INTERVIEW WITH JIM BOONE

In May I had the opportunity to speak with Jim Boone over the phone for over an hour and half. I will always be thankful for his generosity. You can find more about Coach Boone at coachjimboone.com Here are the questions and his answers:

1. How does your organization communicate the “core values”?
I think you do it in every way possible. When we meet with them we are constantly grinding them in. Trust. Faith. Commitment. Our first championship we let our kids design the rings and they chose Trust. Faith. Commitment. In our locker room we don’t put up a lot of signs, but they see our core values on defense and offense. It’s the fabric of who we are. The first step is who we recruit, go after those kids that are “have to guys.” They have to win, they have to win in the classroom, they have to win in the weight room. This is what we look for first and foremost. We get guys that are ready to buy in. We don’t need to sell much because we are established. Every single thing you do must communicate your core values. Every decision we make is based on defense. We put all of our best players on defense.

2. How do you determine the DNA makeup of your recruits?
How do players handle themselves with teammates, is he trying to do everything that the coach is wants him to do. Get on the floor for loose balls. We try and talk to people in the school. Whenever we rushed the process we have failed on the kid. Interacting with the kids, visiting with the recruit and watching how he interacts with those that are around him are essential in recruiting.

3. How do you help incoming players understand your core values?
We run a mini camp with the veterans being counselors. 3 or 4 day process the main point is getting them to understand who we are and what we are about. I meet with them 2 or 3 weeks in the semester by having them over for dinner. Go over the expectations and ask questions regarding what they are going through. If your not home sick you are not normal. Let’s work through being home sick together.

4. What are the biggest challenges you face as a head coach?
Wearing so many hats as a head coach. The biggest challenge you have as a head coach is making the decision with who your staff is going to be and who your players are going to be. When you inherit a program you make a mistake when you go in with guns blazing and stating that it is my way or the highway. Don’t want to run off a good kid that could be a good one to coach. Spend time to get to know the kids before you make a decision. Identifying the recruits. As an assistant I always knew who we needed because of my small picture thinking. Making the right choices about who is going to be apart of our organization.

5. When faced with two equally-qualified candidates, how do you determine whom to hire?
Chemistry is so essential. Basketball is not an equal opportunity team its that blend that makes a successful team so goes for coaching staff. I have only one full time assistant does a great job. Had some reservations about hiring him because he was just like me. He convinced me that he would be able to be different than me. Can’t allow your assistant coaches to get you fired.
They must be great teachers with tremendous integrity. I want guys that are here for the long term.

6. What is one mistake you witness coaches making more frequently?
Going for the short term fix as apposed to the big picture and having a long term vision and sticking to it. Making decisions based on money. Thinking the grass is greener. Make your job the best there is. Staying true to your values and not bending when things get tough. Stay with what you know is right.

7. What is your teaching approach in regards to the pack line?
We start off each year by walking through it with the whole method. From there we teach the breakdown drills then we build.

5 Daily Maintaince objectives
1. Conversion Defense
2. Post Defense how we defend the post dictates everything else we do.
3. Pressure the ball
4. Help and recover
5. Blocking out

Conversion Defense
5-3 gets back. Don’t want players to have to think about what they are. Get back guys are the ones that get back. If shooting they want them to stay with the shot until it goes through. If you are not the shooter your getting back. We tell our players and discipline them if they are not sprinting back. Get back guys runs to the rim and then goes to the lane line that the ball is on.

We try and convert in everything we do!
3on3 get back drill
1. 3 defenders across foul line 3 offense players on the baseline. 3 defensive players are sprinting back to get to paint and then spraying out

Post Defense
We are going to play on top when the ball is on top. Our butt is to the ball as the ball is being advanced to the wing. Post is going to stay high. Wing defenders low foot must be closer to baseline than the offensive player’s low foot. If ball is entered in the post on the flight of the ball we get behind. He must go through us or over us no angles in the post. We pop back and gap the player. Shade the baseline shoulder. Be a brick wall.

Pressure the Ball
We want to be with in a finger touch of the ball. Get in his grill. We find out who can and who can not.

Helping
Near arm and near leg. Stop the ball with near arm and and near leg. Don’t lunge at the ball. If you take a step to help it makes a longer recovery. Do not go blind with your help. The ball can not split us.