Advertise on podcast: Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast

We are fortunate to have Alex Sarama join us for this episode.  Sarama is head coach of the Portland Fire and a frequent guest to this podcast. In this episode, Sarama discuss his first season as a WNBA head coach and how he applied CLA concepts at the professional level. The discussion explores practice design, conceptual offense, Shapes, Pistol action, and creating an environment where players can adapt to defensive coverages rather than simply execute plays. ——— “We never want to be on offense in a shape we haven’t practiced. ... It allows you to have such clarity offensively and defensively when you view the game through this lens." ——— Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We are fortunate to have Peter Lonergan join the show. Lonergan is the General Manager of Performance Pathways for Basketball Australia. In this episode, Lonergan shares how coaches can develop a clear coaching philosophy and translate those beliefs into how they teach and play. He challenges coaches to simplify their messaging, avoid becoming overly rigid, and balance player freedom with enough structure to provide clarity. Lonergan also shares thoughts on practice design, small-sided games, teaching the “why,” and why coaches can often solve tactical problems by returning to fundamental skills and principles. ——— Lonergan: “Make sure that you're servicing the players, (and) you're not servicing your practice plan.” ——— Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We are fortunate to have both Liam Jefferson and George Vaz as guests for this episode. The former London Lions coaches explore how coaches can prepare their players to attack different defensive coverages using progressive, game-like techniques. The conversation focuses on pick-and-roll coverage solutions starting from 1v1 all the way through 5v5. The coaches also share practical tips on sequencing the defense, film sessions, dynamic drill starts, and the importance of building trust with players. ——— Vaz: “Go in with a really open mind... watch what's happening to really manipulate to create the affordances you want.” Jefferson: “They need to see it and feel it and understand it ... and make a few mistakes before you can even start to talk about coverage solutions.” ——— Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We are fortunate to have Eagle (Idaho) High School basketball coach Nate Hartman back for this episode. The discussion centers on how Hartman is building a modern, pace-driven version of the Princeton Offense in his new coaching job. The hybrid system still leans on core spacing and cutting principles, but also incorporates modern concepts and actions to put pressure on the defense early in a possession. Hartman On simplifying decision-making: "I'm really trying to give our guys three quick reads ... to get a score out of the first 12 seconds of the shot clock." Some key ideas in this episode include … Debunking the idea that the Princeton Offense is slowTeaching limited transition reads for quick decisionsBuilding the offense around personnelLayering installation for deeper understandingMethods for delivering media to playersIdentifying Gold, Silver, Bronze shot spectrumCutting conceptsPractice breakdownDealing with mistakes: “Right idea, smarter execution”-- Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠⁠.

Caden Hoffman joins the podcast to break down the evolution of conceptual and layered offense, with a focus on creating advantages, manipulating defensive decisions and using the entire floor. The former Division 1 assistant coach also shares practical ideas for building possessions, teaching players to make decisions,and helping coaches simplify layered offense at any level. “When the play breaks down ... they’re just going to resort back to whatever you’ve trained in practice.” 5 coaching concepts covered in this episode: Building offense around player strengthsLayering simple actions to create advantagesUsing triggers to read defensive coveragesCourt geography and moving the low manTeaching players to make the next read-- Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠.

We welcome back Drew Dunlop to the podcast. Drew is a skill development coach and co-founder of The Pro Lane in Wisconsin. In this episode, Drew shares how a coaching clinic in Southern California sparked the idea for his new book, Slices of the Game, and the conversation digs into the practical side of ecological design. In this episode, coaches will learn: The REPS framework — how to evaluate any drill by asking whether it's Representative of real game conditions, invites Emergent problem solving, demands Perceptual awareness, and allows Self-organizationHow to reframe "what drill should I run?" into "what problem do I want my players to solve today?"What decision density means and how to layer more decision-making opportunities into drills you're already usingThe difference between a drill that looks game-like and one that actually feels like the game — and the specific elements that close that gapHow to use coverage solutions from your own league to design more relevant practice scenariosHow to rep emotion and pressure in development settings without crowd noise gimmicksThe most common mistake coaches make when first applying CLA principles — and how to avoid itWhy the design chain from film breakdown to floor work matters for transfer to gamesThe episode closes with a look at Drew's new role with Slapping Glass and their Practice Lab — a video library of quick, actionable ideas coaches can plug directly into their systems. -- Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠.

Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter for some great resources, including some video breakdowns from Coach Wesley Brooks. -- We are fortunate to have Wesley Brooks on this episode. Brooks is entering his third year as the head coach at Utah State University. Prior to that, Brooks worked as an assistant coach that included stops at North Texas, Utah, Michigan, and Ohio State. He was also a grad assistant for John Beilein at West Virginia. "If you have good spacing, you can manipulate any defense." Discussion topics in this episode Why the low man is often the most important defender on the floor.Using spacing to eliminate tags and create offensive advantages.Coach Brooks' framework of Single, Double, Triple, Quad, and Zero spacing concepts.Reverse-engineering offense: teaching players how to play after the play instead of relying on set plays.The importance of floor geography, interior spots, and clear offensive language.How Utah State teaches players to attack help through concepts rather than memorization.Using 0.5 basketball.Integrating concepts through shooting drills and small-sided games.Offensive triggers from interior touches, including X-cuts, post splits, Laker cuts, and Punch actions.Practice design, film study, and the six performance metrics Brooks tracks every day.

Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter -- We are fortunate to have Frank Woodford on this episode. Woodford is the head men’s basketball coach at Benedictine University Mesa and was the recipient of the 2026 Don Meyer Coach of the Year award. In his sixth season as head coach, the Redhawks finished 28-7 and advanced to the Final 4 of the NAIA National Championship Tournament. Discussion topics in this episode Approach to analyticsGaining and maintain the advantageEnsuring smooth transition during action in a possessionRunning two different offensesPrioritizing field goals over turnoversShooting and defending 3-point shotsThe importance of rolesDefensive reboundingDefending the paintTrusting players to perform

Subscribe to the 🔗 Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter -- We are fortunate to have Alex Pribble on this episode.  Pribble just finished his third year as head coach at the University of Idaho. This season, he led the Vandals to a 21-15 record, a Big Sky Tournament Championship, and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 36 years. Discussion topics in this episode The progression of building a programImproving defensive rebounding“Build it, don’t buy it” approachOffensive strategy and adaptationShot selection and Transition OffenseBuilding mental & physical toughness

Subscribe to the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter. __ We are fortunate to have James Anderson back for this episode.  Anderson is the head boys basketball coach at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene. He also just became a state championship coach after his Timberwolves defeated Owyhee of Meridian in the 6A state championship game earlier this month. Topics this episode include: Culture building & community impactRebounding from a tough lossPlaying with a team of seniorsScheduling strategyConceptual defenseScouting preparationConceptual offenseLessons from a championship season

We are fortunate to have Dave Lepisto returning to the podcast for this episode. Lepisto is the head girls coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin where he lead the Papermakers to the 2025 Division 1 State Championship. If you are like me, you’ve benefitted from one of the many resources Lepisto has shared over the years. Whether it’s teaching movement to youth players or borrowing actions and terminology for my conceptual offense, Dave has been a valued resource for me. Topics in this episode include: Balancing Success and Future Growth: Lepisto reflects on moving past Kimberly’s state championship to set new goals and maintain focus, discussing how success can distract teams from continued improvement. Constraint-Led Coaching Philosophy: Lepisto explains how he integrates performance, environmental, and task constraints throughout the season—starting with principles of play and adjusting based on opponents to promote adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving. Player Empowerment and Decision-Making: The episode explores how Lepisto creates an environment of trust and clarity where players make real-time decisions, learn from mistakes, and feel ownership over their development. Spatial Awareness and Teaching Through Chaos: Lepisto emphasizes the role of spatial understanding, controlled constraints, and game-like chaos in building resilient, adaptable players who can perform under pressure. Developing Youth Through Constraints: Lepisto shares how constraint-based methods and spatial teaching start in youth programs, progressing from simple games (like 3-on-3) to complex team play, ensuring decision-making develops alongside skill.

