The Thing That Will Get You The Next Coaching Job

Hey Coach,

Today’s letter is from Mark Cascio.

Mark is the Director of Coach Development at SAVI Basketball, and many of you know him as the creator of the Drive and Space offense.

I got into coaching because I loved the game of basketball.

When I was 21 years old and a head coach, I lived in the Xs and Os. That’s what occupied my time.

Plays. Counters. Adjustments.

I thought that was the job.

And to be fair, that part gave me a lot of energy. It still does.

But at that stage, my definition of coaching was narrow.
If I knew more basketball, I thought I’d be better.

Then I was 24, and I applied for the head coaching job at my alma mater.

I didn’t get an interview. I was crushed.

I remember thinking I was ready. I had the passion. I worked hard. I knew the game. I couldn’t understand why the door didn’t open.

Looking back now, the truth is simple.

I wasn’t ready.

At least, not in the ways that mattered most.

Four years later, I applied again.

This time, I got the interview.

And this time, I got the job.

What changed wasn’t just time.

It was my focus.

Somewhere between 24 and 28, I stopped just loving basketball and started falling in love with the craft of coaching.

The art of it.

I became less consumed with what we ran and more curious about how we taught.
Less obsessed with plays and more focused on practices.
Less interested in control and more interested in standards.

I started asking different questions.

How do you hold high standards without losing people?
How do you run practices that actually show up in games?
How do you teach in a way players can feel, not just hear?
How do you bring different personalities together into one team?

I learned that two teams can run the same stuff and look completely different.

One looks connected.
The other looks confused.

Same Xs and Os.
Different coaching.

I learned that yelling louder doesn’t speed up learning.
Adding more drills doesn’t create clarity.
Installing more doesn’t always make you better.

Often, it makes things worse.

The coaches I admired most weren’t frantic.
They were intentional.

They simplified.
They repeated what mattered.
They created environments where players could grow.

By 28, I wasn’t just ready because I knew more basketball.

I was ready because I understood coaching better.

Here’s the lesson I keep coming back to.

If something isn’t working right now.
If you didn’t get the job you wanted.
If you lost a big game.

Keep growing and getting better.

I really believe most “no’s” aren’t permanent.
They’re often just “not yet.”

If you stay committed to the craft.
If you fall in love with the art of coaching.
If you keep sharpening how you teach, lead, and serve people.

You may find that the door opens when you’re actually ready to walk through it.

Cheers, 

-Mark

Each week, either I, Tyler, or Clare will share another edition of STUFF Good Coaches Should Know.

PS. If you are committed to the craft the best thing you can do is keep learning.

Join our free SAVI Coaching Community, a place where coaches on the same journey find the support and answers they need to keep growing and serving their players well.

P.P.S. A quick note from Tyler:

Hey, as many of you know, I help Kyle run a Pickleball School as well. We recently partnered with SLAMIT! Hydration and they gave us a deal we could pass on to our email subscribers.

And this week only, you can get a free sample using the code KYLE10.

Hope you like them as much as I do.

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