From the Bench to the Big Chair: The Lessons I Learned Becoming a Head Coach

Before I ever stepped into the role of a head coach, I had to master the art of being an assistant.

Most young coaches want to jump straight into the spotlight. They think the job is about proving you're in control, making sure your voice is the loudest, your decisions the final ones. But leadership in this game isn’t about barking orders. It’s about building trust, managing energy, and knowing when not to speak just as much as when you do.

As an assistant, I learned that my words had to carry weight. I wasn’t the main voice in the locker room, so I learned to choose my moments. Most of my impact came in the shadows, pulling a player aside, locking in with position groups, or talking one-on-one with someone whose minutes just got cut. Those moments mattered. I learned that your job as an assistant isn’t to prove how much you know; it’s to use what you know to help the team succeed.

Sometimes, that means helping a player understand how to earn their way back into the rotation. Other times, it’s about helping them evolve their game, adding tools that not only look good in isolation, but fit the system. Every assistant coach has to become a servant to the bigger picture. That’s the only way your voice gets real respect.

As a head coach, I still carried that mindset. I never wanted to create a staff where everyone’s afraid to speak up. My coaches have free reign to coach. If they see something, they can go. I don’t need to play ego games to feel like I’m in control. The team knows who the head coach is. But a great leader builds a culture where good ideas win, no matter who speaks them.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned? Get your fire out in practice. That’s where you push them, that’s where you demand perfection, that’s where you test their toughness. So when the lights come on and the stands are full, you stay calm. Because they’re watching you. In chaos, they find your eyes. And what they see in you... calm, belief, poise... becomes what they reflect back.

I don’t just believe in the system. I believe in them. Because we’ve trained for that moment. All those situations in practice, those last-second shots, those scrimmages with punishment on the line, that extra conditioning for the losing squad, it wasn’t just about fitness. It was about replicating pressure. Raising the stakes. Making every possession matter. Just like it will in a championship game.

Some players respond well to high intensity. Others don’t. But one thing always holds true: if you stay steady, you become the rock. You give the team a foundation they can fall back on no matter what’s happening on the scoreboard.

Whether you're an assistant or the head coach, your mission is the same: build belief. Serve the team. Teach through the struggle. And when they give you their best? Shower them with love. Let them know that greatness isn't just expected, it’s appreciated.

That’s how you win.

On the court. And beyond it.