#8 Greg McDermott – The Best Advice You Will Ever Hear On Coaching Your Own Child To Achieve The Impossible

Why You Should Listen?

Greg McDermott remembers that long car ride home with his then unhappy and unsure 8th grade son Doug like it was yesterday. Doug was really down. So far down that he wanted to give up the game he loved and become his Dad’s Team Manager. Painful stuff, because as a Father and Son, basketball had been a love they had begun to powerfully share. Now his scrawny, late bloomer was ready to walk away from the court, grab a seat and give up his uniform because he no longer believed in his ability. It’s hard as a parent seeing a child lose faith in themselves, so Greg kept a steady wheel and slowly began to rebuild that faith for the bumpy road ahead. What was said and done that day on that road would lead this Father and Son to write their names down together in the College Basketball Record Books.

His son, Doug, swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards, led the nation in scoring (26.7 ppg.), became the fifth-leading scorer in Division I history (3,150 career points) and went on to become the 11th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The only other father-coach to help turn his son into a first-team All-American was Press Maravich, whose boy was Pistol Pete, and the gifts and curses of that relationship remain legend. So far, the McDermotts have enjoyed mostly gifts.

When fathers coach their sons, the usual narrative sees the son as the undeserving beneficiary – starting and playing point guard when he should be riding the bench. The McDermott’s are different. Coach McDermott has become that rare father who can rate his son perfectly. He can see him exactly for the person he is.

Graduating student-athletes, record win totals, sold-out crowds, regular-season and tournament titles, postseason success and a three-time All-American son are part of the legacy that Greg McDermott has created in his first five seasons at Creighton University.

McDermott has proven to be a top-notch recruiter and a sound tactician. He has coached 31 players who have earned some sort of conference award in his 14 years as a Division I coach.

In his interview, coach McDermott will give you strategic ways to successfully coaching your son or daughter, the lesson of not giving up on kids’ too early, how to make a great shooter better, pointers on developing a “Let It Fly” mentality with good shot selection, etc. There is so much more beneficial information for coaches, parents and players that coach McDermott discusses throughout the show.

Enjoy this episode of The Jim Huber Show!

What You will Hear In This Podcast

3:18- Coach McDermott’s end of season talk to his seniors
4:42- How coach McDermott kept his emotions in check during his talk
5:45- Doug McDermott’s transformation to becoming Naismith Player of the Year
7:47- Don’t give up on a kid not knowing maturation process and work ethic
9:13- The attention to details that made Harrison Barnes one of the best high school players in the last decade
10:14- Coach McDermott’s advice for coaching your son or daughter
13:33- Tips on how to coach your son or daughter fairly
15:54- Mistakes a coach can making when coaching son or daughter
17:31- What is natural and what is taught for a shooter to be great
18:31- The importance of the finish in your shot
19:17- How to tweak and what to work on with a great shooter
20:13- A teaching point that helps in shooting “Arch Off Your Hand”
20:58- Tips on balancing out a “Let It Fly” mentality with better shot selection
23:10- A challenge Doug McDermott faced transitioning to the NBA
23:34- The strategic ways that Doug is handling criticism playing in the NBA
25:46- The keys to developing a successful national elite culture at Creighton
27:12- Creighton a Basketball Place and Omaha a Basketball Town
27:58- Recruit kids that are a good examples for your children
29:58- The difference between the different college levels
32:31- Importance of developing relationships with kids circle of influence in recruiting
33:29- How coach McDermott evolves and coaches kids differently today
36:41- The Trifecta with coach Doug McDermott
- Movie – Hoosiers
- Book – Tuesday’s with Morrie: By Mitch Albom
- Best Piece of Advice- coach McDermott’s father inspiring him by his actions to always overcome adversity and do what others think you can’t do.