No discussion of coaching can be complete without bringing up “The Wizard of Westwood” – John Wooden. Coach Wooden passed away last week but his influence in the world of coaching and athletics will never pass.

Most know the dynasty Coach Wooden built at UCLA winning 10 National Championships in 12 years. This was clearly one the greatest dynasties ever developed, but what many don’t know is that it took 15 years at UCLA before Coach Wooden won his First Championship! This is a great example of what Jim Collins calls “build up and breakthrough” in his book Good to Great. I reviewed this book on this website and again would strongly recommend it. Coach Wooden stayed the course without looking for the shortcut or trying to cut corners and went on the greatest run ever seen in college basketball.

Coach Wooden had great players, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich and many others, but he also had a great system. Coach Wooden used the full court press and fast break to give his Bruins the edge. His first National Championship did not have a player over 6’5”.

The following are some ideas I got from the book They Call Me Coach by John Wooden:
1. Be true to yourself
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Read good books.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
8. Play your best game regardless of who you are playing.
9. Peace of mind comes from knowing you have done your best.
10. Doing your best when only your best will do is what’s known as Competitive Greatness.

I reviewed Wooden on Leadership on this website earlier and recommended that all coaches read it. The two other books I strongly recommend by Coach Wooden are: They Call Me Coach and My Personal Best. All three are outstanding texts on coaching, teaching and leadership. I would also recommend Coach Wooden’s website: www.coachwooden.com.

John was bigger than his records, bigger than his basketball teams, John Wooden was someone who lived the life he preached and was an example to anyone who ever blew a whistle or carried a clipboard. Thanks Coach.

1. Protect first. Protection – Protection – Protection
1. Direction is the key to protection
2. Our blockers must fit the rush
3. Add to protection – by calls that keep receivers in to protect.
4. Throw hot only by design

2. Multiple launch points – 5 yards behind the center, 7 yards behind the center, perimeter passes etc. Every run has a Play Action Pass.

3. Balance high percentage throws with deep passes.
1. “Yards per attempt” is the key stat.
2. Use a variety of pass actions: Quick game, Dropback game, Play Action, Boots, Perimeter Passes., and Screens.
3. Always know that The Uncovered Principle is part of the run game.

4. Think in terms of shells and leverage rather than coverages. It’s not what you know or what the quarterback knows; it’s how fast the quarterback can process information. His reads must be simple and use unless rules. “I’m going to throw here unless…”

5. Each pattern and route must be thrown with a consistent rhythm. Every route has its own rhythm and the routes must come open sequentially. Throwing the ball on time eliminates sacks.

6. Throw away from defenders not at receivers
1. Throw the receiver open – always make the receiver move to the ball and away from the defender covering him.
2. Open is when the receiver is between the ball and the defender.

7. Throw a long ball long and a short ball short.

8. The quarterback run is always part of the play.
1. When in doubt—run. Ball security is ALWAYS a must.
2. Make sure the ball is tucked away when you run.

9. Know the blitz control on every pass
1. The quarterback will decide how to handle blitz.
2. Beat Man Coverage with your wide receivers and Zone coverage with your backs.

10. Create mismatches by motion, shifts & formations

11. Make cover guys tackle & tackle guys cover – always put speed in space. The more we do this the more points we’ll score.

12. Passing game is constructed in concepts.
1. Know the concept and intent of each pattern.
2. Always know the situation – down and distance, time remaining, whether we will go for it on fourth down.
3. Film study and reps are the keys to mastering the pass game.

As reported in the Daily Mail:

“Coach DeMeo has a lot of success offensively, and while we are more of a pass and run team, we’re looking to add what he does to what we already do,” Matsakis said. “This fits into what we’re doing in North Jersey. We’ve had a lot of success, but this could be what gets us over the hump.”

Butler made it to the North 1, Group 1 finals, losing in the title game. The 600-student school competes in a class comparable to West Virginia’s Class AA.

“It’s neat to come here and get away from New Jersey,” Matsakis said. “I don’t have to worry about seeing teams that I play.”

