A Pen And A Napkin

As we gear up for the season, one of the most important segments of practice is the start of practice; getting your practice started off strongly is vitally important to your team's consistent improvement and performance. This week Tony and I give out some of our favorite drills to start practice, as well as thoughts about what makes a strong start to practice. Along with that, we have trivia (which I nailed!), an Arby's winner, TWIB and a preview of the NBA's Southwest Division, which may be its most competitive division this season! Enjoy!

Our middle child Carter Plum is BACK with his analysis of the WNBA Finals that tip off tonight! Carter and I break down the matchups, who has the momentum, advantages and disadvantages for both teams, and Carter gives his prediction as to whom he thinks is going to win the title!

It's that time of year once again . . . my childhood and lifelong friend Dick Jungers from Newell-Fonda (IA) comes back on the pod for the 6th time to discuss a whole bunch of coaching topics. We discuss raising kids that are involved in activities and athletics, Dick's national coach of the year nomination, the psychology of coaching, reloading, playing alot of kids, shooting, game prep and much, much more! These are always special pods for both Dick and I, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did!

Failure is inevitable. That's just a fact of life. How we handle failure, however, is 100% in our control. This week, Tony and I discuss failure from a variety of different angles, from anticipating it to how to communicate it to how to actually use failure to our advantage. Along with that, we discuss the WNBA playoffs, the Knicks/Timberwolves trade and the passing of the legendary Dikembe Mutombo. We wrap things up with our preview of the Northwest Division of the NBA. Enjoy!!

Tuesday, October 1st is a great day! We have the release of "Kings Of Their Court" happening today, and to give you a taste, here is a (very) amateur reading of parts of Chapter 1 of the book to help give you an idea of what the rest of the book is all about! Hope you enjoy it!

Wow, what a day!!! FIVE YEARS AGO this week I started this little venture and it has been an AMAZING experience! To celebrate, I've been fortunate to ask Stan Van Gundy, former NBA head coach and current announcer, onto the pod to celebrate. Coach Van Gundy and I discuss a variety of topics, including NBA questions, growing up in a basketball family, late game situations, organizing a bench, organizing a season and much more! I am so thankful for all of the loyal listeners and everyone that has invested any time and effort into "A Pen And A Napkin"! With no team to coach this season, APAAN has become "my full time team", so I hope to help as many coaches out as I can this season to help you get better! Thanks so much!!!

As coaches, we all know that everyone within our program has to have a well defined role. What we need to do as coaches is clearly communicate and define those roles, but we also need to take a look at the bigger picture as we construct our rosters. Tony and I bounce off a bunch of ideas to help you with your development of roles, along with having some fun rating the best role players in the NBA. We also have trivia, Arby's, TWIB and a couple of disagreements as to how the NBA"s Southeast Division will fall . . . Enjoy!

We had alot of fun recording this roundtable podcast before the first night of the MBCA Fall Clinics this past week! Jim Simons of Omaha Westside, Steve Klein of Bellevue West and Jake Nannen of Elkhorn South jump on the pod to discuss their build up towards the 2024-25 season, including their fall activities and how they plan to build up their play books on both sides of the ball. Along with that, we chat about breaking down the season into manageable parts, fundraising, and the importance of attending clinics like the MBCA. A terrific, free flowing conversation with a little teaser at the end to whom may be the five year anniversary guest next week! Enjoy!

I got up this morning feeling like I hadn't talked sufficiently about the potentially great WNBA playoffs that are upon us, so I decided to invite on the most knowledgable WNBA fan I know . . . our son Carter!! Carter breaks down the four playoff series, who he doesn't want his beloved NY Liberty to play, and A'ja Wilson as a unanimous MVP. Enjoy a little bonus material!

We're all here to win, right? Most of us are not going to sell our souls for it, but we're competitive and we want to win. But how do you get yourself and your program in the right mental frame of mind to win, and what are some of the best practices that you can have to win? Tony and I break down numerous things you should be practicing and teaching your program in order to find that mental mindset necessary for sustained success. We also have trivia, our Arby's winner, TWIB and a preview of the NBA's Central Division. Enjoy!

