.
Brendan was from New York City. Attended Rice High School and would go on to play at Iona.
His coaching journey was amazing.
Power Memorial High School.
Fordham, Yale, Syracuse and Rhode Island.
Three stints with the New York Knicks.
Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Kings and Orlando Magic.
Pistons won back-to-back titles while he was an assistant coach under Chuck Daly.
He was one of the true basketball lifers.
There’s a great a story from Five-Star Basketball Camp about Malone telling the late Tom Konchalski to take Aubrey Sherrod in the camp draft. Malone had to rush home for the night and would be back the next day, missing the draft. Instead Konchalski picked a kid named Mike Jordan.
No matter what it is we are doing, at times we could all need a little help.
Nobody gets through the game of life alone.
This theory is especially true in coaching.
You need to network. Build and nurture friendships. You never know when someone can help.
Whether it’s someone hiring you, recommending you to another coach, sharing helpful tips, giving you advice or telling you what you need to hear. You need someone. Someone you can trust. Someone in your corner. Someone to give you a break. Someone to pick you up. Someone to give you a chance.
I started late in the coaching game. Played 5 varsity basketball games at John Jay in Brooklyn, New York. Never played college basketball. Through my first 20 to 25 years on earth I thought I wanted to be a Local 40 Union Ironworker but I realized I wanted to coach basketball. Walking steel beams, climbing bridges wasn’t all that bad, the money was great and I learned a ton from some hard working men along the way. In coaching I had zero connections. High school dropout. On the road to nowhere. A fuck-up. The odds were not in my favor.
Today’s blog entry will touch briefly on the men in my life who gave me a chance at coaching. Basketball saved my life, especially coaching and the relationships built over time. These are guys who believed that I could do the job. They were influential in my coaching career.
Gerard Trapp: When I was 16 Gerard asked me to coach the 7th grade boys basketball team at Holy Name Grammar School. We both attended and played for H.N. (Wonder why we never had a nickname or mascot?) It was my first coaching job. I was clueless. I took what I had learned as a young basketball player at Holy Name and applied that. I would copy down plays I saw the New York Knicks run and tried to teach my players the same thing. I spent one season coaching 7th grade and though I can’t recall our record, I loved the kids we had. Jim Maloney was also part of Holy Name’s program at the time, he had a hand in me coaching that season too.
Danny Piselli: Danny was my coach when I was in th 4th, 5th and 6th grades. He taught me so much about the game. Big UCLA and Boston Celtics guy. Was always preaching John Wooden’s philosophy. He hired me as his assistant coach for the Junior Varsity team at Bishop Ford High School. I was raw. Kinda clueless. Should have paid more attention to the duties of an assistant coach. I was in awe of Danny’s coaching ability. He got the most out of his players. Allowed them to play to their strengths. Our team pressed full-court, ran, and shot the 3. “RUN-GUN-HAVE FUN” was our motto. His skill development workouts at 7:00 AM were legendary. Could have been a great college coach if he elected to go that route but stayed in Brooklyn teaching high school math.
Ray Nash: Ray was the long-time athletic director/boys varsity coach at Bishop Ford when Danny hired me. After one season under Danny, Ray asked me to coach the freshman team. Head coach – Steve Finamore. Who would have thought? Another season where I was learning on the job. I tried to copycat guys, especially NBA coaches. I ran play called, “LA 23” named after Kevin Loughery’s clearout for Super John Williamson. We didn’t win a single game my first year. Thought Nash was going to fire me. He brought me and gave me a vote of confidence.
