Coaching Philosophy

Mission:

Basketball is the vehicle. There is more to life than basketball, but there is also more to basketball than basketball. Winning is always the point, but never the purpose. Results matter, but how we achieve them matters even more. We will use our dogged pursuit of championships to be the vehicle through which a life-impacting personal experience takes place. 

Vision: 

“Our program will be the best place in the country to play college basketball. We will be the team that everyone wants to be on and no one wants to play against.”

In order to bring this vision to life, three elements must be present: idealistic aspirations, transformational relationships, and extreme expectations.

Part 1: Idealistic Aspirations (Dave Brandt)

Idealism: Nothing more than a COMMITMENT to the way things ought to be 

We are unapologetic and unflinching in our desire to be perennial champions

AND

We want the 4 year college basketball experience to be absolutely life impacting on the basis of personal + spiritual growth, leadership development, relationships, and team chemistry 

Part 2: Transformational Relationships

Fill the locker room with exceptional young people

We serve + sharpen one another (leadership)

We are friends first and teammates second

Part 3: Extreme Expectations:

We dare greatly 

We are fully committed to the task at hand

We handle hard better 

We stand tall regardless of our circumstances or how we feel in the moment

We make routine plays routinely 

We execute our systems and schemes with precision

We finish strong 

We are fully committed to one another

Core Values: 

Core Value 1: Fearless

“Responding to fear with confidence and right action, fueled by faith in God and His promises.”  

Luke 12:32 - We can be fearless because we know:

• God is our shepherd. He will protect us and provide for us.

• God is our father. He loves us. 

• God is our king. He is powerful and sovereign. 

• God gives to us freely and generously.

• God takes pleasure in loving us and providing for us.

There is no greater threat to the potential of a player or program than fear. Fear comes from a misunderstanding of identity. When your identity is formed by factors outside of your control, fear takes over. When your identity is found in factors that are certain and eternal, nothing can harm you. Basketball is what we do, not who we are. We are not defined by our performance, but rather through who God says we are.

Core Value 2: Selfless

“Living in a way that makes the people around you better and more productive.”

As members of this program, we are committed to serving one another (acts of kindness and humility), and sharpening one another (competition and confrontation). 

“I will tell His Majesty what a king is. A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him.” - Stephen Pressfield

Core Value 3: Earned Not Given

“Merit is the currency exchanged within high performing teams.” - Bob Walsh

Our program will be a meritocracy - nothing is given, everything is earned. 

• Outwill: compete to win in everything that you do

• Outlast: earn an edge through fitness and strength

• Produce: the product you put on the floor matters 

• Invest: serve and sharpen one another.

Core Value 4: Act Like A Champion 

“Champions behave like champions before they're champions; they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners.” - Bill Walsh

• We Dare Greatly: Champions dream big, go after their goals, and refuse to settle for less.

• We Are Fully Committed To The Task: Champions are willing to do what winning requires

• We Handle Hard Better: Champions expect adversity and challenge

• We Stand Tall Regardless Of Our Circumstances Or Feelings: Champions separate how they act from how they feel

• We Make Routine Plays Routinely: Champions do ordinary things extraordinarily well 

• We Execute Our Systems + Schemes With Precision: Champions do their job with excellence and trust their teammates to do the same. 

• We Finish Strong: Champions do not give in to mental or physical fatigue. 

• We Are Fully Committed To One Another: Champions understand that relationships precede and transcend winning