Hardwood Hustle

This week we're joined by Greg Tonagel, head men's basketball coach at Indiana Wesleyan University.  With over 500 wins and 3 national championships, we discuss how he's created a winning culture and his journey as a coach and transformational leader. He shares his early learning moments and the mistakes he made as a young coach. Coach Tonagel highlights the root of their team culture and how they made a significant jump as a program when he focused on taking fear out his coaching. Hear more about the I AM THIRD philosophy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iwuhoops-presents-the-pursuit/id1375802520Go to https://www.iwuhoops.net/ to learn more about their program.Send us a Message.

This week we dive into current events with Sam and TJ’s teams to see if you can relate as a leader and coach as we discuss a variety of topics including creating player-led teams, and fighting complacency. It's also important to be able to pinpoint why your team is struggling. Do you have a basketball, head, or heart problem? We typically like to solve our team's problems with better drills, strategies, and practices, but there's also a chance there's something deeper for you to address. Listen this week to hear how your own coaching strategy stacks up.Send us a Message.

Managing your player’s expectations as well as your own can be one of the toughest tasks as a coach.  From social media influences, the role of parents, the overvaluing of the stat sheet, and dealing with disappointment all of these factors can create a frustrating situation for coaches. This week we discuss underlying factors, opportunities, and solutions to help you turn the corner in this area. Building a strong team culture and setting team standards are key to helping players adjust their expectations, set new ones, and create an environment where everyone can find fulfillment.Send us a Message.

Talent is overrated… A statement that TJ and Sam explore in this episode how in a given coaching career you can experience the highest levels of success along with the lowest of lows in losing and frustrating seasons. When we face these challenges how do we figure out what’s hurting our team the most and help our team reach their potential? Accountability, consistency, building culture and more are big keys discussed when it comes to maximizing your team’s talent.Send us a Message.

In this episode, TJ and Sam discuss winning offensive habits as they each draft their top five habits, including valuing the ball, playing with pace, decision-making, spacing the floor, and more. Wherever you’re at in your season, you can see how your team’s habits stack up with Sam and TJ’s picks.Show Notes:Valuing the ballChoosing great shotsPassingGood spacingDecision-MakingPlaying with paceUsing the glass Offensive reboundingBeing great cutters Using fakesRole identificationPuncturing the defense v. zoneSend us a Message.

There's power in being able to say, "I don't know." This week Sam and Lisa dive into the topic of leadership and the importance of being able to admit we don’t have all of the answers, and what we can do about it. It’s facing the ever-present challenge to stay humble and live what we preach by being honest, prepared, and committed to growth.Leaders have to evolve and adapt, by balancing old school principles with new age approaches. The value of surrounding oneself with complementary team members is critical to our success. We reflect on the leadership lessons learned about making tough decisions, embracing change, and the rewards of the leadership journey.Send us a Message.

This week, Sam and TJ discuss frustrations and questions coaches face during seasons as we try to problem solve strategy and scouting decisions as well as common mistakes we’ll want to avoid making. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the variability of opponents and the need for players to adapt to different game situations. Good offensive coaches are characterized by their clarity of how they want to play and their ability to generate good shots. Good passing, cutting, and spacing on offense can be the little details that make your offense go. On the defensive end, coaches should have a clear defensive identity and make adjustments based on their personnel. Not to be left out of your in-season priorities is the importance of player development and keeping that a focus for your players and within your practice plans.Show Notes:• Understanding changes from game to game• The 80/20 Rule• Growing your offense by adapting and evolving• What Good offensive coaches do • Shot selection and pl

This week, JP Nerbun is back to help us discuss the important topic of working with and ultimately building partnerships with parents. If we can get this right in our programs, we have the opportunity to create an even better experience for our athletes and make an even greater impact in our communities. If you listen to this episode and  want to go deeper, check out his new book, The Sports Parent Solution available on Amazon.More On J.P. Nerbun:J.P. Nerbun is a bestselling author, leadership coach, and founder of TOC Culture Consulting, a leading global sports-consulting and leadership coaching business. His mission is to support leaders and their teams to achieve their full potential through 1:1 coaching, consulting, and community.In 2019, he published his first book, Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey toTransformational Leadership, which has received critical acclaim. In 2022, he publishedThe Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Culture, agroundbreaking book offering a fra

This week TJ and Sam discuss style of play and the advantages and disadvantages of varying styles as well reasons for adjusting, changing, or doubling down on the style you choose for your team. Show Notes:Does your offensive and defensive systems fit each other.Year to year changesGrinding styles: Layups & ThreesWhat's your style of coaching?Getting your opponent to play your styleWhy make a change?Big picture 'Why'The teaching factorStarting back at zeroBeing able to "just play"Having a hodgepodge of players & choosing a styleRegular and post season expectationsHow do you want to win?Shot quality on both endsWhen it's not working... Have a curveballSend us a Message.

