As we get ready for a new basketball season it is a great time to restart our blogs and we will begin with a look at the assistant coach.  Every head coach wants an assistant that they can rely on and that will help lighten their load. Every person who wants to break into coaching is looking for that opportunity to work with someone and learn the ropes and get the foot in the door to what they hope will lead to opportunities to coach their own teams in the future.  What are the key traits and duties that an assistant coach needs to have/perform to bring value to a basketball team and the head coach. What duties/responsibilities does the head coach need to entrust to their assistants to help them grow and enjoy their role. Let's take a good look at both sides of the equation and start to build an understanding of what the job should look like. 

We should start by looking at what the person entering the role of assistant should understand and bring to the table in order to be effective in their role:

1. Be Loyal - you owe a debt to the head coach that has brought you on board.  Whether you agree with every decision that they make or how they act as a coach it is your responsibility to champion them to all you talk to.  You can express different points of view or question decisions when you meet away from the public and team, but everywhere else you need to toe the company line. People and even players may try to engage you in negative discussions, especially if they have an axe to grind over playing time etc., but you need to be able to support the head coach in every situation.  If you find it impossible to support a coaches decisions it is better to step aside then to be present and unsupportive.  This is why it is important to make sure that in accepting an assistant position you have an understanding of the head coach you will be working with, their philosophies and behaviors. Do not say yes just because you can work with a talented or prestigious team, make sure it also a situation and coaching philosophy you support.
2. Be a relationship builder -  the assistant coach is in a unique position in that they are by design the "good cop" in this dynamic.  They are not the ones who have to make decisions about playing time, discipline or roles. Because they are free of these constraints they are in a position to be seen by the players as a confidant, someone who can hear their concerns and help them.  The best assistant coaches understand the privilege of this freedom and use it to build positive relationships with the athletes and help the head coach understand the "temperature" of the team and where some time or understanding may need to be spent to smooth over issues or situations.  They are also able to help athletes or parents understand why certain decisions have been made and why it is in the best interest of everyone to allow the situation to play out, or what an athlete will have to accomplish to change the head coaches mind or change the player's role. Those who do not understand the first point (be loyal) start to believe that they have these relationships because they somehow understand the athletes better then the head coach or are better judges of talent then the head coach and that if they were in control they would make different decisions and the affected athletes would be happier. This lack of loyalty often has disastrous effects as the head coach is undermined, the players are more unhappy and the assistant is poorly positioned to make things better. 
3. Communicate clearly with the head coach - always be talking to and making time to meet with the head coach. Take notes about what you like, do not like and need to better understand. Use the meetings to help keep the head coach updated on what is happening with the team, how they feel and what you see, as well as ask questions that help you better understand the direction and decision making of the coach.  All of this helps you grow and build the skills and understanding you will need to be a head coach some day. You cannot be afraid to question things if you do not understand or agree with them. Coaches can often fall in the trap of doing things because that is the way they have seen them done, and when someone asks the dreaded "why?" question it can cause them to rethink what they do and either provide a valid justification or make a positive change that pushes the program forward.  None of this comes around if the assistant is hesitant to talk or communicate with the head coach either because they feel intimidated by the coaches pedigree, or they fear consequences.  Be the one who starts the conversations at times and keep the lines open and well used. The best way I have heard this phrased is to be a professional suggester.
4. Take initiative - be proactive in the practice environment. The head coach cannot be everywhere and cannot think of everything. Try to have a solid grasp of what the head coach wants taught so that you can step in on drills and give valuable feedback. If people are off track or not not using time efficiently be willing to step in and get everything back on track. Head coaches value assistants who can operate with minimal supervision and broaden the depth of the teaching that is taking place. Use your voice and help support the players and head coach in practice. This also helps you develop your teaching skills and the ability to identify areas that need work, which again builds your head coaching tool kit for the future. If you have some uncertainty about what is happening take a quick second to buzz over to the head coach and mention the problem and what they want to see, then head back and make the correction, but also file it away so that in the future you do not need to ask, you know what needs to happen.   
5. Model effective behaviors - the greatest teacher that we have is modeling. Verbal feedback is important, but how you do things and the decisions that you make will have a way greater impact then words.  That is why it is important that when you are in front of the athletes you act in a positive manner. If you model solid behaviors like emotional control, discipline, sacrifice and stay in your lane as an assistant, the players will be more likely to value these traits as well. If they see you being consistently loyal to the head coach then they will be more likely to be loyal. If they see you taking positive initiative they will be more likely to take initiative. If they see you being a positive communicator they will be more likely to communicate. Think of how you would like your athletes to behave in every situation and then you yourself behave in that manner. This will help the athletes make better decisions. If you have ascended up the ladder of sport by behaving in this manner, then you become a role model to them and what you do and how you do it becomes what the athletes aspire to. It is important to use this to help them understand how to be their best selves.

