Hire big people who are better than you

Came across a wise quote from David Ogilvy in this month's "Strategy & Business" magazine. Ogilvy, who died in 1999 at the age of 88, is regarded by many as "The Father of Advertising."

Here are his thoughts on hiring good people:

“If you hire people who are smaller than you are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. If you hire people who are bigger than you, we shall become a company of giants. Hire big people, people who are better than you. Pay them more than yourself if necessary.”

Who is your "chemistry coach"?

Just getting into Urban Meyer's book "Urban's Way," which was published last year.

About 50 pages in, there's a great quote from Hiram de Fries (pictured here), a former lineman for Colorado State and retired oil executive.

When discussing how "one key ingredient to winning is [a team's] so-called chemistry," Coach Meyer says that, early in his career, "I always wanted to have an older guy as the chemistry coach on my staff to help us all get on the same page. Hiram is my chemistry coach."

But, according to Hiram, there's one thing that, regardless of chemistry, keeps it all together:

"Winning," he says, "prevents anarchy."

New pace marks culture change

SI has an insightful article this week about new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, who put together a strong staff in Knoxville, including his 68-year-old father Monte Kiffin, who was "widely considered the best defensive coordinator in the NFL" with the Bucs.

[Monte took a pay cut to join his son on the Vols staff, saying, "I didn't want to get paid too much. I just want to be a ball coach with my kid. I would've come even if the money hadn't been there."]

Coach Kiffin is working hard to put his stamp on the Tennessee program, ensuring there's a new sense of urgency among the Vols staff and players after 17 seasons under Phil Fulmer. In addition to a new coaching staff, a number of support staffers have moved on since he was hired, unable to keep pace with the new coach.

"You can't count the number of people we've run off because they couldn't keep up, and I'm including secretaries," he says. "They had to go because they weren't going to make it, and they knew it."

Because his family's not yet moved from Northern California to Knoxville, Coach Kiffin is sharing a house near the Tennessee campus with several assistant coaches. In his words, this allows him to "coach the coaches not only on a daily basis but on a nightly basis."

"I don't have to be their buddy," Kiffin says of his housemates. "I don't have time to watch some TV show with them. We have way too much to do. We're too far behind. I'm not worrying about three or four years from now. I want to win now. Wednesdays and Sundays are the same day of the week as far as I'm concerned. We're at work at 5:30 in the morning, and we don't finish until 10:30 at night. Any other way and we'd be average, and we're not here to be average."

Coach Kiffin has also instituted new rules for class attendance, requiring that his players "sit in the first or second row at every class. If a player sits in even the third row, he's marked as absent and faces time on the StairMaster as punishment."

"I was in my 8 a.m. math class the second day we came back," says All-America safety Eric Berry. "I'm the only player in there. Afterward my classmates start coming up to me. 'Dude, did you see Kiffin?' He'd come to the rear door and poked his head in to make sure I was there. Before, the coaches would send the weight-room guys or graduate assistants to check. But this was the head coach."

The three functions of assistant coaches

Winning Hoops magazine had a good interview with former Marquette and current Indiana head coach Tom Crean.

During the interview, Coach Crean outlines "three functions" that assistants should fulfill.

1. Offset the mood of the head coach: If the head coach is in a bad mood, you as an assistant need to be a in a good mood. Assistants should not be carbon copies of head coaches.

“I love playing teams where the assistants act and teach just like the head coach because they just aren’t prepared as well,” Crean says.

2. Always be accessible to players: A head coach is often pulled in several directions through various responsibilities. An assistant must be available to players at all times. Players need that stability.

3. Do what's needed: As an assistant, Crean says, you are there to do whatever the head coach needs. An assistant’s primary role is to make the life of a head coach easier. You must be a willing participant in this process.

“When I was learning under Ralph Willard (Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh) and Tom Izzo, my job was to make them Coach of the Year. I wanted to allow them to do what they do best, so I took care of the things they didn’t want to do or didn’t have time to do.”

According to the article, Coach Crean contends that "when assistants know their role and players are energized about their part on the team, then your program is certain to get better every day."

Along these lines, Coach Crean encourages his assistants, and other coaches he meets at clinics and camps, to learn as much as they can about as much as they can.

“Never stop learning from others. It doesn’t have to be just in our sport. Look at military and business leaders. And, look at other sports. I bet you I have read more football books than anything else,” Crean acknowledges.