This episode is part 2 of the Read & React offense with Rick Torbett, celebrating 20 years since its creation and impact on the basketball community. In this episode we dive into teaching, implementing, and gamifying the Read & React where you can get ideas and strategies for coaching any offense.To go deeper on the Read & React offense, sign up for Rick Torbett's free Read & React Master Class. Go to PGCHustle.com to sign up.Send us a Message.

This week we’re joined by the creator of the Read & React Offense and founder of Better Basketball, Rick Torbett. Over 20 years ago Coach Rick asked some hard questions about how he could create a flow to his offense, play his 5 best players regardless of position, and truly help his players learn the game. In Part 1 Coach Rick shares the stories behind how he developed it and why so many coaches have implemented the Read & React Offense.Don't forget to check out Episode 526 for Part 2 on the Read & React Offense with Rick Torbett.To go deeper on the Read & React offense, sign up for Rick Torbett's free Read & React Master Class. Go to PGCHustle.com to sign up.Send us a Message.

Every season has its own challenges and as we know, adversity is coming for us and our players. This week TJ and Sam discuss how to navigate and mentor players face the challenges of earning playing time, receiving tough coaching, or being disappointed in their role. Helping players understand that adversity is meant to make us better if we learn how to face it head on is a great opportunity as a coach which can change the trajectory of our players lives. Listen this week to join the discussion and follow us @hardwood_hustle to stay connected.Send us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam discuss In-Game coaching strategies including making strategic adjustments, how and when to use timeouts, managing our emotions and our team’s energy, using stats during games, and ensuring your team is prepared.Send us a Message.

Show Notes:• Intro Topic• Injured player example• Michigan football stealing signs• Justifying breaking rules• Rick Majerus example• Reading opponent's scout• Winning the right way• Celebrating the right way• Getting a technical on purposeSend us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Coach Jonas Allen. With years of high school and college coaching experience, Coach Allen was in his second year as a head coach, when he was ready to quit. In this episode he shares how he transformed his coaching and quickly turned around his program to win a state championship.Send us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam dive into the details of what will make your offense work this season. They discuss spacing, screening angles, timing, assessing different offensive strategies for your team, and much more. Send us a Message.

With all the 'Me First' influences we have in our culture, it can be even more challenging to develop great teams and great teammates in our programs. This week TJ’s associate head coach, Graham Maxwell joins us to discuss how to take our programs to the next level by ensuring we help our players zoom out and develop the tools and skills to be a great teammate in basketball and in life. The difficulty level is high, but the reward is worthwhile.Send us a Message.

This week’s episode is about offensive and defensive rebounding strategies and tactics including things you can try with your team and lessons learned from TJ and Sam.Show Notes:• Offensive rebounding percentage• How many to send to the glass?• Creating clarity• Tagging• By area on the court• Do what you do best• What your players do naturally• Emphasis and accountability• Statistical examples• Defensive rebounding strategies• Basketball IQ, physicality, and incentevize• Practice details• TechniqueSend us a Message.

This we discuss staff dynamics and how both assistants and head coaches can lead well and bring the best out in each other even when it comes to disagreements and giving feedback.Show Notes:• Importance of alignment• Giving assistants ownership • Loyalty to the head coach• Finding the best solutions for the team• Can you agree to disagree?• Being all in• Importance of trust• We're in the relationship business• How staff dynamics effect the teamSend us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Todd Gongwer, a best-selling author, speaker and teacher on leadership and cultural development. He wrote one of our favorite books, Lead… for God’s Sake, and in this episode they discuss leading well in a competitive environment amidst the pressures of winning.Show Notes:• Responsibility crisis• Finding blind spots• The emphasis on results• Winning the right ways• Pursuing happiness• Finding peace• Being a competitor• Passion v. Purpose• Making an impact• What will be enough• What other relationships are effected• Finding purpose• Reaping the rewardsLearn more from Todd Gongwer:@ToddGongwerKardiatg.comTodd's Gongwer's Bio:(Pronounced GONG-wur)For nearly thirty years, Todd Gongwer has been building his expertise in leadershipand team dynamics by serving in a variety of senior level roles in business andathletics. From entrepreneurial start-up, to public company to college athletics,Todd’s real-life practical experiences in these worlds have given him a perspectivethat allow