Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.
As a former college basketball coach, March Madness is my favorite “holiday” (insert eye roll from my wife).
I love the intrigue, excitement, and storylines. My wife always shakes her head when I plop down on the couch for days at a time.
There are really three kinds of basketball teams when March rolls around…
Adrian Griffin was hired as the head basketball coach of the Milwaukee Bucks just two years after the Greek Freek (Giannis Antetokounmpo) led the team to an NBA World Championship.
His path to becoming the head coach was less conventional than we’ve come to expect, but there are some lessons from Adrian’s story that we can learn from.
Today’s guest on “The Coachable Coach” series is Missy Bilderback, the highly successful women’s basketball coach at Jones College in Mississippi.
“The Coachable Coach” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network goes beyond the X’s and O’s as Jamy Bechler talks with coaches who value growth, improvement, and leadership – not just with their athletes but for themselves, as well. They believe that a strong culture doesn’t just happen by accident.
Good coaches may know the X’s and O’s, the tactics, and strategies that should lead to winning BUT great coaches know their athletes. Great coaches go beyond the X’s and O’s. Great coaches know how to inspire their athletes to do their best and maximize their chances for success.
Missy Bilderback and her Jones College team ended the last season 20-1 and were ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA Division I regular-season poll.
No junior college program in Mississippi has been able to develop and produce four-year talent like Bilderback and the Bobcats. Thirty-three players have moved on to four-year programs, including 28 of those to Division I schools.
Bilderback has led Jones to an outstanding 147-21 (.875) overall record in her six seasons. She has earned NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year five different times.
Follow Coach Bilderback on Twitter @MissyBilderback or visit the Jones College website at JCBobcats.com
Jake Kelfer is the 2x bestselling author of Elevate Beyond and Elevate Your Network, as well as a motivational speaker and the founder of Professional Basketball Combine. His first book Elevate Beyond, released in 2016, originally began as a series of blog posts for his friends and is a real-world guide to standing out in the job market and discovering your passion. Elevate Your Network, his follow-up book which was released in 2018, is all about how to build extraordinary relationships in life and business. His company, Professional Basketball Combine, provides NBA draft prospects an opportunity to raise their draft stock and achieve their dream of playing pro basketball through private workouts, combine testing and team interviews.
Click here to read more about Jake Kelfer.
Fred VanVleet got paid. I mean HE GOT PAID!
FVV’s contract of 4-years $85 million might not be the largest contract in NBA history but it is the largest contract ever for an undrafted free agent.
Bet on yourself. That has been Fred’s mantra – his philosophy – for a long time.
In fact, he even has his own Bet on Yourself apparel line.
Paul Biancardi is ESPN’s national recruiting director for boys high school basketball. Prior to joining ESPN, he was a long-time college basketball coach culminating with Horizon League Coach of the Year honors when he was at Wright State University.
Click here for Coach Biancardi’s complete bio
Robyn Fralick was named the head women’s basketball coach at NCAA Division I Bowling Green State University in spring of 2018. Fralick was the architect of the two greatest offensive seasons in NCAA Division II women’s basketball history when she was at Ashland University. She was at Ashland for a total of 10 years. The last three years, she was Ashland’s head coach and had a record of 104-3, for an incredible winning percentage of .972. The Eagles won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2016-17 before returning to the national championship game and earning a runner-up finish in ’17-18. She earned national coach of the year honors twice while at Ashland University.
Click here for Coach Fralick’s complete bio
Nobody has won more World Series of Poker championships than Phil Hellmuth Jr. He won his 15th WSOP Bracelet in the summer of 2018, which puts him far ahead of Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson (who all have 10 bracelets). Hellmuth also holds the record for most cash finishes and most final table appearances at the World Series of Poker. In 1989, the 24-year old Hellmuth became the youngest person ever to win the WSOP Main Event when he defeated legendary Johnny Chan. “The Poker” Brat as he is known for his colorful and competitive personality, was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007. He has also written a New York Times best-seller (“Play Poker Like the Pros”), as well as his autobiography (“Poker Brat”). Hellmuth also is very active in raising funds for charities. He has raised more than $50 million in his lifetime for charitable causes and organizations.
Greg Tonagel is the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana Wesleyan University. Tonagel and the Wildcats have won three NAIA Division II National Championships in a five year spans with titles in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Since Tonagel took over the program in 2005, he has become the winningest coach in program history both in total wins and winning percentage. Prior to coming to IWU, Tonagel served as Director of Basketball Operations at Valparaiso University, where he also played for legendary Homer Drew and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments as the starting point guard. He also led his LaPorte High School team to the last single class state finals in 1997. Much of the unprecedented success of the Wildcats can be attributed to the culture Tonagel built at IWU. The IWU culture is built around two Biblically transforming principles; I am Third and Fearless. This has helped the influence of IWU basketball to extend far beyond the court. Tonagel and his staff have been committed to using basketball as a platform for discipleship.
Chris Oliver is the founder of Basketballimmersion.com and is one of the most respected basketball coaches and clinicians in North America. He regularly speaks at top coaching conferences and clinics, including CoachingU in Las Vegas. Chris is also currently the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Windsor, a position he has held since 2005. He is a 3x recipient of the Ontario University Athletic Conference’s Coach of the Year award. Chris graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University, a Bachelor of Education degree from Brock University, and a Master’s in Physical Education and Coaching Studies from the University of Victoria. Oliver is also an NCCP Level Four coach.
