WINNING THE RIGHT WAY

These notes are from Coach Theresa Grentz at the Assistant Coaches Symposium in Chicago, IL on April 30th, 2011. Coach Grentz from Glenolden, Pennsylvania, is the former head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Illinois, Rutgers University and St. Josephs. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Her career record is 671-309 and she served as a head coach for 32 years, with the last 13 as the Illinois head coach. SShe is 10th all time in women's NCAA basketball coaching victories and only had two losing seasons in her 32 years of coaching basketball.


I. Getting to know your anchors
a. Exercising your anchors
b. The ability to influence others.

II. Building a Character Base
“The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and influence their actions. A chip on the shoulder is too heavy a piece of baggage to carry through life.” –John Hancock

III. Making a Strategic Plam
“Leadership development is a lifetime journey, not a brief trip.”

IV. Implementing the Plan

V. Assessment of the Plan
a. improvements
“ Unless you try to do something beyond wha tyou’ve already mastered you will never grow.”
– John C. Maxwell

“Elbow to Eyebrow”
“Leaders are made.”
“It’s not OK to play hard and lose.”
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do.”
“You are useful but not necessary.”
“Take the players beyond where they can get themselves”
“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has not vision.” –Helen Keller

Book--> How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie & Etiquette by Emily Post

Used to tell her players that a “high C is a fruit drink”, bring me no hooks (no C’s)

What she wanted from her team

1) Responsible
2) Students
3) Courteous (prompt and on time)
4) Trustworthy

She organized her bookshelves into 4 types

1) Military
2) Prayer
3) Psychological
4) Basketball

Know your anchors Who are you? What do you know?

She wanted to be one of the most respected coaches in the women’s game.

Character It builds your reputation.

Players need 1) work ethic 2) sense of humor 3) quest of knowledge

What you need to win a championship? 

1) have to be able to take criticism
2) have to learn to be a leader
3) loyalty
4) have to have the will to win

3 reasons that drive us to do something
1) money
2) strong leadership
3) cause

She always got the band involved wherever she was because they are such a large group that can have an impact on a game or program. Have a party for them, etc.

When parents called and she was tired of listening, she would say “It’s gonna sounds like im hanging up but you can keep talking.