Legendary Nebraska hoops coach John Miller comes on the podcast this week to chat about a variety of topics. Coach Miller is a Nebraska Hall of Famer with multiple state championships under his belt at both Chambers (on the girls side) and Southern Valley (boys). We discuss coaching perhaps the greatest player to come out of the state, building a consistent winner in a small community, playing uptempo basketball, player development and much more. A really fun conversation with one of the best coaches in the state!

EPISODE #100!!!!! Holy cow, we made it!!! What a great ride it's been, and Tony and I hope you will stick around for the next 100 . . . Roles are so important to any program, and role definition is vital to your program. Although we often associate role definition to our players, this week Tony and I expand that thought to other areas of your program; your parents, your assistant coaches and your administration. We try to give you ideas on what to ask, what to do and how to structure things for your program to help everyone know how they can contribute to the success of the program!Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us, from our listeners to Ruiz Auto! We definitely appreciate it!

Episode #242 features Steve Spiehs, the new HC for boys basketball at Heartland Lutheran (NE). Coach Spies was a long time assistant for 27 years who is now getting his first crack as a head coach, so we discuss that transition. We also discuss Butler basketball, BLOBs, defensive philosophy and a bunch of other topics. Coach Spiehs is going to do a great job at Heartland, so let's get a preview of what type of program he plans on building!

This week, Tony and I break down our favorite coaching phrases that we have used with either our players or in the building of our programs. We go through things that we've used with our players to try to establish a common language, as well as different phrases we've used to build our programs. Along with that, we have trivia, an Arby's winner (and Olympic hero), along with discussing the WBNA playoff picture and Cooper Flagg's new shoe deal. Tony also gives a 90 page synopsis of "Kings Of Their Court" and, somehow, we find a way to bring up "The Golden Girls" multiple times . . . yep, it's what we do on "The Coaching Staff" . . .

Very excited to bring on Nick LoGalbo, the head boys basketball coach from Lane Tech (IL) High School for this week's pod! We go through a variety of different topics, including social justice issues, stoicism and Marcus Aurelius, fundamental development, Nick's experience with international basketball and 3 on 3, balance in life and much more! We also take a segment to combine our passion for basketball and our shared love of "The Office" (trust me, it works!)! Enjoy this podcast, because we sure did!

Despite what anyone will say, we all want to be liked. The process of being liked begins with being respected, and this week, Tony and I discuss a bunch of different ways that you need to not only teach your team about what it takes to be a respected teammate, but you need to also work at being a respected teammate by your coaching peers. Along with that, we have our usual trivia, an Arby's award winner and a deep discussion about the W and how things are looking for multiple teams. Enjoy!

Early this summer, I had a series of coaches come on for a podcast to discuss what they wanted to accomplish this summer. This week, I've got six coaches on to discuss how their summer went and what they did. Really enjoyed having Andy King of Elkhorn North (NE), Dane Bacon of Bellevue West (NE), Lucus Dalinghaus of Johnson Brock (NE), Jason Dasinger of Etowah (GA), Andy Gillen of Ogallala (NE) and Jordan Arensdorf of Pleasanton (NE) all discuss their summers and what they hope to accomplish this fall!

As programs start to get ramped up for the upcoming season, the months of September and October are critical to ensure that the program's culture is as strong as it can be heading into the season. In this episode, Tony and I put out numerous ideas and thoughts on what you can do as you head into the season to help build your culture to be as strong as it can be before practice starts. Along with that, we have our usual trivia, an Arby's award winner and a great discussion about the second half of the WNBA season!

Gavin Petersen, the Associate Head Coach at the University of Utah women's program, is our guest this week! Coach Petersen began his journey on the beaches of Hawaii and is now in the mountains of Utah, and he talks about his journey, the growth of the Ute program, switching conferences, player development, scouting, analytics and much more! A really enjoyable conversation with one of America's up and coming coaches!

