That Basketball Life

To be recognized as a good coach you need to have a great record.  To be a great coach you need to make a difference in the lives of the kids you coach.  I have never met Bob Hurley but based on everything that I've read, seen and heard he gave opportunities to kids in Jersey City, New Jersey to take basketball and make something out of themselves.  He won 28 state championships at St. Anthony's (2 more as an assistant), sent over 150 players to play division 1 basketball, and had 5 NBA first round draft picks.  Wow what a career!

When it comes to being a successful coach in the NBA you need to be more than a master of the game of basketball.  You need to know how to manage egos and you need to know how to keep the great ones motivated.  As far as I'm concerned one of the best at doing this was Chuck Daly.  What he did with those Piston teams of the late 80's was awesome.  He had them playing hard, almost dirty but as aggressive as they always seemed to be he always had them focused on the fact that the other team was the enemy.  He did a great job with the Dream Team in the '92 Olympics also where he sensed complacency on the squad and somehow managed to have a squad full of college players beat the Dream Team in a scrimmage just so he can get their attention.  Brilliant mind!

In this weeks installment of coach of the week, we go to the pro ranks and there is no better coach to start the discussion than Red Auerbach.  With his keen sense for spotting talent and a win at all cost attitude, Auerbach is the main reason why the Celtics are the most decorated team in NBA history.

When it comes to innovators and trend setters, people who weren't afraid to try something new or to stand up for what is right, few can pass the accomplishments of Dean Smith.  Not only was Dean Smith a great college basketball coach, he was an innovator, he was a man with principles and convictions who had the guts to stand up for what he believed in.  To his players he was not only a coach but a father figure.  He made sure his players graduated and cared for all of them until his dying day.  He is what all college coaches should strive to be and what all human beings should look to as an example. 

A new weekly posting is being introduced today.  In this weekly post we will be paying tribute to the best basketball coaches.  To start off with we will cover the Wizard of Westwood.  John Wooden won 10 national titles including 7 in a row.  This is a record that will be tough to break.