Thomas “Ziggy” Sicignano: If you’re part of the New York City basketball scene, you know Ziggy. About the time I was coaching at Ford Ziggy brought me in to help coach his Travel Team, Brooklyn USA. Ziggy gave me the confidence to coach. He instilled in me that I can do it. He also introduced me to motivational and inspirational quotes. I have been addicted to them ever since. We had fun. I learned so much from him. Ziggy not only allowed me to coach, he put me down on his Pro-Am teams that participated all over New York City including West 4th Street and Rucker Park. One day we had an open gym at St. Thomas Aquinas in Brooklyn. When he was the head coach at UMass John Calipari and his assistant coach Bill Bayno showed up to watch some possible prospects on a Sunday afternoon. On the drive down Cal said to Bayno, “there better be more than 10 kids in this gym.” We had 105 kids running drills and playing pick-up. In the words of the famous “Omar” from West 4th Street, “We will be in the playoffs.”
Tom Crean: Former college head coach. In the Spring of 1996 I moved from Brooklyn to East Lansing, Michigan. I was scared. Lived in Brooklyn for 32 years. Crean was an assistant coach at Michigan State. Fran Fraschilla gets credit on this connection. Following a Manhattan College-Canisius game at Draddy, circa 1995, Fran told me to contact Crean when I got to E.L. – I did just that and Crean took me under his wing. I learned work ethic and hustle from the guy who goes at it 110 MPH. He took me out recruiting and allowed me unbelievable access to the program. He helped me enroll at State as a non-traditional student. I was 33. Crean doesn’t get enough credit for helping put together the 2000 Michigan State National Championship team. He left to become the head coach at Marquette the season before we won it.
Tom Izzo: Coach Izzo gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. He allowed me to be a student-manager for two years at MSU. Coach gave me incredible access to meetings, recruiting, film and practice. In the summer I would attend workouts and help the players on the floor whether it was rebounding, passing or defending. Coach always made me feel like I was part of the coaching staff. Even after I left MSU, I was always welcomed with open-arms. The Iron Mountain native is the hardest working coach I have ever met. He’s relentless in everything he does. Paid his dues and never stops trying to improve his program. One day in the summer I was observing team workouts, I grabbed the broom and swept the gym floor in the auxiliary gym. It was dusty. Players were slipping all over the place. Coach walks over to me and says, “You really love this shit, huh?”
Mike Garland: Former MSU assistant coach. Gave me a tremendous opportunity to help him run the Spartans through workouts. It gave me the appetite to be a “workout guy.” One day he compared me to the great Tim Grgurich. Garland’s a great guy. One of the best. No ego. Cares about the players. When I was a manager at State, before games Mike and I would warm the guys up with passing, rebounding and a word of encouragement; especially for the walk-ons. He always made me feel part of the program.
Mike Ingram: Fabulous head coach at Lansing Community College. Has been there for 32 years. When I arrived in East Lansing Mike allowed me access to his program and hired me as an assistant coach. When I was out of a job and thinking of giving up coaching Mike brought me in for a second time and paid for my classes at L.C.C. Great guy. I’m 0-6 lifetime against him. While coaching with him, Mike always paid and fed his staff well. Stopping at Applebee’s with the team for a steak dinner was always fun. Should be in the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame. It’s a tragedy they will not induct him. He’s in the Junior College National Hall of Fame and the (B.C.A.M.) Basketball Coaches of Michigan.
Steve Schmidt: Another outstanding Junior College coach at Mott C.C. in Flint, Michigan. Steve hired me as an assistant coach. Learned so much from him. He doesn’t cheat the players – he gets the most out of them. Works his ass off every day and cares about the players. He washes the uniforms, drives the team van and cooks the food. I’m 0-6 lifetime against him too.
Ray Kimball: Fantastic high school basketball coach from Michigan. He’s working at the collegiate level now on the women’s side. Helped me get my first high school varsity job at Portland High School. I was 40. He was our assistant coach and J.V, coach. Great defensive mind. Knows his stuff.