🏀📥 Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- We are fortunate to have Eric Fawcett on this edition of the podcast. Fawcett is an assistant coach for the Edmonton Stingers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. He is also a consultant for Division 1 basketball programs in the United States and pro teams around the world. In addition, you can find his writing and breakdowns at different sites, including Slappin’ Glass. --- EPISODE BREAKDOWN 1:55 - Working as a basketball coach in Edmonton 3:20 - Practical use of analytics in determining team strategy 8:20 - Approaches for coaches without an analytics department 12:20 - Balance between personnel, opponents and familiarity of actions 20:55 - Creating strategies based off your season goals 23:00 - How analytic efficiencies find their way into team strategy 28:00 - Effective ways for coaches to convey efficiency to players 31:20 - Scaling a playbook to be effective while not overloading players 35:45 - Tips for watching film while game planning for an opponent 39:40 - Offensive trends for the upcoming season

🏀📥 Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- We are fortunate to have Colby Blaine back for this episode. Blaine is the head men’s coach at the College of Idaho. He collected his second National Championship this past season with the Yotes.  The title — College of Idaho’s second in the last 3 seasons — capped a 35-2 record that included a 25-game winning streak to end the campaign. --- EPISODE BREAKDOWN 1:20 - Sustaining success at UofI  3:20 - Keys to connection in a program 4:50 - Overcoming challenges  during a title run 6:30 - Strengths of 2-3 vs. other defenses 8:00 - Getting players to think conceptually on defense  9:30 - Placing players in a zone defense 11:30 - How defense factors into playing time 12:20 - Toughness & Communication in a zone 14:40 - Matching up against different formations 16:15 - Mixing zone with man defense 17:10 - Basic principles of the match-up zone 19:05 - More advanced concepts 20:00 - Handling cutters 21:00 - Skip Passes 21:25 - Flare Screens 22:30 - On-Ball Screens 24:40 - Allowing players to make decisions 25:15 - Harder to Guard: Post or Perimeter 26:36 - 1v1 at the high post 28:40 - Rebounding out of the zone 30:25 - Onboarding new players into the system 31:50 - Zone defense resources for coaches

🏀📥 Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠⁠⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- We are fortunate to have George Vaz on this episode.  Vaz is a basketball coach based in Brazil. He’s also coached in Portugal and the England. If his voice sounds familiar, it’s because Vaz is the current host of the Transforming Basketball podcast. He is also a clinician for Transforming Basketball. --- EPISODE BREAKDOWN 1:20 - What are Principles of Play (POP)? 4:05 - How is the POP presented to players? 6:05 - Identifying micro principles in your POP 8:35 - Building a POP based on Personnel 10:40 - How constraints tie into POP 11:45 - The role of Intent in building Small-Sided Games 15:40 - Keeping the focus the focus in SSGs 17:25 - What to do when things go wrong with a constraint 20:30 - Common constraints that don’t typically have an impact 23:25 - Building SSGs that fit your team’s needs 27:05  - Timeline for adoption in nonlinear learning 32:05 - Narrowing down the focus during practice

Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- We are fortunate to have Boise State basketball legend Roberto Bergersen on this podcast.  Bergersen is an assistant coach at BSU, where he starred for the Broncos from 1996-99. After a 11-year professional career, which included a D-League Championship with the Idaho Stampede, he was a co-founder of an extremely successful AAU program in Boise and was head coach at a prep school in Missouri.  Before joining the Boise State staff, he started his college coaching career at Eastern Washington University.