If we have a solid grasp of what the assistant should be doing and working on then we can move to what the head coach should be trying to do with their assistants to help them grow and prosper.  The head coach should be tasking their assistants with the following jobs and opportunities to assist with their growth:

1. Work in tandem or have a field of responsibility -  If you have just one assistant it is best to work in tandem with them.  If the drill has an offensive focus then the head coach will work on the offensive decisions and actions.  The assistant should be in charge of watching the defense and making sure they are executing in a manner consistent with what the head coach wants done. In this manner you are able to work both sides of the ball and get more teaching and learning for the players. This also allows your assistant to have responsibility and learn how to take charge of a situation.  If you are in a position to have more then one assistant you may give them areas of responsibility. They are responsible for overseeing, offense, defense or special teams (BLOBS and SLOBS). Again the goal of any head coach for their assistants is to help them grow into talented head coaches on their own. They cannot accomplish this if they are not teaching in practice or learning the critical skills of analyzation. Football is excellent at delegating authority around the coaching staff, do not be afraid of delegating in basketball, your assistants will be forever grateful.
2. Bench roles - When it comes time for games make sure that your assistants have been given roles.  Some head coaches want to concentrate solely on game action and play calls and task their assistants with handling subs, whether on an agreed upon schedule or by feel but with certain combinations for end of game situations. Other head coaches take control of all elements of game management but use their assistants to communicate with the athletes before they enter the game and after they come out to collect or disseminate information that might be valuable when the athlete is on the floor or for the coaching staff later in the game. You want the assistant to feel valuable and to learn about team management in a game atmosphere.  If they merely sit on the bench and watch they can feel superfluous or disconnected.  Make sure they have jobs to do and are learning skills for their future.
3. Charting - learning how to critically evaluate situations and athletes is important for every coach. This is a learned skill. Getting your assistants to keep charts whether in practice or in games is valuable in helping them to learn how to see the game critically and understand the types of things they should be looking for.  Whether they are charting effort (steals, blocks, deflections, charges) and learning how to to see the impact of players away from just the typical counting stats (scoring, rebounding, assists), or charting offensive plays or movements so they learn to see how the opponent is scoring and imagine ways to stop them. This can also be as simple as keeping track of time outs and fouls.  It is always good to know when an opponent has exhausted their time outs so you can spring a surprise on defense or offense that they cannot counteract from the bench, or ensuring that a key player is not on the floor to pick up an untimely foul. All these roles bring valuable information to the head coach and teach valuable skills to the assistant. The most important part of this is making sure all the information gathered in the charting is used so that the assistant sees the value in what they are doing and feels connected to the team's success.
4. Evaluation - one of the greatest values in an assistant coach when used properly is that they can allow a head coach to step back and see a bigger picture and evaluate their processes and the team's talent. Allowing your assistants the opportunities to run certain drills, practices or even coach games (depending on your level), allows you to remove yourself from the equation and see how your athletes operate independently. Simultaneously, you are allowing your assistant to grow and stretch their coaching muscles and learn how to be in charge. Every member of your program should be working to improve their station.  Players are working to get to the next level or work up the depth chart.  Assistants are working to be head coaches, and managers are working to grow into assistants. The best programs are constantly fostering this growth and doing so by stepping back to evaluate and see what is going on and giving people chances to grow and show their development.  The biggest mistake a coach can make is thinking they need to control every aspect of every thing that happens.   

These are the key things that assistants need to bring and opportunities that head coaches need to provide. If you are a head coach evaluating your relationships with your assistants or an assistant evaluating your situation, the following three questions can help you understand if you are fostering the growth of your assistants or if you are in a role where your growth is being considered. Constantly keep these three questions in mind:

1. Do you find time to meet with and have conversations with your assistants? or Does the head coach consistently make time to meet with and have conversations with you?
2. Do you give your assistants input into the program and honor that input when it comes time for planning or making changes? or Does the head coach allow you to have meaningful input in planning stages or around big decisions? 
3. What are you doing to help your assistants move forward? or What is the head coach doing to help you move forward in your coaching career?