Nation’s Top Coaches Visit New England
Springfield Central High School was the setting as over 100 local coaches listened to the likes of Kansas head coach Bill Self, Indiana head coach Tom Crean, and former New Jersey Nets head coach Lawrence Frank.
The clinic also featured a local flair as UMass head coach Derek Kellogg kicked things off in the morning followed by new Boston College head coach Steve Donahue. Former Boston Celtics head coach John Carrolll concluded the morning session while former Boston University head coach Dennis Wolff opened the afternoon.
Kellogg opened with an explanation and demonstration of UMass' "Daily 45" drills that serve as not just their daily warmup but also as the basis of their style of play. Donahue detailed his offensive style next and went on to break down the fundamentals of the dribble hand-off while showing the break down drills that his team uses to teach their man to man offense.
Carroll spoke about the importance of having a coaching philosophy and teaching your team how to work against defensive pressure on a daily basis before finishing up with a series of special plays to score against zone defenses. Wolff offered supplemental instruction against the zone, both in half-court sets as well as out-of-bounds, while also detailing the press offenses that proved succesful for him at Boston University.
The event was sponsored by Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services and included an adidas coaching packet and complimentary lunch for all participating coaches.