As the author describes, "your ultimate goal as a coach is not simply to win games... it’s to make
players better — as athletes and as people. It starts with accountability on and off the court. When you expect the best from players, you don’t have to harp on it day after day. Having to stress bringing energy and enthusiasm to the practice court each day gets old and
tired. Expect it and expect the best from everyone associated with your squad."

Both an architect and a plumber

Came across Reverend Richard Stazesky's 2000 presentation about the leadership ability of President George Washington.

In it, he describes how "visionary leaders" like President Washington are able to focus "simultaneously on two seemingly different configurations, yet to such a leader they are always inextricably related."

According to Rev. Stazesky, effective leaders not only see the "big picture," but also see the little deals. They're able to lay out the strategy, but can also develop the tactics.

They not only set goals, but outline the objectives necessary to reach those goals. They understand theory, but also know how to apply the theory.

As Reverend Stazesky puts it, these leaders are at once the architect and the plumber.

In a time when some preach the "coach as CEO" model, Rev. Stazesky makes a strong argument for balancing a hands-off and hands-on approach to coaching.

In fact, just last month, in an effort to shore up his team's defense, Bears coach Lovie Smith pledged to take "a more hands-on approach."

Clearly, the head coach can't do it all. Having a talented, trustworthy staff is critical. But it's possible (and important) for the head coach to be involved and engaged without micromanaging.

The importance of staff continuity

At Maryland, Gary Williams' Terrapins have lost four of six, including a nationally-televised 41-point loss to Duke on Saturday.

In searching for answers, this article touches on the value of keeping a staff together over many years.

Before leaving for other coaching opportunities, Jimmy Patsos, Billy Hahn, and Dave Dickerson had been with Coach Williams for 13, 12, and nine years, respectively, which helped to solidify the program's cohesiveness.

According to Coach Hahn, now an assistant at WVU, when longtime assistants leave, it takes time to recreate the chemistry.

"When you can keep a staff together for a long time, there is continuity and everybody knows their roles and their strengths and weaknesses. I think staff continuity is very important. If you see turnovers in staffs, you usually see a drop-off. Duke had a drop-off when they lost Mike Brey and Quin Snyder."

As a side note, one AAU coach quoted in the article contends that head coaches must play a more active role in recruiting today than in the past instead of delegating to his assistants.

"Once upon a time, you could rely on your assistants going out and building relationships. Today, [kids] want to have a relationship with a head coach who is calling the shots."

A blueprint for a first-time head coach

Second post of the day about the Ravens, but this was too good to pass up.

John Harbaugh has provided a blueprint for first-time head coaches. As this article puts it, "everything about the Ravens' surprising season has carried the Harbaugh touch."

After reading the article, I'll culled a few key points:

1. Build a strong staff. Coach Harbaugh's staff includes offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, a former head coach in college and in the pros; defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, a favorite among the players and a member of Brian Billick's coaching staff when the Ravens won the 2001 Super Bowl; Wilbert Montgomery, the former Eagles RB who won a Super Bowl as a coach with the Rams; and offensive line coach John Matsko, a 35-year coaching veteran who was on the Rams' staff (along with Wilbert Montgomery) that won a Super Bowl in 2000.

2. Have a plan and stick to it. According to one BAL player: "He didn't blink once, not once, from the things he wanted to do. He had a plan and he stuck with his plan. You have to respect a coach that win, lose or draw he says, 'This is what we're going to do,' and not, 'Let's change this or that.' The great thing about John once he set a path, he wasn't going to deviate from it. His path was that he wanted to do the right thing for his team."

3. Make the rules clear and enforce them. "Harbaugh has definitely had the courage of his convictions and has been a strong disciplinarian whenever it's been called for. Although injuries were also a factor, Harbaugh benched McAlister for violating team rules, including showing up late for meetings prior to a 31-3 loss to the Colts."

4. Let your team know you that you respect and care for them. "When Harbaugh took over the Ravens, he had large signs that say, 'Team, Team, Team,' emblazoned all over the training complex. Harbaugh continually has called the players 'mighty men,' which draws amused smiles from reporters, but his praise has paid off with mutual respect.

"He tells us all the time that he's proud to stand with us as our coach on Sundays," said one Ravens player. "How could you not want to play for someone who is proud to be your coach? You play hard because it's your job, but he makes it more fun to do it."

