Tall Enough to Coach
“For all serious daring starts from within.”
Eudora Welty, One Writer’s Beginnings
Jeannine McHaney was the women’s athletic Director at Texas Tech in 1982, the year she hired me, a twenty-nine-year-old rookie, as the university’s head coach for women’s basketball. Jeannine had as much vision and saw the big picture as well as anyone I have ever been associated with. Therefore, it was no surprise that first fall when she asked me to list my long-term goals for Lady Raider Basketball and, more importantly, the steps required to get there. I did that, and then she and I, with my new assistant coach, Linden Weese, sat down and discussed each goal in detail. These included, in no particular order, the following list: graduating players, winning a conference title, consistently appearing in the top-twenty nationally-ranked teams, selling out the Lubbock Coliseum, and winning a national championship.
I remember the three of us talking very seriously about all of those challenges and what it would take to overcome them. We talked at length about budget, recruitment, support staff, facilities, fan support, and other ingredients that we thought would be necessary steps toward our goals. We also talked about the fact that this would be a very long process and that many of the steps would have to be taken one at a time. Still, we had a plan.
I was obviously extremely excited about my new position and about the vision I had for the future of women’s basketball at Texas Tech. My first impulse was to talk about it with people—people in the athletic department, community people, friends, family, and anyone else who would listen. I remember getting my feelings hurt on many occasions when people would laugh when I told them our plan, or even worse, when I felt like they were patronizing me. When I look back on it now, I guess the reality that we were playing in front of about 200 people a game and had not come even close to winning a conference championship, much less being in the top twenty, made our goals sound a little out of reach. However, after having been through the process, I have some sense of what had to happen to make these seemingly impossible dreams a reality.
First of all, at the beginning of any great endeavor, it is important to realize the difference between long-term and short-term success. There is a huge difference in building a great program and having a great year. I know lots of coaches and people in other professions who want instant success that would lead them to something else. Many of these have been impatient dreamers and would compromise basic principles to achieve short-lived greatness. You know these kinds of folks, I’m sure—those who one day are an amazing success and the next day are nowhere to be found. I am a believer that there are very rarely any shortcuts to lasting success.
The same is true in a variety of situations in everyday life. Relationships, for instance, take renewed commitment every day; they should never be taken for granted. If a person wants to become financially secure through investments, one must have a long-term vision that gradually achieves monetary security. The axiom, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is” resonates throughout all of human experience. The dreams we dare to dream take constant commitment, focus, and resolve—every day—from the locker room, to the boardroom, to the family room. Only then will the success we seek be lasting.
There are a number of points for a leader to consider at the beginning of every successful project. First of all, it is important to set goals. What is it that you really want to accomplish? What would be the best outcome of all if you could create it? Again, it is almost impossible to be successful if you do not have a plan. Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking too small or, at the other end of the spectrum, are unrealistic about the future. For instance, at some point, it must become apparent that every female basketball player will not be the next Sheryl Swoopes. I do believe, however, that most people do not have enough confidence to pursue their ultimate dreams. Don’t let that happen to you. Dream big from the beginning. Once you have decided on your ultimate goal, make sure you are in the right setting to achieve it. You need to be a “good fit” for your surroundings. For instance, as I said earlier, I am a West Texas person. Texas Tech and the city of Lubbock, Texas, are a good fit for me. I know every back road and every small town throughout most of the state of Texas, but particularly above the Caprock. That has been a major factor in my ability to relate to a large number of our recruits who grew up in towns much like Tulia, Texas (pop. 5148), my hometown. These are small communities with one bricked main street where all the kids hang out, and there is not much else to do but go to the gym and play ball. I understand that culture. It has been a huge part of the success we have enjoyed at Texas Tech. In 1993, when we won the National Championship, all but one of our players were from the state of Texas, and they came from towns such as Nazareth (pop. 356), Brownfield (pop. 9218), Spearman (pop. 2937), and Loraine (pop. 660). You get the picture.
No matter what career path you follow, once you find the situation you are looking for, make sure that as soon as possible you surround yourself with the people, the staff, and the elements you believe will be important in your quest for success. The people you choose to be on your staff will be one of the most important decisions you will ever make. These people need to be folks who share your vision, who have uncompromising loyalty, and who have a great work ethic. And, it will take people with these traits for you to have a chance to accomplish great things. I have been very, very fortunate in the area of staff. Linden Weese has been with me every year that I have been a head coach at Tech. Due to his incredible loyalty and mutual desire for success, we have forged a proven partnership that is a privilege we enjoy every day. The Lady Raider program could never have achieved what it has without his help, his humor, and his unforgettable presence.
