Kay Yow left a legacy! The legendary women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State won 737 games, coached North Carolina State to four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships, 20 appearances in the NCAA tournament and one Final Four in 1998…
John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches of all time. Nicknamed “The Wizard of Westwood”, his UCLA teams won ten national championships in a twelve year span, including seven in a row. Wooden was named National Coach of the Year six times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, the first person to ever have this distinction.
Conference tournaments have concluded and the teams are set for this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. As March Madness begins, I’m reminded of how often games are decided by the ability to execute the fundamentals of the game. Making clutch free throws, getting the ball inbounds against a pressing defense and boxing out for a rebound can mean the difference in winning and losing.
Have you ever had a time in your coaching career when you began to think too highly of yourself? Maybe you won the “big game” against your bitter rival or completed an undefeated season. Maybe you received that coveted “Coach of the Year” award given by the local media. It’s so easy to fall in love with ourselves and our accomplishments. Usually, something or someone brings us back to earth from our prideful journey.