According to the article, "Besides instilling toughness through more physical practices, Harbaugh has also demonstrated a capacity to care. He didn't rush cornerback Samari Rolle back to work when his father, Harry Rolle, died of a sudden heart attack, encouraging him to take as much time as he needed to grieve."

One BAL player described Coach Harbaugh as "humble," saying "He treats everybody with respect. You have no choice but to play hard for a coach like that."

5. Allow the players to take some ownership. "Harbaugh gave veteran players ages 30 and over every third day off during a grueling training camp... and gradually built in more time off into the practice schedule when the Ravens were forced to have their bye in the second week of the season when Hurricane Ike caused the postponement of their game against the Houston Texans. Plus, he gave the entire team Christmas off prior to a pivotal regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars."

"I think really what's most impressive about coach is just his flexibility with his players," said [LB Ray] Lewis, who has championed Harbaugh's team concept and even cancelled his radio show at team officials' suggestion prior to the season. "He's very interactive with his players. There's really no decision he makes without coming to us to really figure out what's best for the team. That's a great thing to have when you have a first-year coach and you're trying to adapt to things. You realize that he's not just trying to run you into a program and say, 'Do what I do, do what I say.' It's about what makes us better as a team, that's what you appreciate about him just from a man's perspective."

As the article describes, "Harbaugh allowed the players to vote on what to do about Christmas before suggesting an even more inviting schedule change. He said they could practice on Tuesday, which is usually their normal day off, and take Thursday off for Christmas Day to be with their families."

"He asked, 'Well, what do you want to do?' We were arguing about whether it should be Christmas morning, after Christmas morning," [DE Trevor] Pryce said. "He said, 'Why don't we try this? And we said, 'Yeah, that's it.' That's the kind of guy he is. The Christmas thing was a big thing. That was his idea. He doesn't want to be out on an island by himself."

6. Focus on the little things, but don't be afraid to delegate. "More than anything, Harbaugh has demanded attention to detail and timeliness while delegating authority to his coordinators. Harbaugh has straddled the line between being a so-called players' coach and instilling a harder edge for a team that was known for complaining about officiating a year ago and drawing costly personal fouls. Now, the Ravens run a tighter ship under Harbaugh."

As a leader, if you don't like tough decisions, it won't be long until you're very average

If you missed Mike Shanahan's press conference yesterday after he was fired, you can read the full transcript here. It's worth taking 5-10 minutes reading through it.

Coach Shanahan thanked members of the Denver front office and a number of his former players and assistants. He also thanked various members of the Denver media and the fans.

Here are a few highlights from Coach Shanahan's comments:

The one thing that was really exciting to me is the football team we have and the character of this team. I think the things we were able to do this year, when you leave a football team and you leave a team that has the utmost character then you feel good about it.

I feel good about the job I have done. The thing is, you have to make some tough decisions when you run an organization. You have to do things that are in the best interest of the organization, and I felt that that was right and I understand the direction he went. I have no problem with it because he is the best owner in sports.

I have been here for 14 years, I had 14 great years and it has been fun. It has been a great ride. Twenty-one years all-in-all, when you go back to those experiences I don’t give anything up.

Do you deserve it? We didn’t win for the last three years. We were 8-8, heck we were a .500 team. You get judged by performance, and I didn’t get the job done, that is the bottom line. Your job is to win and to win championships and we have not won a championship in awhile. The next place I go to, that will be the one thing that I am thinking about—What gives me the best chance to win a championship?

I think what you do is reflect through your relationships and what you are able to accomplish. I think we have done a lot. This is the best organization in sports. Pat Bowlen does unbelievable job of giving the best chance to be successful. When you look at everything, you say, ‘Hey, it has been fun.’ We will always be friends; we will always be best friends and appreciate people having to make tough decisions. It is not easy, but you have to do what you think is in the best interest of the organization.

When [I was fired] the first time with the Raiders, it was very tough, the first time you are fired. All of a sudden you start getting used to getting fired and it is not quite as bad because you understand sometimes people have to make some tough decisions.

On the serious side, it is always tough when you put your heart and soul into something and you are let go. That is all you care about is winning, and that is the bottom line. When you are not able to do that, it is hard especially when you think that you are not too far off.