The greatest thing about coaching is the relationships you have, but sometimes the most difficult thing about coaching is the relationships. At some point in your career, you're going to have to work with what some people would call "toxic" people. For us as coaches, that is usually either parents or players, so how do you work through it? Tony and I discuss this topic, along with recapping the Olympics and projecting the 2028 Olympic roster. Enjoy!

This week's episode features Corey Harvey, the new men's basketball HC at Knox College (IL)! Coach Harvey talks about his background, including his time with the Dallas Mavericks, along with his climb into a head coaching position. We also discuss player development and scouting in depth, along with recruiting and other topics. Enjoy this week's podcast!

No new pod this week; Tony and I had some scheduling and travel conflicts, but we have a short pod highlighting all of the great things that Ruiz Auto Services and Exhaust have for you through August 31st!-Oil change 45 for small vehicles and for trucks we can give 10% off-$45 for inspection -Free battery testing -$12 on each tire rotation-Purchase a Set of tires and get mount and balance free-The first person to use code pen and napkin would get a $85 diagnostic

Legendary St. Joseph's MBB HC Phil Martelli comes on the pod this week to talk about a variety of topics this week! Coach Martelli recently retired and is passionately working on developing coaches and leaders, so we discuss that, along with his basketball journey, stories of the "Big 5", little known facts about his best friend Geno Auriemma, being an AC for Juwan Howard, and much more. A really fun discussion with a great coach and great man!

Alot of coaches and alot of players say that they want to run in transition, but are they willing to put in the time, energy and focus to really become effective at it? In this week's pod, Tony and I go through some keys to developing a great transition team, including a few drills that we have ran in the past to help build up your transition philosophy. Along with that, we have trivia, an Arby's winner and a discussion on how are Olympic teams are playing. Enjoy!

I've been teasing alot of this for the last month or two, but here we are, ready to make these three big announcements! One, holy $&@# I wrote a book, like a real book! Releasing on Tuesday, October 1st, "Kings Of Their Court: Three Teams, One City And The Greatest Basketball Season in Nebraska High School History" details the story of three teams that were ranked in the Top 25 in the country. Over 35 interviews and alot of work went into bringing this to life! Secondly, I'm starting a newsletter with exclusive material for APAAN; details in the pod. Third, we have a new sponsor!! "The Coaching Staff" will now be sponsored by Ruiz Auto Services and Exhaust here in Omaha. You'll get a chance to meet Juan Carlos Ruiz, the owner of both Ruiz Auto and All-American Used Cars And Trucks

This week we're really excited to have Chad Jilek, the GBB HC at Johnston (IA), on the podcast this week. The Dragons have been to five consecutive state title games in Iowa's largest class, winning three. Coach Jilek discusses a variety of topics including failure, managing expectations and culture, how to develop an effective youth program and much more. Great conversation with one of Iowa's best!

We found a few minutes to sneak away from Snow Valley Basketball School to have a roundtable discussion with some of the best coaches at Snow Valley; Massachusetts's own Liz Kay, Jason Kern of West Branch (IA) and Nick LaGalbo of Lane Tech (IL). We discuss the week at Snow Valley, summer work and preparing for the upcoming season. We also have a little Snow Valley trivia, as well as a little "Office" quote segment. Enjoy!

Episode #234 features Justin Smith, WBB HC at Dubuque (IA) University! Coach Smith has turned around the program at Dubuque, and has alot of great tidbits to share, including making the jump from high school to college ball, moving up from an assistant's position to being the HC of the program, 1/2 court offense, 1-2-2 pressure, and much more! Great conversation with one of Iowa's best!

We often complain about the actions and words of the parents of our players, but can we give them bullet points to help them navigate the world of being a sports parent? This week, Tony and I go through five points from Greg Berge that are pitfalls for both parents and coaches. We also have trivia, this week's "Arby's" award, and a tough discussion on Team USA after three scrimmages. Also, one of of us won a friendly wager by the end of the pod . . . Enjoy!