Matsakis said the availability of the Golden Eagles’ coaches is what makes the clinic ideal.

“This is one of the better clinics I go to,” he said. “With them, there’s nothing to hide and there’s access to all the coaches.”

Read the complete article over at the DailyMail.com.

A new feature is the “share your DVD” segment Friday night at the social at The Wingate Hotel. We encourage you to bring your DVDs to show some of what you’re doing. We will also have a white board available & plenty of napkins.

You are all invited unless you are an opponent, we make this an “invite only” clinic to keep opponents out.

The registration for the clinic starts at 8:00 AM on Friday and we’ll start the program at 9:30 AM. If you would like to attend practice on Thursday 4/15 at 2:30 – you are welcome however we won’t be available to clinic on Thursday.

We’re looking forward to seeing you and plan on this being the best clinic we’ve done. If you have any questions please give me a call 304-340-3734.

1. Total Commitment from everyone involved. Every part of the car is important. Everyone on the team MUST be committed to the Championship. No Thanksgiving with your family.
2. The sacrifice of your individuality for the team. Give up ego. Look the part at all times. You are representing OUR TEAM. Hold yourself to a higher standard.
3. Daily HARD WORK. The self- discipline to drive yourself every day to be the best you can be. To compete with yourself EVERY DAY.
4. Elimination of ego, drama & distractions in your life. Every distraction disrespects the team.
5. To have the ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE – to be thankful & count your blessings daily.
6. The sacrifice of “party life” – your body is your weapon & it must always be sharp. You must sacrifice short term pleasure for Everlasting Glory.
7. To ALWAYS put the TEAM 1st – We not me attitude wins. Individual goals must ALWAYS yield to TEAM goals. Every day do at least one thing to make to make a teammate better. The best way to help your self is to help another. To be #1 we must be ONE.
8. To focus on the NOW – to stay in the present. The past is behind you & what you do today will determine your future. Focus on the moment – in weights, run to win, practice & games. Play each play to the best of your ability one play at a time. To play ONE game per week. To view every day as a chance to get better.
9. To make the right choices. First you make the choices then the choices make you.
10. To make EXCELLENCE a way of life. Only Champions win Championships. To Do – You must 1st BE before you can DO. The purpose of our work is to BECOME a CHAMPION so we can win a CHAMPIONSHIP. Starting NOW everything that you do must be geared to acquiring the traits, habits, thought process & responses of a CHAMPION. This is a great opportunity to grow in all areas of your life.

When I think of great dynasties, I always think of the New York Yankees. I’m not alone. Red Auerbach in his book Let Me Tell You a Story said he wanted to make the Boston Celtics the Yankees of the NBA. The great Vince Lombardi stated that he wanted to make The Green Bay Packers the Yankees of the NFL. Ironically, they both did!

The 1949 to 1953 Yankees won five World Series – a feat no other franchise has ever accomplished. The amazing thing about this run is they did it without having any of their players lead the league in any offensive category! They had great role players, great defense, and a couple of guys like Yogi Berra & Mickey Mantle. They did this in the era before free agency so they couldn’t “buy” a team.

The Boston Celtics won their string of championships in the 50s and 60s without ever having the leading scorer in the NBA! The played great defense and spread the ball around.

The Packers under Lombardi were the only NFL franchise to win 3 straight Championships and four in six years only once had the leading rusher in the NFL.

There were other great dynasties: John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins, Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide of Alabama, and JoPa’s Penn State Lions are all dynasties in their own right. I’m sure you could name others that would fit the mold.

But what do these teams have in common? How did these teams rise to such a level of dominance? What’s the secret?

The first factor that jumps out at you is: It Takes a Great Team to Win Team Sports. Individual talent must conform to the Team Concept to win consistently. Teams win team sports not individuals. It must start with “The Stars”. If the “star” is selfish, the team is dead. Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra were great team players and led the Yankees to ten World Championships between them. Willie Mays, though a great individual player, led the Giants to one. Paul Hornung and Jimmy Taylor were great runners and blockers and led the Packers to their dynasty whereas Jim Brown was the greatest runner in the NFL but refused to block and the Browns won only one championship with him. Magic Johnson And Larry Byrd dominated the NBA in the 80s by elevating their teams and playing team basketball.