The bottom line is you understand people have to make decisions that they feel gives this organization the best chance to win. Those decisions for me over the years have been very tough. I have loved a lot of these guys that you have to let go, but you do things that you think are going to give you the best chance to win.

Those are tough decisions, the toughest there are. That is what leaders do. You have to look at something and say, ‘Hey I made a mistake or I think it is the best interest of this organization to go in a different direction’.

Sometimes you have to do that with coaches and you have to do it with support staff. But you better be on the cutting edge because if not, it is going to pass you by. The executives will tell you if you don’t like those tough decisions, it won’t be long until you are very average.

It does. It does hurt, but tough times don’t last, tough people do. That is life. You regroup and you go find another job. My goal has always been to win a Super Bowl. My next job that I go to will be based on one thing: It gives you the best chance to win because this thing is about winning, all the time you put in.

The thing that people don’t understand very often is that [job] titles really don’t mean anything. What matters is people making decisions. What you want is competent people to run different parts of your organization and that is what I have always wanted.

If I got a general manager that is taking care of personnel, they may give me the final say but how often do I have the final say? What I want is advice. I want the guy that is coaching those quarterbacks or the offensive line to coach it better than me. I know they are putting all their time into it.

I want the GM that is a lot more qualified than I am in the personnel because he is doing it 24 hours a day to tell me who to sign. That is how you develop a strong organization; you want to find people that are stronger that you in certain areas that have a chance to be successful and I have always tried to do that.

Every assistant that I have hired knows that position better than me or else I could coach that position. That is not my specialty. That is what I think they try to do in every organization, try to get the best. If a certain position needs help then it is my job to go and help that certain position whatever it may be. That is why you are the head coach, that is why you are put in those situations.

We are all judged by what you get done and the expectations are very high and they should be. The bottom line is that it came back to me. I didn’t get it done. It doesn’t matter if it is what happened relative to anything. The bottom line is that it comes back to me.

[On what he is looking for in his next job.] Everything… and players. (Whatever) gives you the best chance to win. A person (owner) that wants to compete, a person that wants to win the championship as badly as you do. That would be No. 1. Ownership that wants to win just like you do and is willing to go to extremes to get that done.

It depends on ownership and people willing to compete. Do they want it as badly as you do?

[On telling his assistants that he's been fired.] That’s the toughest thing there is about being fired as a head coach. You let a lot of people down and a lot of families down—people that you believe in, people that you are for—and you are not able to take care of those families. So that’s the toughest part about it, by far.

[On what he'll miss most.] I think relationships with the people that you work with any day. Anytime you work 100-hour weeks and you’re busting your rear end to make things happen, that’s where football is—that’s what the family is about. Just working your tail off and trying to make it happen, trying to win a Super Bowl. And that’s what I’ll miss because I think we had a lot of things in place going in the right direction.

I’m going to be coaching. I can’t give you a time frame. I’m going to look at my options, see what options are out there.

All I can say is in my experiences here, it was just off the charts. You know, how you develop the friendships, how you develop relationships is going through those experiences together—going through the tough times, going through the good times.

And I’ve had a lot of those experiences with the Denver Broncos as an assistant coach and as a head coach. And that’s why I appreciate everybody in this room, because you don’t make it happen—one person doesn’t make it happen. Everybody makes it happen.

You have to have an owner that gives you the ability to go out there and get the best people and keep the best people. You get the best players and you get the best coaches because all I am is one of many. To win a Super Bowl and separate yourself you have to be the best at every area.

The three keys to longevity as a pro coach

NJ Nets coach Lawrence Frank, now in his sixth season with the team, is the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference.

He was asked recently about how he's lasted so long in New Jersey:

"I've had very, very good players. I've been very fortunate. I've had excellent players. When things have gone south on us in terms of losing streaks I've had unbelievable support from Rod Thorn and ownership. That's what you need. This league is crazy. As you've seen, five coaches have been let go between 20 games of the season. You need really good players. You need great assistant coaches and you need support from above."

An example of the specialization of basketball coaching staffs

Had a post here this summer about basketball coaching staffs moving toward specialization.

It's happening in Cleveland where assistant coach John Kuester is getting some of the credit for improving the Cavs' offensive efficiency, which is tops in the NBA.

According to the Cleveland paper, "in his second season as [Coach Mike] Brown's assistant, Kuester has taken over much of the detail operations of the offense. He has brought some new concepts to what the Cavs call their 'early' offense, an effort to make them more effective in transition and less bogged down."

