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Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

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Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)
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  • Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

    Ep 2892 How Did Cori Close Build a Championship Culture at UCLA?

    06/04/2026 | 9 mins.
    https://teachhoops.com/⁠

    Cori Close’s UCLA rebuild is a blueprint for any coach trying to modernize a program with tradition: build a culture that scales, develop talent on purpose, and train the mental game like it’s part of practice.

    Why this matters: UCLA just won the 2026 NCAA women’s national championship with a dominant 79–51 win over South Carolina.

    1) Culture: “Broom + Shovel” leadership
    Close uses a broom and shovel as daily reminders: serve first (broom) and dig below the surface (shovel).
    For high school coaches: your culture is built in the small things—how you treat managers, how you handle mistakes, how you model service.

    2) Talent + Development: recruit it, then accelerate it
    UCLA added elite talent like Lauren Betts and built a roster that could dominate physically.
    But the key development lesson: when Close brought in a top freshman class, those freshmen averaged 19.0 minutes per game—a deliberate investment in growth.

    3) Mental performance: the “Mind Gym” isn’t optional
    UCLA built a daily mental routine—highlight clips, mindset work, and reset habits—to help players stay present and return to neutral after mistakes.
    If the mental side is “most of the game,” it has to be trained—consistently.


    April 4, 2015: UCLA won the program’s first WNIT title under Close.


    March 25, 2018: UCLA reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1999.


    April 5, 2026: UCLA won its first NCAA-era national title.


    Start practice with “What went well” (train attention, not just correction)


    Install a reset cue (“Next” / “Neutral” + breath + physical action)


    Assign daily servant leadership habits to captains (“broom work”)


    Give young players real reps—short, role-based minutes that build the future

    The 3 Strategic PillarsKey Milestones (the long game)What High School Coaches Can Steal This Week⁠The Wall Street JournalUCLA Wins Its First NCAA Title in Women's BasketballToday⁠⁠theguardian.comNCAA women's national championship: South Carolina 51-79 UCLA - as it happened!Today
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  • Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

    Ep 2891 What Can the Women’s Final Four Teach Us About Sportsmanship?

    05/04/2026 | 9 mins.
    https://teachhoops.com/

    The Women’s Final Four is the biggest stage in the sport—and it reminds every coach of a hard truth: losing hurts, even for Hall-of-Famers. This episode uses the postgame moment after UConn’s loss as a real-time teaching tool on sportsmanship, accountability, and culture.

    What This Episode Covers


    Why the hardest part of coaching isn’t drawing up plays—it’s handling emotions when seasons end


    The difference between disappointment and disrespect


    How a coach’s behavior after a loss becomes a lesson for every player watching


    Why a quick apology can matter as much as any win (ownership is leadership)


    The “5 minutes after a loss” plan every head coach should have


    The “24-hour rule” for teams: no excuses, no blaming, just breathe—then learn


    Practical language you can use with captains and your locker room to protect your program’s standard

    Coaching Takeaways


    Build a postgame routine you never break: handshake line, eyes up, represent the program


    Teach the standard: “You can hurt, but you can still have class.”


    If you’re wrong, own it fast—your players need to see adults model accountability


    The next day matters: tip your hat, then fix what you can control

    For culture templates, leadership tools, postseason prep, and done-for-you coaching resources: TeachHoops.com
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  • Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

    Ep 2890 Is Your Offseason Actually Building a Better Team?

    04/04/2026 | 9 mins.
    https://teachhoops.com/

    The season ends and everything gets quiet. No film at midnight. No buses. No game prep. And that quiet can either be the start of your best offseason… or the beginning of drift.

    In this episode, we’re talking about what winning coaches do the moment the season ends: they run a season autopsy, they build an offseason plan that isn’t random, and they set standards that don’t fade when nobody is watching. Because the truth is simple—most teams don’t lose next year because they didn’t care. They lose because they waited too long to get intentional.

    This is a practical, coach-to-coach blueprint you can start this week. It’s built around three lanes—Skill, Strength, Identity—and a standard that actually sticks.


    Why the “quiet season” is where next season is really won


    The 3-question season autopsy that creates clarity fast


    How to run a staff meeting that separates facts from feelings


    The exit meeting questions that turn “I’ll work hard” into real commitments


    Why each player only needs two skills to focus on (one strength, one weakness)


    A simple strength plan that builds durable athletes (without overdoing it)


    How to pick ONE team identity and train it until it becomes who you are


    The standards that travel into close games: show up, be on time, be coachable, bring energy, finish

    1) Review (Truth, not emotion)
    What did we do well?
    What got exposed against good teams?
    What did we rely on too much?

    2) Plan (Three lanes)
    Skill: Two skills per player (one strength, one weakness)
    Strength: 2–3 consistent sessions per week
    Identity: Pick ONE thing you hang your hat on and train it year-round

    3) Standard (Non-negotiables)
    Show up. Be on time. Be coachable. Bring energy. Finish.
    Because habits don’t magically appear in February—they’re built in April, May, and June.


    Schedule player exit meetings and require a measurable commitment


    Write your team identity in ONE sentence


    Build a two-skill plan for every player


    Choose one weekly theme for open gyms (finishing, decision-making, spacing, ball pressure, etc.)


    Send one clear message to your players: what we’re building + what this week looks like + how we’ll measure it


    If our best option gets taken away next year, what’s our answer?


    What’s the one thing we want to be known for?


    Are we training that identity… or just talking about it?


    Do our players have a plan—or just “good intentions”?


    Are our standards clear enough that a new player could repeat them back to us?


    Want an offseason plan that’s simple and consistent


    Feel like their team works hard but doesn’t always improve the right way


    Need structure for exit meetings, player development, and offseason expectations


    Want next season to start now—not “when summer hits”

    If you want the templates for player exit meetings, offseason plans, practice structures, and the step-by-step tools that take the guesswork out of all this, go to TeachHoops.com

    What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeThe Framework (Simple + Repeatable)Action Steps You Can Use This WeekCoach Questions to Ask YourselfPerfect For Coaches Who…Resources + Next Step
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  • Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

    Ep 2889 Interview Coach Simms

    03/04/2026 | 27 mins.
    https://teachhoops.com/
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  • Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

    Ep 2888 Teachhoops.com Member Call

    02/04/2026 | 37 mins.
    https://teachhoops.com/
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About Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

This Podcast will discuss basketball coaching with Coach Steve Collins. Coach Collins will do this with interviews and on topic discussions. (Discussion will revolve around basketball topics such as: Offense, Defense, Motivation, Team Building, Youth Basketball, High School Basketball, college basketball and much more...) We will publish weekly shows at 6:00 am..... Please check out our site if you like our podcast. www.teachhoops.com.
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