Roger Reding joined our staff in 1990 and has shared the same kind of vision, loyalty, and dedication. He brought many personal gifts to our program which have helped us to win, but one of the most important is his ability to connect us with junior college players. Sheryl Swoopes was the first example, but great players such as Angie Braziel, Aleah Johnson, Connie Robinson, Tabitha Truesdale, and Candi White are examples of the experienced players he has recruited to Tech. He has been a very important piece of the puzzle, and I appreciate the commitment he brings us every day. Lance White joined our staff in 1992 as a student assistant. He called the office one day and asked if he could just hang around and watch how we work. He said he would do anything we needed—wash towels, sweep the floors—anything just to be there. I have probably never been around anyone with as much energy, as good a work ethic, or as many creative ideas as Lance. I could never begin to tell you everything he did for us on a daily basis or how many ways he helped make my job a little more manageable. Every once in a while, you are blessed to be around a person who sees things to do and just does them without anyone asking or even anyone knowing. That is a special talent in itself, and it is wonderful for a program to have someone like that. After eleven years with the Lady Raiders, Lance is now pursuing his own vision as an assistant coach in Florida. I look forward to the special contributions he will make to women’s basketball and will always be thankful for his friendship and assistance.
Krista Kirkland Gerlich joined our staff as an assistant coach in 2003. Her story is told later in the book, but it is especially gratifying to me when someone who has gone through our program, then makes the choice to continue the vision by choosing coaching as a profession. Many of our former players are now coaches themselves, dedicated to visions of their own and making positive differences in the lives of young people. Krista does that on a daily basis for us, and I am blessed to have her on our team again. Obviously, I have been so very fortunate to surround myself with quality people like these who are loyal, who share my vision, and who have the work ethic it takes to be successful. Assembling a staff like this is a critical part of good leadership, good coaching, and central to the success of the Lady Raider program.
Once you’ve surrounded yourself with the right staff, the support of the organization that employs you is integral for long-term success in achieving your vision. There is no question, for instance, that the universities that made a commitment to develop and promote women’s athletics in the early 1970s really separated themselves from the pack and continue to hold an edge today. The administrative support for that vision is crucial on many fronts. First of all, these are the people who control the purse strings—they make decisions on a daily basis about how funds are allocated. In the case of athletics, the administration’s philosophy about supporting broad-based athletic programs will definitely play a major role in a coach’s ability to be successful. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true: they could make decisions to support only a small segment of a department, thereby limiting the success of your program. I have been fortunate to work for numerous administrators at Texas Tech who believed in Title IX and afforded opportunities to women athletes, not only because it was the law, but more importantly, because they believed it was the right thing to do. Believe me, it can make a world of difference.
Secondly, your administration also controls other logistical aspects of the program. Successful athletic programs are heavily dependent on coordinating game schedules, workout sessions, and facility access. For instance, what times during the day will your team be able to work out? I have heard many horror stories from my colleagues who would have to work out at night or maybe at 6:00AM just because their male counterparts wanted to reserve the facility all afternoon—just in case it was needed! Your administrative boss should be your advocate concerning all aspects of your training, recruitment, travel, and equipment. In short, he or she must share your vision and the proof of it is in the way the details are handled.
Third, as a leader, you need administrative support that can connect you with the “movers and shakers” who also support your vision. You know, these are the folks who can make the contributions, fund the scholarships, and fill up the stands for your games. If your relationship with your administration is weak, it is much harder to create these ties with the boosters who can take you to another level. Some of my best moments have been after big wins, when I have been able to share those successes with my bosses and benefactors. Because of my sheer respect for them, I wanted our program’s success to be a satisfying reward for their faith in us.
So, now you’ve pinpointed your vision, assembled a like-minded staff, and garnered the support of your administration. What next? Transfer all of these positives into a day-to-day plan that generates results! It is sometimes a tedious process to set short-term goals in order to execute a plan. There are no short cuts here—this is just plain hard work. It’s getting down in the trenches and getting dirty. Let me give you some coaching examples: putting together workout schedules, getting your staff on the same page with objectives for each practice, executing that practice, evaluating that practice, and starting all over the next day. That may not seem very difficult at first glance, but consider that you must add in the diverse personalities of up to fifteen players, the stress of getting game-ready, trying to cover as many weaknesses as possible, and playing to as many strengths as possible. Add in the fact that on a daily basis you will be dealing with many office distractions which range from recruiting, public relations, media, budgets, travel schedules, camp preparations, and public appearances and you get the picture. All leaders find themselves in this sort of multi-tasking nightmare. Learning to navigate through them is essential to achieving your vision.
Throughout my career with the Lady Raider program, five coping strategies have been invaluable in tackling our day-to-day demands: Delegation, Focus, Consistency, Flexibility, and Non-Negotiables. Whether building a team, running a business, or organizing a family, relying on these five simple tools makes realizing big dreams possible.
DELEGATION
The degree to which I follow the discipline of delegation is one of the crucial keys to the success of our program. These day-to-day tasks must be given to the persons most equipped to complete them, and it is important to add that there is always more than one way to tackle a task. After you delegate a job, then you must trust the staff person to get it done in the way most familiar to him or her. You will have to bite your tongue every once in a while because you might have a different way of handling an assignment, but you will surely build trust and confidence in your staff if you will let them fly.
