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What Makes a Good Assistant Coach?
By Coach Randy Brown

In this ever-pressurized game of basketball, a head coaches choice of assistant coaches is an important one. Good coaching staffs produce good results. A sold, committed coaching staff can develop a lesser talented team into a champion. As a head coach it is crucial that you have a criteria available when selecting assistant coaches.

The following is a list of attributes that your assistant coaches should possess:

1. Loyal and honest.

2. Willingness to listen, observe, and admit mistakes.

3. Open minded and eager to learn from others.

4. Knows the basketball program from A to Z.

5. Is preventative and anticipates problems before they occur.

6. Understand that no job is too small. Is a jack-of-all-trades from coaching to driving the bus.

7. Compliments the personality and strengths of the head coach.

8. Relentless work ethic and desire to help the program succeed.

9. Goal driven and works to constantly to learn and improve.

10. Loves coaching for the right reasons; help grow and develop each player.

Good assistant coaches are an asset to the head coach and the overall program. In programs that are able to hire just one assistant, choosing the right assistant is very important. Some assistant coaches desire to be head coaches. Encourage your assistants to prepare for that big step while being the best assistant they can be.

To develop good assistants, the head coach must be willing to delegate and allow others to be responsible. During practice, a staff of 2-3 can cover practice much more effectively than just one. Position work, offense, defense, shooting, rebounding, and transition are all specialty areas that assistants can handle. If they are not ready, use practice opportunities to help them develop skills and confidence.

Use this list to evaluate your assistants on an ongoing basis. Provide them with accountability and they will grow and develop as coaches. Remember, the better your assistants become, the more you can focus on important areas of the program that need your attention.