The second factor is Trust is a Must. The team must buy into what the coach is selling; the coach must trust his team. The key to any turn around is The Players must trust the coach. The players must trust each other. When we took over the program at The University of Charleston we took all the locks off the lockers. Trust is a must. Michael Jordan trusted Phil Jackson’s triangle offense and distributed the ball and the Bulls won 6 NBA titles.

The third factor is: Average Talent Becomes Great Talent in the Right System. Great teams have a knack of taking cast offs or very average guys and making them very productive. They fill specific roles or are used for specific situations. For example Johnny Mize was at the end of his career sitting on the bench for the NY Giants when he was traded to the Yankees and hit 25 Homeruns in only 90 games to lead the Yankees to a world championship. Vince Lombardi used Chuck Mercein to lead the Packers to NFL championship after he had been cut by the last place team in the league! Bart Starr was benched in his senior year in college yet was an All Pro QB under Lombardi.

Factor number four: Great Teams hold each Member of the Team Accountable. Whether in the practice, in the locker room or off the field, the great teams policed themselves. Michael Jordan laid down the law with the Bulls. He practiced hard and expected everyone else to do the same. Bill Russell in his book Russell Rules said the Celtics held themselves to a high standard of excellence. A coach can’t be everywhere so it’s important that the players enforce a code of excellence.

The final factor is: Great Teams Play Great When Greatness is Needed. Some call it playing in the clutch or John Wooden calls it Competitive Greatness, but we all know a pressure player when we see him. In my lifetime I think of Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter to name a few. But the more I think about this the more I realize that their play did not get better in crunch time but they simply maintained their level of excellence while their opponents did not. Hustle and effort were habits formed through repetition. They never had to “turn it on” in pressure situations because IT WAS ALWAYS ON.. The reason for this is that truly great players play for the greater good: THE TEAM. Great teams have guys who only care about team goals or winning. Other teams have guys that worry about their own stats. They put their own goals ahead of the Team’s goal. This explains why some of the games greatest super stars were never part of a dynasty. Conversely, players who are considered very average in talent excel as part of a team. Like Larry Byrd said, ”Some people put up numbers and some people win Championships”.

At the University of Charleston we have tried to create “A Culture of Excellence” where players can maximize their potential while learning the power of team. We wear gold helmets and are developing “The Power of the Gold Helmets”. Whoever puts on the gold helmet and commits to team will become a better player.

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Where: The University of Charleston, Charleston, WV

Hotel: Contact Julie Caldwell 304-414-0457 or call the Wingate Inn directly (304) 744-4444. This is our Host Hotel – Be sure to ask for the Tony DeMeo Clinic Rate.

Cost: $45 for pre-registration per coach or $50 at the door. This is an “invite only” clinic so call Coach DeMeo or a member of the UC staff for an invite. You can pay by check (Payable to Tony DeMeo Clinic) or through Pay Pal. If you have attended the clinic before, consider yourself invited.

Presentations: Tony DeMeo & the UC Football Staff will present information on The Triple Gun Offense and Our Multiple Defense. There will be time for individual question and answer sessions, group buzz sessions, on field practice time in addition to the normal hourly presentations.

This year we’re adding a session on Friday night at the social to evaluate your film and try to help you with specific problems that you have encountered using The Triple Gun Offense. Each coach will have time to show the group his DVD & share what he’s doing. We are also adding extra sessions on Friday AM to get into more detail about our schemes. On Saturday we will address the Topics you’ve chosen on our clinic survey. Also Saturday’s Clinic Lunch will be provided by Dixie Sports. I encourage you to pre-register because we are expanding the number of sessions to add more presentations and address more of your concerns and questions.

Of course you are all welcome to join us at practice on Fri. PM and you are invited to our final spring scrimmage on Saturday Evening. If you would like to attend our Thursday practice you are welcome but we will not be available to clinic on Thursday. Registration starts at 8:00 AM on Friday and the first session will begin at 9:30 AM.