As we are selecting our coach, it thought it might be interesting to look at the Conference's greatest coaches since 1950, and their backgrounds prior to being named a PCC head coach.
John Wooden Wooden was a three-time consensus All-American, and played professionally for several years after graduating. He then coached in high school for 11 years, building a record of 218-42. From there, he went to Indiana State, where he coached two years, winning two conference championships. He then was named coach at UCLA, where he did not win his first PCC championship until he was in his 8th year at UCLA. He would not win another until Pete Newell had retired.
Lute Olson Lute spent 14 years coaching high school, followed by 4 years coaching at Long Beach CC. He then went to Long Beach State, a school that had been placed on probation due to Coach Jerry Tarkanian's recruiting violations. Lute took the recruits left by Tarkanian and in one year led his team to a #3 national ranking. Long Beach was unable to play in the post season, due to being on probation. Olson then moved to Iowa as head coach for 10 years, reaching one Final Four and one Sweet 16, prior to being named head coach at Arizona.
Pete Newell was not much of a basketball player. He fouled out of many games, and rarely scored points. He came out of the Navy after the war, and landed the head coaching job at a small school, USF. Three years later he would take USF to a national championship. He went to Michigan State, where he had little success, and his highest finish was 3rd in the Big 10, before he was named head coach at Cal.
Slats Gill Gill was an All-American forward from Oregon State. He spent one season coaching high school, and two seasons coaching the Oregon State Frosh, before he was named head coach at OSU.
Ralph Miller In Kansas, Miller was a great high school and college athlete in several sports. He coached high school for one year, but was dissatisfied, and left the profession to serve in the Air Force, and later was a playground director and had a business hauling fruit. Eight years after leaving coaching, a friend offered him a head coaching job at a high school in Wichita. In three years, Miller's teams finished 2nd, 3rd, and 1st in the state of Kansas. He was appointed head coach at the University of Wichita where he coached for 14 years, and had 3 NIT appearances and one NCAA appearance. Miller then took the job at Iowa, where he coached 7 years. In 1970, his Iowa team was undefeated in the Big 10, and made an NCAA appearance. He was then named head coach at Oregon State.
Mike Montgomery apparently not a remarkable player, Montgomery became an assistant at Boise State for 4 years. He then was named head coach at Montana, where he coached for 8 years, where his best finish was a tie for the conference title one season. He had one NIT appearance, before being named head coach at Stanford.
In terms of their backgrounds is there anything these men have in common? Wooden and Olson spent many years coaching in high school. Olson spent time at the JC level. Both coached at major colleges before they received a PCC head coach offer. Miller spent a few years coaching high school and a long time at Wichita and then a major school, Iowa, before he landed a PCC head coach offer. So the long road taken by each of these men seems to be one way to get there. Pay some serious dues.
Montgomery paid some dues as an assistant in a minor program and a head coach in a minor college program. He did not appear to have much to recommend him at the time, in terms of record.
Slats Gill was an All-American, and coached a year in high school and two years as an assistant at OSU before he got the job. His local star power as an athlete probably helped secure him the offer from OSU, as he had paid little in the way of dues.
Pete Newell was given his first job at USF by a friend, as is sometimes the case in your first coaching position, but this turned out to be a plum, a head coach at a small school who would go on to win a national title under Newell, and a few years later, two national titles under Phil Woolpert, Newell's backcourt teammate at Loyola. The NIT title made Newell's reputation. Even the losing years at Michigan State did not keep him from landing the Cal head coaching job.
So one lesson might to be pay attention to the good coaches with good track records and many years of head coaching experience at different levels, but don't overlook the Montgomery's and the Newell's of the world, just because one hasn't coached in a major program, or just because one hasn't had success in their current job.
And as much as I would like not to believe it, I guess you can't overlook the All-American player who looks like he might have some aptitude for coaching, such as Wooden or Gill.
John Wooden Wooden was a three-time consensus All-American, and played professionally for several years after graduating. He then coached in high school for 11 years, building a record of 218-42. From there, he went to Indiana State, where he coached two years, winning two conference championships. He then was named coach at UCLA, where he did not win his first PCC championship until he was in his 8th year at UCLA. He would not win another until Pete Newell had retired.
Lute Olson Lute spent 14 years coaching high school, followed by 4 years coaching at Long Beach CC. He then went to Long Beach State, a school that had been placed on probation due to Coach Jerry Tarkanian's recruiting violations. Lute took the recruits left by Tarkanian and in one year led his team to a #3 national ranking. Long Beach was unable to play in the post season, due to being on probation. Olson then moved to Iowa as head coach for 10 years, reaching one Final Four and one Sweet 16, prior to being named head coach at Arizona.
Pete Newell was not much of a basketball player. He fouled out of many games, and rarely scored points. He came out of the Navy after the war, and landed the head coaching job at a small school, USF. Three years later he would take USF to a national championship. He went to Michigan State, where he had little success, and his highest finish was 3rd in the Big 10, before he was named head coach at Cal.
Slats Gill Gill was an All-American forward from Oregon State. He spent one season coaching high school, and two seasons coaching the Oregon State Frosh, before he was named head coach at OSU.
Ralph Miller In Kansas, Miller was a great high school and college athlete in several sports. He coached high school for one year, but was dissatisfied, and left the profession to serve in the Air Force, and later was a playground director and had a business hauling fruit. Eight years after leaving coaching, a friend offered him a head coaching job at a high school in Wichita. In three years, Miller's teams finished 2nd, 3rd, and 1st in the state of Kansas. He was appointed head coach at the University of Wichita where he coached for 14 years, and had 3 NIT appearances and one NCAA appearance. Miller then took the job at Iowa, where he coached 7 years. In 1970, his Iowa team was undefeated in the Big 10, and made an NCAA appearance. He was then named head coach at Oregon State.
Mike Montgomery apparently not a remarkable player, Montgomery became an assistant at Boise State for 4 years. He then was named head coach at Montana, where he coached for 8 years, where his best finish was a tie for the conference title one season. He had one NIT appearance, before being named head coach at Stanford.
In terms of their backgrounds is there anything these men have in common? Wooden and Olson spent many years coaching in high school. Olson spent time at the JC level. Both coached at major colleges before they received a PCC head coach offer. Miller spent a few years coaching high school and a long time at Wichita and then a major school, Iowa, before he landed a PCC head coach offer. So the long road taken by each of these men seems to be one way to get there. Pay some serious dues.
Montgomery paid some dues as an assistant in a minor program and a head coach in a minor college program. He did not appear to have much to recommend him at the time, in terms of record.
Slats Gill was an All-American, and coached a year in high school and two years as an assistant at OSU before he got the job. His local star power as an athlete probably helped secure him the offer from OSU, as he had paid little in the way of dues.
Pete Newell was given his first job at USF by a friend, as is sometimes the case in your first coaching position, but this turned out to be a plum, a head coach at a small school who would go on to win a national title under Newell, and a few years later, two national titles under Phil Woolpert, Newell's backcourt teammate at Loyola. The NIT title made Newell's reputation. Even the losing years at Michigan State did not keep him from landing the Cal head coaching job.
So one lesson might to be pay attention to the good coaches with good track records and many years of head coaching experience at different levels, but don't overlook the Montgomery's and the Newell's of the world, just because one hasn't coached in a major program, or just because one hasn't had success in their current job.
And as much as I would like not to believe it, I guess you can't overlook the All-American player who looks like he might have some aptitude for coaching, such as Wooden or Gill.