Spring Break
Coaches Put on a Clininc in Draddy
Ali Libfeld
Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: Sports
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All featured coaches share a special connection to Garfinkel and his Five Star Basketball Camp. The coaches have all gone through the Five Star camp themselves, or have been an instructor; and in some cases both.
Joe Stolzer kicked off the day with his speech on the "The Ten Commandments of Physical Development." Stolzer's Baruch team was on hand all day for the coaches to use at their disposal while demonstrating drills. Coach Stolzer is a mainstay of the Five Star camp and trains numerous athletes throughout the metropolitan area. After Stolzer finished speaking Garfinkel stated "the first guy who speaks is not supposed to hit a home run."
Up next was Billy Donovan. Donovan led his Florida Gators to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. One of only four head coaches to have played and coached in a Final Four, Donovan spoke about coaching the winning mindset. Donovan didn't even glance at a basketball as he read off of his neatly typed notes and shared anecdotes about his team. Referred to as "Two Gun" by Garfinkel, Donovan expressed that he felt the game of basketball was an unselfish game played by selfish people. During his speech he spoke about how to get guys in the right frame of mind to play the game. As a coach he emphasized you must figure out what works best with each player. A good basketball player will sacrifice for the team and understands what a team encompasses. He spoke about Joakim Noah, his star center during both national championships, and how he did that.
Following Donovan was his former coach Rick Pitino. Pitino coached Donovan at Providence and the two reached the Final Four together in 1987. During his presentation he spoke about how to build a player, and also showed the 200 plus coaches on hand some drills to do during practice. He emphasized not to take challenged shots because the percentage made is only 22, drills don't change for small and big guys, and to always end a drill on a made basket. Pitino uttered that he could have the most talented player in the world but if that player does not love the game, it will not work. "I'm looking for guys that love the game" he said.
After everyone broke for lunch, John Calipari was up. Flying in just for the clinic from Memphis, Calipari wasted no time showing his Memphis offense, also known as "Princeton on Steroids." Calipari really made the Baruch players work, teaching them and the coaches his in-depth offense. In the middle of his presentation he paused to tell a story about how much he loved New Yorkers. After losing to Kansas in the national championship game last year, people he encountered across the country congratulated him on a great year. However when he got to New York, the first question he was asked was "Why didn't you call a time out… foul?"
Hall of Famer Hubie Brown was introduced by Garfinkel as "the greatest clinician alive, dead or yet to be born." Brown lectured the crowd for about an hour and half. His most memorable words being the five things he told the coaches in Draddy that he did not want to happen to them from coaching; get an ulcer, slip into a depression that would require medical attention, get a divorce, or use drugs and alcohol.
The last speaker of the day was Bob Hurley Sr. He spoke about how to build a high school program with no money, which is exactly what he did at St. Anthony's High School.
All in all the day was one that will not soon be forgotten by those in attendance. Who would have ever thought it was possible to have so many celebrated coaches under one roof?