While the doing of even the most menial task is important, there are some jobs which only the head coach can address. For example, I could come to work every day and stay extremely busy and really accomplish tasks that, in one sense, are very important. I could wash towels, sweep the gym floor, clean the locker room, and stuff recruiting mail. I would have worked hard and, believe me, I am not above doing any one of these tasks. However, I must be efficient at delegating some of these tasks to capable staff members, so that I can tackle other areas such as getting administrative support, connecting with fans, dealing with media or studying film. There is plenty of work to go around, but I was hired to lead—delegation is a must!
FOCUS
Focus is critical to the accomplishment of any goal. As a coach, probably the best example, and the one that is the biggest challenge for me, is to leave everything else in the office when I go to practice. No matter what recruit just told me “no,” no matter what speaking engagement I have later, or what goofy question a media person just asked me, I have to leave it and focus on the day’s task. Isn’t that what I ask of my players? Isn’t that what managers ask of their employees? Give the task at hand your undivided attention; it will be critical to your success. This is a learned skill. It will help you to be able to sit down and take care of pending tasks one at a time in an efficient manner. Otherwise, a disorganized mound of work will overwhelm you. Then frustration sets in, and it is even more difficult to operate. The failure to focus one’s energies has caused many a potential leader to drop out of sight. Don’t let lack of focus be your downfall. Every part of your vision should be analyzed and broken down into a daily plan. Some individuals call these task grids, a term I think is extremely appropriate. The more detailed these plans can be, the more productive a staff will be. It also gives you the opportunity to see if one staff member is overloaded, while another may not be involved enough. You should put a great deal of thought and time into developing this daily agenda. I can tell you that your staff will be much happier if they have clear expectations and a focused plan with which to implement them.
CONSISTENCY
Unfortunately, it will be natural to let little things slip from time to time because of the simple monotony of daily tasks. However, your consistency at staying on task will be a huge factor in your success. Think for a minute about how committed coaches are about repetitions in practice to insure that players are fundamentally sound. The same is true for the daily operation of any program. Inconsistency causes confusion and makes it extremely difficult to have good productivity. Lady Raider players understand that when they show up for practice, they should be consistently ready to work. Likewise, I understand that I must be consistently ready to coach and have ready a workout plan that makes the most of our time together. I am not simply talking about being consistent for a month or a year, but for several decades in order to build a vision that you will really be proud to claim.
FLEXIBILITY
While consistency is crucial, I must at least also say that a certain amount of flexibility is necessary. If there is something in your system that is not working, don’t be afraid to change it. Individuals who are afraid of change will not survive. If there is a more effective way to do business, to coach three-pointers, to communicate, or to provide for your family, you must have enough confidence in yourself to make the change. For example, when I first began coaching I was fairly rigid about adhering to fundamental skills of playing basketball, specifically about various types of defensive and offensive plays. However, when recruits come to the Lady Raider program from other parts of the country, where they have been taught different methods, I’ve learned that sometimes it is better to allow players to play with the skills they know best rather than trying to force a new skill on them that achieves the same result. The old story about the daughter who cooks the roast the same way for years, just like her mother did, illustrates the point. The mother consistently cut the ends off the roast before cooking it, every time without fail; the daughter thought that technique was her mother’s secret to a perfect roast, but when the old matriarch was asked why she did so, she replied, “Well, back in those days, that was the only way the roast would fit in my small pan.” Some of your methods of operation might need examining to see if they are really right for what you are trying to do. Never be afraid to change.
NON-NEGOTIABLES
It is always important at the beginning of any enterprise to determine the values which will not be compromised. I call this drawing a line in the sand or pinpointing the things not up for discussion—in short, the “non-negotiables.” These values are never flexible, are always consistent, and are always necessary in order to navigate through the gray areas of leadership which will inevitably come. That these non-negotiables might be different for you and me is not the point; it is just very important that we are true to ourselves. We are all put in situations where our non-negotiables will be tested. This is back to the “short-cut mentality” of success we mentioned earlier. Flash-in-the-pan success stories always seem to compromise somewhere on values. I know this for a fact: Long-term projects that produce the most satisfying rewards are always built around the philosophy that values are not for sale. Consider which values you will not negotiate and stick with them. You will always be glad you did. Over twenty years of pursuing my vision has taught me volumes about delegation, focus, consistency, flexibility, and values. While I’m sure I’ve made mistakes along the way, I do know this: Any worthwhile vision must begin with what you want to accomplish, not only at the end of the day, but at the end of your career. It encompasses the discipline of setting both long-term and short-term goals, as well as an uncompromising adherence to values you deem important. Then, armed with vision, balanced by values, spurred by your unique talents, and undergirded by faith, you can boldly take the first steps of a fascinating and rewarding journey meant only for you.
Reprinted with permission from Bright Sky Press.
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