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12-27-2007, 02:05 PM
Coaching -- a family affair
By Obrey Brown, Sports Editor
Highland Community News
Ducey has taken over as University of Redlands' basketball coach after 15 years of coaching men's and women's tennis, plus the school's women's basketball team. When Gary Smith called an end to a 35-year career last summer, Ducey, who was his assistant for a time in the 1990s, seemed to be the natural successor.
In 1983, Ducey served as an assistant coach at a perennial losing team at Pomona-Pitzer College.
The head coach was Gregg Popovich.
That's the same guy who's heading the NBA's top franchise in San Antonio these days. On Sept. 14, 2006, Ducey left on sabbatical -- for the Spurs.
Popovich, who had become a disciple of NBA coaching icon Larry Brown in the early 1980s, eventually cleared his own path into the NBA. When Ducey called to request a chance to observe the Spurs behind the scenes, the invitation was granted.
“Pop treated me,” said Ducey, “way better than I deserved. I saw the whole operation, practices, training, everything. It's kind of neat to show up there on the first day and be given an electronic key to the building.”
There were no surprises, said Ducey.
“Pop has stated publicly that he coaches the same (in San Antonio) as he did at Pomona College -- same stuff.”
Ducey's sabbatical lasted through Thanksgiving of 2006. Ducey, who stopped at Texas A&M, a couple NCAA Division II teams, plus Wisconsin, wound up back at San Antonio after the Spurs completed a pre-season trip to France. Ducey also tapped into another coaching source, former Cal Lutheran coach Mike Dunlap, the top Denver Nuggets' assistant to George Karl.
Ducey has constructed a 65-page coaching manual, keeping copious notes and details “that I may or may not publish. It's what I do. This is a tool. I don't have to think about it. The manual's a simple, exciting method of basketball from all avenues -- offense, defense, pressures, everything.”
His travels to everywhere, including San Antonio, produced only confirmation, “that what I was doing,” said Ducey, “how I was coaching and teaching the game was the way to approach it.”
He learned nothing new about coaching from Popovich, Dunlap or anyone in between. “They're much more advanced on their pick-and-rolls,” said Ducey. “There are six different ways they guard a pick-and-roll. Everyone (in the NBA) runs it."
Coaching's the same, he says. Ducey coaches in a “very humanistic way. I have hopes to be competitive. Right now, I have more confidence in how to teach.”
(start and end of the article at:http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2007/12/27/sports/04coaching.txt)
By Obrey Brown, Sports Editor
Highland Community News
Ducey has taken over as University of Redlands' basketball coach after 15 years of coaching men's and women's tennis, plus the school's women's basketball team. When Gary Smith called an end to a 35-year career last summer, Ducey, who was his assistant for a time in the 1990s, seemed to be the natural successor.
In 1983, Ducey served as an assistant coach at a perennial losing team at Pomona-Pitzer College.
The head coach was Gregg Popovich.
That's the same guy who's heading the NBA's top franchise in San Antonio these days. On Sept. 14, 2006, Ducey left on sabbatical -- for the Spurs.
Popovich, who had become a disciple of NBA coaching icon Larry Brown in the early 1980s, eventually cleared his own path into the NBA. When Ducey called to request a chance to observe the Spurs behind the scenes, the invitation was granted.
“Pop treated me,” said Ducey, “way better than I deserved. I saw the whole operation, practices, training, everything. It's kind of neat to show up there on the first day and be given an electronic key to the building.”
There were no surprises, said Ducey.
“Pop has stated publicly that he coaches the same (in San Antonio) as he did at Pomona College -- same stuff.”
Ducey's sabbatical lasted through Thanksgiving of 2006. Ducey, who stopped at Texas A&M, a couple NCAA Division II teams, plus Wisconsin, wound up back at San Antonio after the Spurs completed a pre-season trip to France. Ducey also tapped into another coaching source, former Cal Lutheran coach Mike Dunlap, the top Denver Nuggets' assistant to George Karl.
Ducey has constructed a 65-page coaching manual, keeping copious notes and details “that I may or may not publish. It's what I do. This is a tool. I don't have to think about it. The manual's a simple, exciting method of basketball from all avenues -- offense, defense, pressures, everything.”
His travels to everywhere, including San Antonio, produced only confirmation, “that what I was doing,” said Ducey, “how I was coaching and teaching the game was the way to approach it.”
He learned nothing new about coaching from Popovich, Dunlap or anyone in between. “They're much more advanced on their pick-and-rolls,” said Ducey. “There are six different ways they guard a pick-and-roll. Everyone (in the NBA) runs it."
Coaching's the same, he says. Ducey coaches in a “very humanistic way. I have hopes to be competitive. Right now, I have more confidence in how to teach.”
(start and end of the article at:http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2007/12/27/sports/04coaching.txt)