Perhaps the greatest overall coach in Nebraska history, Doug Goltz comes on the podcast this week to discuss numerous topics, including his long stay at Falls City Sacred Heart, building a school culture, half court offense, secondary actions, the weight room and much more! Coach Goltz's resume speaks for itself, including:*749 career wins as a basketball HC, the Nebraska state record*307 wins as a football HC, including an 87 game winning streak*30 state championships, combining football, basketball and boys and girls track and field*19-0 in state championship gamesTruly a remarkable coach and remarkable person, enjoy this week's podcast!

You talked, we listened!! A couple of weeks ago, Tony and I put out a poll to see what you wanted us to talk about, and the #1 topic selected was "What Great Coaches Do". So, Tony and I went through our six top coaches right now (Hurley, Staley, Kerr, Hammon, Mazulla and Reeve) and discussed their topic qualities! Along with that, we have trivia, our newest "Arby's" winner and a discussion on free agency winners and losers, along with our Olympic teams. Enjoy!

Isaac Sturm, the boys basketball head coach at Bellevue Marquette (IA) high school. comes on this week. Coach Sturm has rebuilt the Marquette program in a short amount of time, getting them to the Class 1A state championship game this past season! In our conversation, we discuss coming home, rebuilding through analytics and accountability, having a rival, communicating with parents, having essentially a c0-head coach, and much more! Really fun conversation!

When someone becomes a head coach for the first time, the reality of the situation starts to set in and most coaches along the way make numerous mistakes that are completely avoidable. In this episode of "The Coaching Staff", Tony and I discuss mistakes that we've made, why we made them and what we should have done, both as younger and more "seasoned and experienced" coaches. We have trivia, an "Arby's" winner, and TWIB discussions about trades and the NBA draft. Enjoy!

Episode #231 features "Weekday" Wade Coulter, the head girls basketball coach at Gretna East (NE) high school. Coach Coulter goes through his journey and his influences, building programs and giving them belief through psychology, pressure defense, working with parents and much more! A really fun episode with one of Nebraska's up and coming coaches!

The most difficult thing to master in this world is yourself, and your body language, both as a player and as a coach, is for many one of the things that holds them back from achieving their ultimate goals. In this episode, Tony and I go down our many mistakes and successes when it comes to body language, how to handle situations when bad body language pops out and ways to help both. you and your players. We also have trivia, an NBA Finals recap, NBA coaching hires and much more!

Evan Miyakawa is one of men's college basketball's best analyst's, largely using data to drive his analysis. Along with that, Evan and I dive deep into the transfer portal, the outlook of some local teams (to Omaha), how to use statistical analysis to help with your program. "kill shots" and much more! A really good conversation with one of the up and coming analysts of the game!

There's only so much you can control as a coach once the ball goes up, but one thing you can control is your dead ball huddles. In this episode, Tony and I discuss keys to a great huddle, how to practice them, how to communicate in a huddle, how to use your AC's and more! Along with that, we have trivia, a tribute to Jerry West, Dan Hurley's decision, updates on the finals and more! We also have a new guest making their podcasting debut!

Tim Capstraw, the longtime radio color man of the Brooklyn Nets, jumps on the podcast this week to discuss a bunch of different topics, including his time as one of the youngest head coaches in Division I basketball at Wagner College. We discuss the Nets, some NBA chatter, John Wooden, influential coaches, and a rapid fire segment on the current state of the NBA. Alot of fun talking with a great commentator who continues to invest in the youth of the region both on and off the floor!

Running a team camp or a league at some level in the summer time is a win/win for your program; your kids get to play while you also should clear a profit to help finance your program. But . . . what are some things that you should be doing to ensure that it is a consistent success? Tony and I break that down this week with a bunch of really good ideas. We also have trivia, a deeper breakdown of the NBA Finals, and a discussion on perhaps the saturation of Caitlin Clark, with Tony comparing it to my back fence (trust me, it'll make sense) . . . Enjoy!