It was part of a mini-makeover Brown made to his staff in the off-season. He didn't publicly announce it because he didn't want to add any undue pressure to his coaches. Brown also made assistant Mike Malone his defensive coordinator and changed around some in-game roles so veteran Hank Egan is behind the bench during games while assistant Melvin Hunt is on the bench for every game.

Says Coach Kuester, an 18-year NBA coaching veteran who was a member of DET's staff when the Pistons won a title in 2004 and who played for Dean Smith at UNC:

"You always talk about that it is important for teammates to have trust in one another. Coaches have to have trust, too. Mike puts a lot of trust in his players and his coaches."

A former head coach at Boston University and GWU, Coach Kuester "designed the foundation for the early offense, which takes advantage of [Mo] Williams being able to handle the ball and LeBron James acting sometimes like a power forward. It also gave some new roles to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who is put in different areas of the floor to create space for others."

While all of CLE's coaches offer insight and perspective, "during timeouts, Kuester will now often be in the center of the huddle drawing up plays, with Brown behind him. He is in charge of all offensive preparation and is responsible for presenting options to Brown for all possible in-game situations," though Coach Brown has the "final call."

As Coach Malone puts it: "Mike is the president, he's got veto power, he does what he feels is best."

Over the course of nearly two decades of NBA coaching, Coach Kuester has worked with a number of excellent coaches.

Not only did Rick Carlisle give him large responsibilities as an assistant in Indiana, but so did mentors Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and Bernie Bickerstaff in Denver and Washington. It also follows his coaching philosophy, which is to build around defense and also get his coaches and players personally invested in the effort.

It's a chess match

Good story this morning in the LA paper about how the Lakers handle game prep.

As is the case with most NBA teams, "each season Lakers Coach Phil Jackson passes out scouting assignments for the other 29 NBA teams to his assistants: [Frank] Hamblen (second from left), Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons (second from right) and Brian Shaw (third from right). Then it's their job to scout the teams on their list."

Says Coach Cleamons: "We all pride ourselves in having our teams down cold."

According to the article, "each assistant is responsible for tracking their assigned teams throughout the season, even if there is a prolonged period when the Lakers don't play them."

"I have to keep watching all of my teams play because there's going to be a time where I'll have to scout three or four in a row and if I try to wait until the last minute to watch them, then I'll be letting everybody down," Shaw said.

The article outlines how the game plan is presented:

Before each game an assistant coach diagrams plays in the Lakers' locker room to outline offensive sets and schemes for that night's opponent. Rambis says the idea is to present the players with the strengths and weaknesses of a team and likely sequences of plays.

The assistants give a lecture about their scouting reports the day before a game, at shootaround the morning of a game, and then half an hour before tip-off. They also show videos before practice.

"I've seen some [scouting] reports that are a half-inch thick" from other coaches, said Rambis, now in his seventh season as Jackson's assistant. "You can't show a team that many plays. You probably get about a half-dozen . . . that they are going to be able to pay attention to or they are going to be able to understand."

Jackson's assistant coaches go through a checklist: they break down where a rival player likes to shoot from on the court, if he drives left or right, is better at working off screens and on which side of the court suits him best. They study if a player uses one or two dribbles before shooting.

"It actually is a chess match," said Cleamons, who spent seven seasons on Jackson's bench in Chicago and is in his eighth with the Lakers. "It's all set up based on the [opposing] coach, the team personalities within the scheme and how defensively you're geared to stop people."

Coach Shaw contends the key to clearly communicating the plan for that night's game is keeping the players "engaged."

"What you do is turn the table and ask them a question. So now they are like, 'If I start daydreaming or something, I know when Brian does the board, he may call me out so I better pay attention.'"

As described in the article, "During a game the Lakers' assistants open their notebooks to pull out pieces of paper with their scouting reports, with bullet points to remind players about an opponent's shooting percentage, his free-throw skills, stats on that team's last game against the Lakers, and various diagrams of plays.

"I also try to get into the [opposing] coach, what he's thinking, what [play] he's going to run out of timeouts," said Hamblen, the longest-tenured assistant coach in the NBA with 40 years of experience. "If there is a pattern -- you've watched five or six games -- to what they are doing, then you go to Phil. You're guessing obviously. 'This is probably what they are going to run out of this timeout. This is what they are going to run at the end of the game.' So you want to tell the players to be aware of this."

