Having a plan or coaching philosophy is a necessity for success in athletics today. With the advent of some new features combined with some old favorites in this year’s editions of college basketball games, you can now determine your team’s fate with no one to blame for failure except yourself. It’s easy to sit in the stands and criticize coaching moves; now be prepared to sit on the hot seat yourself! However, having a coaching philosophy and a plan for your team can lead to a Jefferson’s-like life…movin’ on up!

What is a coaching philosophy? In a nutshell, it is a plan for your program/team. It gives you, the players and the entire program direction. It can also determine your success or your failure in coaching. There must be a how and a why for every decision you make regarding your program. This may sound crazy for the virtual world but if you’re like me then you want to be prepared for everything. That’s why I enjoy the depth of features that are included in the dynasty/legacy modes of sports video games. 

With the depth of features mentioned in news/press releases regarding College Hoops 2K8, it may help you to formulate a philosophy and plan for what you would like to accomplish in legacy/career mode. Recruiting, training, practice, administrative duties and games are all included. I think the only thing that may be missing is attending booster functions and making travel plans for away games. The fact that the time you spend in one aspect can negatively affect another area makes it of utmost importance to plan wisely. Keeping those things in mind, let’s look at some questions you can ask yourself in developing your plan. 

Since you are forced to start at a lower level Division I school when you begin your closed coaching career -- at least in College Hoops 2K8 -- we need to decide on a philosophy first. The reason I’m suggesting that is because your philosophy is based largely on how you prefer your team to play. All the good coaches I know base their philosophies on their values. Whatever you value will naturally come out in your coaching style and philosophy because it is what you believe and live daily. A value system will then be ingrained in your players (see Dean Smith and the Carolina Way). Since we are dealing with real players then the next logical place to start would be playing style.

Most coaches examine a team before deciding to take a coaching job. They determine if the players returning can fit their style of play. And if you decide on taking a job at a school that doesn’t have your type of ball players then your program-building can take a much longer time. What is your preferred method of play? Do you like up-tempo play? Do you want to slow it down and grind it out? Are your teams going to play primarily man-to-man defense or zone? These are basic questions to ask yourself before choosing a team. With those answers in place you can then choose a team with players that are more apt to fit your style. As the saying goes, "You can’t fit a round peg into a square hole."

Once you have a basic playing style in mind then you can begin to determine your priorities. Are you going to focus on building the program you’re currently at or are you looking to do a quick turn-around and move to a better job? How much time do you want your team to spend in the weight room? Do you want your players to "eat weights" like a Bob Huggins team or are you in there for general strengthening and maintenance like a Billy Donovan team? Is your playing style guard-oriented or focused on post play? The answers to these questions will help you manage your practice and training time wisely. Discipline should also be considered when thinking about priorities. You must decide if you’re going to run a tight ship or be laid back in most matters -- there is a fine line between them. If you are too strict then you may lose out on players that you would like to have on your team. If you are too loose then you may face infractions and penalties from the NCAA. It is my hope you don’t get caught up in a three-way call scheme (Hello, Kelvin Sampson). 

A third area to examine starts with determining what you want your team to accomplish each season. Are you looking to compete for a conference title or are you hoping for more? Will finishing above .500 be considered a good year, an average year or a sub-par one? Be realistic when looking at this aspect since scheduling may determine a lot. Some years will look like a breeze schedule-wise, and then others may have some Maalox moments. Either way, setting goals for your team will also help you stick to your plans and help you prepare accordingly. 

This article is not a comprehensive list of questions to ask regarding your philosophy and style. It is, however, enough to build a foundation. To succeed you need to truly believe in your style and how you do things. Determine your philosophy and style and stick to it. Recruit those players that fit your value system and playing style. If you do this I’m sure you will find that your legacy/dynasty experiences will be much more rewarding. Nothing like leading a small Division I team to the Final Four…just ask Jim Larranaga.