Attributes For Coaches

For me #1 for a HC is having a vision for the team. I tend to like defense and rebounding because it travels well. But what the vision is matters less than having one. Fast break offense, emphasis on 3-pt shooting, pressing D, zone D, suffocating man to man — doesn’t matter just have a vision. #2 is ability to put together a good staff who also subscribe to and can help make the vision a reality. To me everything flows from those two things.

For the other things, I don’t have a preference for who has the attributes just that combined each attribute is shared by 2 or 3 on staff. Not every coach is going to have all things. And those are in order of importance recruiting, player development, and game planning. If you can recognize and recruit talent that fits your system and then develop that talent to contribute within that system you’re three quarters of the way home. Having that vision or system also helps with recruiting. Everyone wants 5* players but not all schools can get them. But if you can identify players with the skills and attributes to excel in the system and coach them up, you can still succeed with 3* and 4* recruits. Final piece is game planning — scouting opponents and figuring out how to not allow them to do what they want while still playing to your strengths.
Certainly wouldn’t mind the ability to make in game adjustments, but if you know your opponent well enough to game plan for them, that should be a by-product.