Moving into the "CEO role"

Steve Sarkisian was asked this week what he thought would be the toughest adjustment in moving from an assistant coach at USC to head coach at Washington:

"The biggest challenge, in my opinion, will be time management. I'm so used to just dealing with the offense and the quarterback. Now there are obviously head coach obligations I'll have to attend to, so it's going to be really important that the offensive staff I put together can work without me, but also keep me abreast of what is going on so when we have a game plan, we're ready for Saturday afternoons."

After speaking at length with Pete Carroll, Coach Sarkisian's boss at USC, UW president Mark Emmert was confident the 34-year-old Sarkisian was ready:

"When you're looking at someone who hasn't been a head coach, you've got to see that they understand the nuances of the game and the complexities of the operation. They haven't done the CEO role, the management role, the personnel side of it and those kind of issues.

"One of the really impressive things about Steve is that Pete Carroll really has done a wonderful job getting him ready for this. He's worked hard at giving Steve all those kinds of experiences and has actively mentored him to be ready to be a head coach."

Increasing intensity in practice

After Rick Pitino's U of L team lost to WKU recently, Coach Pitino made some changes.

For one, he brought back two-a-days, scheduling practices in the morning (6:30) and afternoon that "focused more on teamwork than individual instruction."

He also had assistant Walter McCarty -- a 10-year NBA vet and former standout at UK under Coach Pitino -- suit up "in an effort to toughen the Cards' inside players and improve rebounding."

The 6-foot-10 McCarty (shown here from his days at UK), a member of Kentucky's 1996 NCAA title team, played in almost 600 NBA games with the Knicks, Boston, PHX, and the Clips.

According to Coach Pitino:

"We put in some things to make (practice) better. One of the reasons why (practice) has been poor is that the first unit is not working as hard because there's a tremendous disparity between first and second teams. So I started playing Walter McCarty to pick up competition. We have to do some things to shore up our rebounding and things to enhance our mental aspect of the game and also do some things to check our egos at the door. It has meant a big difference to our players having (McCarty) in there, and they see it."

According to this article, Coach McCarty "took three charges in the first practice of the week, two of which 'we didn't think he would get up from.'"

The Cardinals responded by winning their next two games, beating Indiana State by 40 and Ohio by 35.

Lakers success starts with defense

Before the Lakers opened training camp, Phil Jackson brought together his staff "and told them he was appointing a defensive coach, something he hadn't done in his previous 18 years of coaching in the NBA."

Longtime assistant Kurt Rambis (pictured here) took on the role of defensive guru as "the Lakers began working on the new defense during training camp and continue(d) to practice it almost every day."

According to the LA Times, "Jackson adjusted Rambis' coaching duties before the season in hopes of establishing this type of success.  He typically gives each of his assistant coaches seven or eight teams to vigorously track throughout the season, but he reduced Rambis' workload to only three teams (Phoenix, Boston and Oklahoma City) to let Rambis concentrate primarily on the Lakers' defense.

Said Coach Rambis, who won four NBA titles as a Laker player:  "I've always enjoyed new opportunities to grow as a coach and the challenges that would come with it."

With the players buying in wholeheartedly, the results have been excellent:

The Lakers (12-1) are third in the league in opponents' shooting percentage (42.2%), sixth in points given up (92.7 a game), and first in point differential (14.3 a game).

The players have eaten it up, finding an appetite for steals (a league-best 10.4 a game) and blocked shots (6.2 a game, sixth-best in the league) that matches their zest for alley-oop dunks and three-on-one breaks.

Says Kobe Bryant:

"The thought process is that you want to win a championship. In order to beat a Boston, you've got to be a better defensive team than Boston.  If you want to hoist that trophy at the end of the year, we've got to be a great defensive team. That's the only way to get it done."

Coach Rambis had "pestered" Coach Jackson to allow him to try something new defensively, but Coach Jackson had resisted, saying, "I come from the old school where you play man [defense], and you have that man and that's your primary goal."

According to the Times article:

"The Lakers now use a lot of zone principles and try to keep the ball on one side of the court. They put pressure on the ballhandler to try to force him to a particular side and then often overload the area by sending an extra defender to stand down near the post, essentially shifting the defense from man-to-man to zone.

