Five Qualities that would make a great Arizona Basketball Assistant Coach

Former Arizona Basketball assistant coach Joe Pasternack has taken the job as head coach at UC Santa Barbara, and now there is a vacancy to be filled. 

The key to a good head coach, besides having great players, is a supporting staff that can assist in making those key decisions during crunch time. Providing input for the head coach before, during and after the game can make the difference in who wins and who loses. The Arizona Basketball loses an important piece of their coaching staff with Joe Pasternack leaving, but the opportunity for a new coach to help Miller break the Final Four barrier is exciting!

The Arizona Wildcat basketball program has a winning tradition and finding the right piece to the “coaching puzzle” will be an important decision to be made. There are a lot of good candidates out there, but when it comes down to it, there are five qualities to become the right candidate for the Wildcat basketball assistant coach position.

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Zona Zealots came up with these five qualities and some bonus ones too. Let us know what you think:

Experience

Having experience as an assistant coach in D1 NCAA basketball is a must! With experience comes a proven track record in knowing what it takes to win games at the highest level. This quality will be a crucial part in handling different scenarios. Preferably, Arizona’s new assistant coach will have coached in the NCAA Tournament.

Recruiting experience is also key.

Persuasion

When the game does not go according to plan, it’s important to mix things up. Whether it may be throwing in a full court press or mixing it up with a zone defense – this will keep the other team guessing. The ability to persuade Coach Sean Miller that his team should try different techniques to prevent the team from being too predictable.

Smart Play Calling

A head coach has a lot to think about during a game and sometimes may lose sight of the small details. Such as how many timeouts are left towards the end of the game. The new assistant coach will need to bring some new plays maybe, a different perspective to bring to Coach Miller’s attention.

Convincing

Before the start of the game, the coach will have a game plan that he will want his team to stick to. As the game goes on, things may not go according to plan. An assistant coach will need to have the confidence to convince the coach to try switching things up, such as changing up defenses or calling different offensive plays for other players.

Convincing the bigs to box out and be able to explain defense would be a definite plus!

Relatable Personality

Probably one of the most important qualities an assistant coach will need to have is the ability to relate to the players. These are young student athletes out there performing at a crazy high level. Recruiting these days is an art, and also more and more players look to someone who understands them.

Players will need someone on the bench or in the locker room that they can confide in when things aren’t going right or if they need a good laugh. Former coaching staff member Joseph Blair is a good example as Blair was adored by the players. Also, current assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson demonstrates this well – singing with his players!

Bonus qualities

In addition to having these five qualities to be a great assistant coach for the Wildcats, here are some more (fun ones):

Must have a backup dress shirt in case coach Miller perspires too much

Be able to grab a suit coat thrown at you before it hits the ground

Must Read: More on Arizona Basketball

As the search begins for the new Wildcat Assistant Coach position, Zona Zealots wishes the best of luck to the new UCSB Head Coach Pasternack in his new role. BEAR DOWN coach!