Coaching 101- The Value of Another Set of Eyes

I don’t watch the Pat McAfee Show on a daily basis, but they have some great guests, who often turn the show into a coaching clinic. Today was one of those days when they got into a discussion about the Green Bay Packers having recently fired New York Jet’s coach, Robert Saleh come to help them. The discussion on the show was how pro teams use someone like Coach Saleh, who is there in an exact capacity as an observer, advance scout, analyst, and consultant to the head coach. 

Former Colts coach, Chuck Pagano implied that the pros do this more than you would ever realize. They want “another set of eyes,” and they want a “different set of eyes” looking at their team. 

In this case, Saleh is being brought in to help the offense, even though his area of expertise has been the defense. Pagano explained they will use him to analyze and explain the intricacies of the opposing defenses. Most importantly after he studies an opponents defense, he will share if he were running that defense what concerns he would have if he used that to stop the Packers. Where would he be concerned if the Packers were attacking? “If I were playing this defense, this is what would hurt us.” 

In HS basketball is more and more common to get volunteer coaches. Most often they are brought into help run the practices. Another voice is being brought in to increase the intensity level. Another set of eyes is brought in to watch for slippage in practices. And another coach is there to do skill work within practice and after practices. 

As a coach adds more actual coaches to their staff, organization is obviously a key. When Mike Reynolds was at Galesburg, I thought staff organization was one of his many strengths. His assistants were all engaged and most engaged in different jobs in practice and outside of practice. He did an incredible job of utilizing people’s strengths and of making them feel valued. 

The case of Coach Saleh is not quite the same as bringing on another assistant. Maybe it is splitting hairs but it is really bringing in a consultant or an advisory to the head coach. I think that HS coaches should look to do more of this kind of thing. 

In the late ‘90’s, Rock Island was usually our biggest rival. If we wanted to win conference or if we wanted to go to State, the road went thru Rock Island. In those days, it was all about VHS tapes. We would send someone to tape as many games as possible. Gordy Kasper, was an assistant coach in the boys program, and he was substitute teaching. In an unusual situation, he was hired as a long term sub in a room that was shared with our assistant coach, Steve Peachey. During that 2-3 week period, we set up Gordy to watch RI tape every day. He watched so much of Rocky’s game tapes that he became our “Rocky whisperer.” While he came to our home games, he never attended practice. His extras eyes and extra analysis became invaluable. 

This past season, I got ahold of Bob Anderson. Bob had just retired from coaching, but still had the bug. He watched our Galesburg games, and “scouted” us. We would talk probably 3-4 times per week from 20 to 60 minutes each time. His feedback on our team was great. You sometimes need a thick skin when you have someone scout your own team. If they ask why one player is playing instead of another, or point out how slow your offense seems to be in a certain game- it is not what you want to hear, but is what you need to hear. 

In 1996 and 1997 when we went to State, we were very prepared for the Elite 8 games. We networked, talked to other coaches, and got our VHS tapes to watch. We arrived at State knowing our opponent. I felt those years when we won, we were not so prepared for the semi-final contest. To correct this, I ask Mike Cooper, coach at Ottawa, if he would be our scout. So at State when it was tough for me as the head coach to also scout the other teams, Cooper did this for us. 

It involved me sharing our plan for the Elite 8 game so he could watch and analyze us. I shared what we knew about the two possible semi-final opponents and possible championship teams. After we won the quarter-final, there was Coach Cooper at our hotel with a scouting report all written out. I picked him because I knew his knowledge and prep with his own team was off the charts. His info for our semi-final game was on spot, and we won a tough game. 

A classic example of the value of another set of eyes was that after we had won the semi-final and he came with scout report the State Championship, he pointed out that in the semi-final game that we had a foul to give in the last second but let the other teams best shooter take a potential game winner. Assistant Coach Jaskoski and I looked at each other, and realized we almost had blown that.

When Rod Leatherman got out of coaching, I had an email exchange with him. I really respected him as a coach and I wanted his perspective on my team. In the email exchange he gave me the following thought- “You are easier to prepare for now than your were several years ago. You used to press mm, zone, and half-court trap, now you mainly play mm half-court defense. There used to be a real stress going in, and now there is not.” On point great advice from another set of eyes. 

Obviously you have to have confidence in your own approach but it is great to get another set of eyes and another perspective to look at your team. I would highly recommend it to HS coaches.