Skip passes to the undermanned side can hurt the Lakers, but their defense has been quick to jump into passing lanes and create turnovers.  Crucial to their defensive success is extreme pressure on the ballhandler. Without that pressure, the ballhandler can see the court and find open teammates."

Loyalty becomes a challenge when things aren't going well

Several years ago, a friend sent me a copy of a book titled "The Football Coaching Bible."  The book's first chapter was written by Grant Teaff, the legendary football coach who spent 20 seasons at Baylor.

Coach Teaff's chapter was called "Responsibilities of a Coach."

He began by outlining a number of "essentials" for all coaches, including be yourself, but be willing to change; be compassionate; be accountable; be self-disciplined; be a role model; communicate; be an encourager; and be honest.

He also dedicated a section to "specific responsibilities for assistant coaches."  Among the responsibilities, his first requirement was to "Be Loyal."

Here is an excerpt from that particular section:

There is a great difference between being loyal and pretending to be loyal.  Loyalty comes from character within and being committed to serving the institution, the head coach, and the system in the capacity in which you were hired.

If you can't be loyal to an institution, a system, or a head coach, you should quietly look for a place where you can exhibit the required loyalty.

Loyalty is not a problem when you're 10-1 or win the championship.  Loyalty becomes a challenge when things are not going well and negativism abounds.   The assistant coach must guard against acts of disloyalty.

Three mistakes to avoid when hiring a staff

Good column in the November 24 issue of BusinessWeek by Jack Welch (pictured here) about what NOT to do when building a staff:

1. Automatically reward loyalists.

"No matter how long you've worked for the top job, once you get it, the impulse is to 'endorse' your own early endorsers. What a shortcut to mediocrity, if not disaster.

Not all loyalists are hacks, but if they don't possess enormous brainpower, prodigious energy, and the ability to motivate, loyalists will forever remain B players in A jobs.

That's a huge problem for a simple reason: B players tend to hire other B players or, worse, C players, setting off an organizational chain reaction of underperformance."

2. Hire people who need the work or lust for the prestige of being on your team.

"There's almost nothing more appealing than a job candidate who looks you in the eye and tells you how passionately he wants to be your partner.

'How perfect,' you think, 'a person who shares the vision.'

And well he might. But there's a real danger if there are other motives as well, like advancing a stalled career or resurrecting a damaged one. They're the advisers least likely to deliver contrary messages. Why bite the hand that feeds you?"

3. Focus all your attention on crisis hires.

"Most new leaders inherit a burning problem, and naturally the tendency is to fixate on finding the right person to put it out. That has to be done. But a new boss must also rapidly attend to the leadership positions that address his overarching and long-term priorities. Remember, every hire you make says: 'Here's how much I care.' The leader's personnel selection is the ultimate message."

You can't perform at the highest level if you have fear

Question: Who's playing in the CFL's title game this Sunday?

One of the coaches in this year's Grey Cup is Marc Trestman, a rookie CFL coach who's guided a team to the finals that went 8-10 last season.

The name "Trestman" might be familiar. He worked as an NFL offensive coach/coordinator for 20 years with the Bucs, Browns, Vikings, Cards, Lions, Niners, Raiders, and Dolphins.

So when he landed his first head coaching job in Montreal last December, a reporter asked Trestman if he was nervous.

"Not one fear," said Trestman, who backed up QB Tony Dungy at the University of Minnesota and, after graduating from college, earned a law degree. "You can't put yourself out there unless you're fearless. That doesn't mean you won't feel (fear) along the way. You'll have your moments, because you're human. You can't perform at the highest level as a player or do anything if you have fear. You can't perform at the highest level as a player or do anything if you have fear."

According to Montreal president Larry Smith, it was Trestman's "depth of people skills" that put him over the top when the club was interviewing coaching candidates:

"What impressed me ... was his great listening skills and values. Those were two things that jumped out at us. He didn't tell us how to run or manage a team. He's humble and asked a lot of questions, and he was well-prepared. He makes an impression when he talks to you. Competing against others, that was important. First impressions are made in the initial 30 seconds."

Trestman's first coaching job came in 1981, while still a law student at the University of Miami. (Says Trestman of his future as a lawyer: "I didn't think I would ever compete against some of the minds that were going to law school, no matter how hard I worked at it. But I worked at it and got through it. I knew early on that I didn't want to be a lawyer. But I didn't want to quit.")

