Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden once said, “People say Morgan Wootten is the best high school basketball coach in the country. I disagree. I know of no finer coach at any level—high school, college, or pro.”
Morgan Wootten has retired from coaching, but his knowledge of the game remains unsurpassed and keen as ever. Coaching Basketball Successfully contains a wealth of Wootten’s timeless wisdom. And, in this third edition, Wootten adds even more value—the coaching experiences, methods, and tactics of his son Joe, a successful high school coach himself.
Loaded with insights, instruction, drills, and Xs and Os, Coaching Basketball Successfully is the best single resource on making the most of your program, team, and players each season.
Part I Coaching Foundation
Chapter 1 Developing a Basketball Coaching Philosophy
Chapter 2 Communicating Your Approach
Chapter 3 Motivating Players
Chapter 4 Running a Basketball Program
Part II Coaching Plan
Chapter 5 Season Planning
Chapter 6 Practice Planning
Part III Coaching Offense
Chapter 7 Teaching Offensive Positions and Sets
Chapter 8 Teaching Offensive Skills
Chapter 9 Developing a Quick-Scoring Approach
Chapter 10 Man-to-Man Offense
Chapter 11 Zone Offense
Chapter 12 Clock and InBounds Situations
Part IV Coaching Defense
Chapter 13 Teaching Defensive Positions and Sets
Chapter 14 Teaching Defensive Skills
Chapter 15 Team Defense
Chapter 16 Full-Court Team Defense
Part V Coaching Games
Chapter 17 Preparing for Games
Chapter 18 Handling Game Situations
Part VI Coaching Evaluation
Chapter 19 Evaluating Players
Chapter 20 Evaluating Your Program
Morgan Wootten compiled a remarkable 1,274-192 (.869) record in his 46-year career at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Under Wootten’s helm, DeMatha won legendary national championships in 1962, 1965, 1968, and 1984. In 1984, USA Today named Wootten the National Coach of the Year. His teams recorded 44 consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins and won 33 Catholic League championships. Most impressive, DeMatha has finished the season ranked number 1 in the Washington, DC, area 20 times in the last 33 years.
Wootten first put DeMatha on the national map of high school basketball in 1965 when his team broke the 71-game winning streak of Lew Alcindor’s club at Power Memorial Academy (New York). More than 160 of Wootten's former players have played college basketball, and a dozen have played in the NBA. Wootten was inducted into the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. He retired in November 2002.
Wootten is regarded as one of the best teachers in the history of the game. Coaches throughout the world have read his books, watched his videos and DVDs, and sat rapt through his clinics for many years. He and his wife, Kathy, reside in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Joe Wootten played for and was an assistant coach for his dad and is now an accomplished high school coach in his own right. Upon his arrival at Bishop O’Connell High School (Arlington, Virginia) in 1999, he turned the program around from a 6-game winner the year before his arrival to an average of 23 wins per season as head coach. He also serves as athletic director of the school. Joe has led O'Connell to 5 Virginia State Independent titles, 3 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) regular season titles, 3 Alhambra Catholic Invitational titles, and 1 WCAC tournament title. He was selected as the Arlington County Coach of the Year three times, WCAC Coach of the Year once, and Virginia State Independent Coach of the Year four times. Well known for developing his assistant coaches, he has had one college head coach, four Division I assistant coaches, and 6 head high school coaches work with him before advancing in their careers. 32 of his O’Connell players have earned college basketball scholarships. Joe resides in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife, Terri Lynn, and their three children, Alexa, Reese, and Jackson.