CBW 013- UNCW Head Coach Buzz Peterson

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In this episode for basketball coaches by basketball coaches…

I. An interview with UNCW Men’s Basketball Head Coach Buzz Peterson.

Coach Peterson has been the head coach at Appalachian State, Tulsa, Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, and UNCW.  In addition he also worked in the front office of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.  For his bio from the UNCW website please click here.

Among the things we discuss are…

• The real story of how he got Player of the Year over Michael Jordan.
• What Dean Smith taught him about how to be a basketball coach at The University of North Carolina: “When that ball gets inside on the block- that’s where all coaching ends and recruiting begins.”- Dean Smith
• Trials of young coaches and how he almost was forced out after 3 years
• What he wishes he had done differently in his career

• Preseason:
  • The new focus of his preseason training using retired Special Forces for team building, leadership development, and work ethic

• In-season:
  • Feels he might have practiced too long in the past.
• Practice Structure
  • Warmup drills
  • Defensive Breakdown Drills
  • Full Team Defense
  • Break
  • Offense

• “Explode Drill”: 1 on 1 “If you cannot guard the ball one on one, then it’s hard to be a good, solid team defender.”
• “Closeout Drill: 3 on 3 every day
• “Shell Drill”: Almost every day
• Why competitive drills are important -keeps their mind fresh

• Offseason:
  • NCAA rules changes
  • Individualized plans to work on weaknesses
• Recruiting
  • Recruiting Tips for Players
    • Don’t wait until your senior year!  Contact the college coaches as soon as possible so they can evaluate you.
  • Recruiting differences as a coach
    • Football vs. Non-football schools
    • Recruiting tie-breakers
      • Transcripts- who will be the best student
      • Proximity to university
      • Leadership qualities

• Family-life balance
  • You need a special wife!
  • Office bag did not come in the house
  • People see you on the sideline but don’t realize that’s probably only 10% of what you do
• Pros and Cons of the NBA
• Tips for Young Coaches
  • Must network- even as an assistant trying to get a head job
  • Go to a camp, practice, introduce yourself
• What he learned from Tennessee Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summitt
  • “When are you meeting with your players individually?”

Hal Wilson

After coaching and working with basketball teams at the college and high school level in a variety of roles for 18 years, I have returned to finish my Ph.D. in Kinesiology.  This www.CoachingBasketballWisely.com website is a way to share the coaching tips, strategies, and techniques gathered in a career in coaching.  See more info on me here.

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Our Coaching Basketball Wisely podcasts are way to help basketball coaches of all experience levels learn how to coach basketball, and how to coach basketball better, faster!  Whether you are a youth basketball coach, a middle school basketball coach, a high school basketball coach, a college basketball coach, or a professional basketball coach we all need to keep learning!  If there are particular basketball coaching tips or topics that you would like to see covered in future episodes please let us know!