In a series of short burst interviews, I have eight coaches this week discussing how they are looking to make themselves, their program and their coaching staff better this "Improvement Season"! We also dive into how they are going to go through that process, and with a couple of our coaches, we discuss coming off a state championship and how they are going to look ahead to the 2024-25 season. Alot of great stuff from these eight coaches!

I've always believed that you need to have three half court defenses; one man philosophy, one zone package and one junk defense. This week, Tony and I break down implementing junk defense, how to communicate the concepts with your team, different types of junk defense and some stories about how we implemented junk defenses. We also have trivia, TWIB (including an NBA Finals preview) and a tribute to the late, great Bill Walton.

In Part II of our two-part podcast with Alex Sarama, we dive deeper into "Transforming Basketball". In Part II, Alex dives into how to take the concepts of part I and implement it into your 5 on 5 game and your practice structures. We discuss conceptual offense vs. patterned offense and how to implement drills to make your player development practical during your practices. Along with that, we discuss optimal challenge levels, player development and much more! Enjoy the second half of our discussion!

In the first of our two part series, Alex Sarama, the author of "Transforming Basketball", jumps on the podcast to discuss his book. In the first half of the pod, we discuss Alex's background, the basis of his philosophy, challenging traditional views of basketball, solutions to your problems and much more! You're really going to enjoy this pod!If you're interested in ordering "Transforming Basketball", here is the Amazon link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Basketball-Changing-Think-Performance/dp/B0CY438DZR/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5LSpoTEMkWOCUpnWeK7jDA.HT5U8vEB_29TRMiCc7XXKUzjbhc0MGa2as5KmBSvXI8&dib_tag=se&keywords=alex+sarama+transforming+basketball&qid=1716903830&sr=8-1

Two of the most undertaught skills in the game of basketball is pivoting and passing. Inspired by the passing of Snow Valley legend Tates Locke, Tony and I discuss these two basic skills and give out around 10 of our favorite drills to help with your teaching of pivoting and passing. Along with that, we have "the ice cream man", trivia, NBA playoff predictions and WNBA news. Enjoy!

Longtime Division I AC and HC Randy Brown of Fort Dodge, Iowa comes on the pod this week! Coach Brown has been a life long learner and looks to impart wisdom from both his own experiences, positive and negative, and the experiences of others. We discuss networking, his influences, helping with the IBCA, "Elite Coach Mentoring", the skill of resilience and much more!! Great conversation with Coach Brown!

While most of us understand the analytics of "new basketball", we've also all discussed "the lost art of the mid-range game". In this episode, Tony and I break down ways that you can have your players work on their mid-range game, and we also discuss the importance of sharing the ball and how to get your team to buy into this concept. Along with that, we have our usual trivia, TWIB and a guest appearance by one of my favorite movie characters of all time!

Episode #223 features Jim Simons, the head boys basketball coach at Omaha Westside (NE) High School. Coach Simons has built a consistent winner at Westside step by step, and Coach Simon's rise up the ranks was literally step by step. Jim tells us about his journey, how his coaching philosophy has changed, the influence of other coaches and coaching baseball on his philosophy, coaching AAU and much more. A really fun conversation with one of Nebraska's best!

What's the most important skill in basketball? SHOOTING! So, how do you teach shooting? Tony and I discuss some of our basic fundamentals that we use to teach shooting, and then we each throw out five of our favorite drills that we use in our practices. Along with that, we have trivia, a discussion about the NBA playoffs and our (very) amateur WNBA predications for the upcoming season!

We're really excited to have on for Episode #222 Brad Fischer, the Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh! Coach and I start the pod discussing the Milwaukee Bucks and what they need to do this offseason, then we dive into his high retention rate in his program, building a once proud program back up, pack line defense, practice planning, scouting and much more. Terrific conversation with one of DIII's best HC's!

We, as coaches, are supposed to evaluate our players and our AC's, but how much time do we spend evaluating our own performance as a head coach? This week, Tony and I break down different things that we can evaluate ourselves on, and how to do it, from the people you should talk to other evaluation methods. Along with that, we have trivia and a deep dive on the NBA playoffs. Enjoy!