Ask a College Basketball Coach

[Casper05]

I have coached basketball for 6 years, and am currently an assistant coach at a Division 1 University in Texas.

Ask away.

[Riverman]

How stupid are the players?

[Indiana]

How much does playing basketball take away from an athlete's college education? Why is it so rare to see a college bball player who has a serious major like engineering, math, etc etc.....It seems to me that most athletes have watered-down majors and/or degrees because they don't have time for the serious ones.

P.S. I was a teaching assistant in college to the following athletes: Tori Holt, Ron Dayne, other various small timers that played 1-2 seasons professionally in bball/fball.

Indy

[Casper05]

[ QUOTE ]
How stupid are the players?

[/ QUOTE ]None of them are really that stupid, although some do lack common sense. Remember, they all have to qualify via grades to play Div 1.

[Casper05]

[ QUOTE ]
How much does playing basketball take away from an athlete's college education?

[/ QUOTE ]no more than a part time job does [ QUOTE ]
Why is it so rare to see a college bball player who has a serious major like engineering, math, etc etc.....It seems to me that most athletes have watered-down majors and/or degrees because they don't have time for the serious ones.

[/ QUOTE ]Its not because they don't have time. Most athletes know athletics more than they know math/science/etc, so it is natural for them to become teachers/coaches. There are some, however, that choose the easiest major just so they can pass.

At the place that I am coaching now, we hae 1 enginering major, 5 business, 3 communication, and 6 kinesiology.

[El Diablo]

Casper,

Were you a player at this school? If not, what level did you play at? What is your coaching experience prior to being a D1 asst? How long 'til you have a $4m/yr contract?

[Casper05]

[ QUOTE ]
Were you a player at this school? If not, what level did you play at?

[/ QUOTE ] I did not play college basketball. I had three Div 1 offer and a host of Div 2 offers, but I decided I didn't want to play anymore.[ QUOTE ]
What is your coaching experience prior to being a D1 asst?

[/ QUOTE ]One of my high school coaches knew an asst at the college that I decided to attend, so he got me set up to be a manager there. I did that for 2 years, and then took a private school coaching job while I was still in college. I was the junior high girls coach for 2 years (3rd in state, 12th at the national tournament) before I got moved up to the varsity boys (winless the year before I took over, went 12-21 my first year and 21-11 my second year).[ QUOTE ]
How long 'til you have a $4m/yr contract?

[/ QUOTE ] I have no desire to coach in the pro's, so never. My goal is to be a Div 1 head coach within 20 years.

[El Diablo]

Casper,

Yeah, only $3.5M for now!

[Casper05]

Im gonna be rich!

[gusmahler]

Coaches aren't allowed to actually coach the players until Midnight Madness, right?

It's also true that your players have been in the gym every week since the season finished in March, right?

So what do you do from March until October? How do the players know what to work on?