Bob Leckie: My goal when i started coaching high school was to become a college assistant coach at the D-1 level; Coach Leckie helped me achieve that dream. Leckie hired me as an assistant at Saint Peter’s College in 2005. Thanks also to John Coffino who was an assistant coach at the time at SPC – we made it all the way to the M.A.C. finals in our only season together. I first met Coach Leckie when I was the freshman coach at Bishop Ford. I was ejected from the game against Bishop Loughlin, Coach Leckie was the varsity coach at Loughlin where he won a City Championship. He led me to the lockerroom, sat down with me and spent a few minutes with me. I never forgot that. I learned so much from Coach Leckie. He gave me a chance. Always made sure we didn’t spend too much time in the office and always paid for lunch.
John Dunne: Current head coach at Marist College. J.D. took over for Leckie in 2006 and kept me on as an assistant. I will never forget that. Dunne’s one of the good guys in the business. We’ve been friends ever since.
Carlton Valentine: Great guy. Great coach. Legendary boys varsity basketball coach at Sexton high school in Lansing, Michigan. Won back-to-back State championships. Played for the legendary Morgan Wootten at DeMatha high school in Washington, D.C. Went on to play at Michigan State. Brought me in to work his highly successful basketball camps at the Michigan Athletic Club. Each year I worked up to 10 sessions. Summer, Spring, and Christmas time. Another spot where I was paid well. “V” believed in me. Took a chance on me. We even coached against each other. He kicked our ass. He always mentions how my teams went undefeated two seasons in a row. Thanks Daddy-O…
Darryl Matthews: Outstanding travel team coach out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Darryl allowed me to work his camps, to share and spread my message with the campers during lecture time. Was honored and humbled when he had me come in and take his travel team through a team workout. Has been running his program for 24 years. Does it for the kids. No sneaker deal with anyone.
Tim McCormick: Former Michigan Wolverine and 10 year-NBA center. Tim allowed me to work his outstanding basketball camp, Michigan Elite 25. Even though we didn’t know each other, he offered to help me in any way he could to help me get back my coaching mojo when I left a good coaching job and was going through a difficult time. Tim’s a great man who knows the game and would make for an outstanding head coach. Has published a great book, “NBA: Never Be Average.” Highly recommend it.
I learned something from every single one of these guys. I took it all and used it.
Thank you all…
I must add I have had many awesome assistant coaches along the way who made my coaching experience enjoyable and productive. Thanks to you guys too.
“My motives shouldn’t be to change people’s minds. My job is to be the best that I can be and if that changes your mind, great. I can’t be consumed with how you feel about me.”
This past season I coached boys 8th grade basketball at Chippewa Middle School in Okemos, Michigan. I had the time of my life. After coaching at the high school and college level for many years, I took three years off from coaching and was approached about taking on this new task. Here’s what I learned:
The players were coachable. When talking to them they made eye contact and didn’t think they had all the answers.
The parents of our players were outstanding. They were encouraging and appreciative.
Administrators and faculty were supportive. Our athletic director was one of the best A.D.’s I have ever worked for in my coaching career.
The student section at home games were hyped and always excited for our team. They showed tremendous school spirit.They backed us 100 percent.
Our players competed every single day in practice. We had two teams, A and B. Everyone worked hard and wanted to improve. They brought energy, effort and enthusiasm every day.
The basketball I.Q. was very high. They were great teammates who cared about each otherand pushed each other in practice.
I learned you could have fun, that it wasn’t all about winning and losing. It was about improvement. It wasn’t about X’s and O’s (we had 3 set plays). It came down to making sure every day was enjoyable and productive.
There was no hint of entitlement. Each player knew they had to work hard in order to earn playing time.
The game officials were excellent. Before the season started someone mentioned that I should be prepared for poor officiating. That was not the case. We even had a few high school varsity officials work some games.
The season was a perfect length. Not too long, not too short. 21 practices. 10 games.
Last thing I learned, after being out of coaching for three years I missed it…missed it a lot.
“This is not a job. To me this is missionary work. It really is. It’s put me in a position where I can help and serve and coach and teach and give back to these kids. To be in that position is very humbling. I’m very thankful and appreciative, and it’s a great place to be. Every day I’m doing something that I love at the place that I’ve always loved my entire life.”
PLAY THE RIGHT WAY 