As a 25-year-old volunteer coach on Howard Schnellenberger's Hurricanes staff, "Trestman prepared a three-page outline detailing why he should be allowed to coach freshmen pivots Kosar and Vinny Testaverde." [see photo here]

Two years later, after earning his law degree and passing the Florida bar exam, he was named Miami's QB coach.

"Coaching never crossed my mind for a minute," he said. "I never had a great relationship with my coaches, to my recollection. I always tell coach Schnellenberger he saw something in me I never saw in myself. To hire me as the quarterback coach ... as young as I was. And I really coached them. The quarterback's the center of the game. I was just winging it. I had no experience, no criteria, no mentorship, no training. Nothing. I'm just grateful he saw that in me."

According to Coach Trestman, coaching is more than how guys perform on the field:

"It's not only about how they can play. I want to know what they're all about. That's this game. It's taking a diverse group of people and bringing them together. You can't unless you know what they're about. I'll just be as honest with the players as I can ... as direct as I can."

[Answer: Calgary and Montreal]

Allowing your assistants to do their jobs

Came across an article from last summer about coaches in their 60s and how they've adapted their coaching style over the years.

After leaving George Washington, U of Houston coach Tom Penders (at left) took a few years off to re-energize and observe other coaches, including Coach K at Duke:

"I watched Mike, who has a tougher job than anyone, and was impressed how much his assistants were involved. Chris Collins, (Johnny) Dawkins and Wojo (Steve Wojciechowski) were doing most of the teaching. Mike was more of a coordinator.

It's similar with Mike D'Antoni. He doesn't say a whole lot. He doesn't raise his voice. He'll talk, but he's doing more observing and evaluating. Now, my assistants are more involved. I've just learned it's very, very important to have quality assistants. If you're on the road, you have to feel safe in what you want them to do."

Like Coach Penders, Dr. Homer Drew also leans more on his staff:

"I utilize my assistants a lot more these days. They work with the players on their footwork, shooting and passing and do a lot of drill work. I'm looking more at the bigger picture now. It's been healthy for the younger coaches and preparing them for the next level."

Coach Drew also believes taking time away from coaching is beneficial:

"Professors who teach every 10 years often get a sabbatical year. It would help head coaches gain a new perspective. Plus, it helps the younger coaches make that transition from making suggestions to making decisions."

When you sit in the head coach's seat, suggestions change

Lionel Hollins' first season as an NBA assistant came in 1988 when he joined Cotton Fitzsimmons' staff in PHX.

Over the next 20 years, he worked as both a lead assistant and a head coach, including an extended stint with Vancouver/Memphis, where he coached until 2006-07.

But when the Grizzlies went through a coaching change following the '06-'07 season, Coach Hollins was out of a job.

"I was prepared to move on to another phase of my life," he said.

Then he got a call from Scott Skiles, who'd taken over in MIL. According to Coach Skiles:

"One of my goals was to assemble a staff where everybody has had head coaching experience. I've done both. I know it's great to be an assistant coach and make suggestions. I also know that once you sit in that head coach's seat, those suggestions change a little bit. (Lionel) is just known for being a very, very good coach."

[Here's a clip of Coach Hollins from his playing days.]

Surrounding yourself with those who complement your strengths

Barack Obama's selection of Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff is another solid example of a leader hiring someone who is more unlike him than like him to provide balance.

As this BusinessWeek column puts it, "Brash, bold and abrasive, Rahm Emanuel...is opposite of Obama's cool; he's fire and passion backed with relentless drive. For someone of Obama's temperament, Emanuel is an ideal chief of staff."

According to the article:

"Emanuel's selection demonstrates how leaders need to surround themselves with people who complement them, not replicate them. Emanuel's not afraid to ruffle feathers so he can play the heavy when Obama needs someone to twist arms, one of the ways to get things done in Washington. Every senior leader needs someone like Emanuel, perhaps not with the title of chief of staff, but with the power of it. And the power to drive things forward."

It's common in for head coaches to put together a staff of assistants that have different strengths, traits, personalities, and skills than themselves. It provides the balance necessary for success.

For example, earlier this week I saw an article about how new USF coach Rex Walters gave careful thought to who his assistants would be, saying: "I'm not a great defensive coach. I wasn't a great defensive player and my teams have never been great defensive teams. So when I was hiring the staff, that was the one thing I really wanted to home in on."