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New York Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How NIL and transfer portal have changed the way college basketball coaches lead
Editor's Note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here. Midway through his junior season, Richie Saunders, a 6-foot-5 small forward at BYU, received an unexpected piece of advice from his head coach. Saunders was in the midst of a breakout season, which meant that endorsement offers were starting to surface. However, he worried about distractions, so he wanted to wait until the offseason. Advertisement That is, until Kevin Young, BYU's first-year head coach, told him the financial component was worth prioritizing now. 'He's kind of helped me see, for example, being a professional basketball player, you have to have these kinds of conversations during the season,' Saunders said in March, during the Cougars' run to the Sweet 16. 'And it can't detract from your focus, but you need to have them.' Until recently, a college basketball coach encouraging a player to pursue endorsements during the season would have been unimaginable. However, that was before the era of name, image and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal. The birth of paid players and de facto free agency has reshaped college sports in almost every way. It's also challenged the traditional leadership archetype of a college basketball coach. Once upon a time, the leadership style of a college coach was simple: intense, demanding, rigid, focused on detail and motivating with more stick than carrot. However, as the college game has become more professionalized, the result is a coaching model that is a little younger, a little more flexible and a little more in line with their NBA brethren. The evolution has left coaches grappling with a big question: As college basketball players gain more money, more agency and more power, what is the best way to lead them? In the early 2000s, Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist and science journalist, conceived a framework for leadership, identifying six leadership styles commonly found in the business world. They were, in order: coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching. Each style included a detailed description, but Goleman offered a useful shorthand. Through research and experience, Goleman maintained that the best leaders toggled between styles, utilizing each one at the appropriate moment, like different clubs in a golf bag. The classic archetype of a college coach has often leaned on two styles, blending what Goleman called 'coaching' leadership with 'coercive' leadership. Perhaps most visible in coaches like Bobby Knight, Tom Izzo or Mike Krzyzewski, these styles emphasized discipline, rigid demands and high standards to prepare players for the next level. Advertisement However, that style, former college coach and NBA coach Lon Kruger said, is harder to employ in the pros, where players are grown men with lavish salaries and stars often possess more power than the coach. As a result, NBA coaches have usually prioritized other leadership styles, leaning more on Goleman's 'authoritative', 'affiliative' and 'democratic' leadership styles. 'With NBA guys,' Kruger said, 'it's more of a communication thing than a challenging or demanding type of thing.' When Brad Stevens transitioned from head coach at Butler University to the Boston Celtics in 2013, he found that the most difficult challenge in the NBA was creating a sense of purpose in a group amid the anticipation of roster turnover. If a player wasn't sure if he would be back the following season, he was less likely to buy in. The cyclical nature of college basketball has consistently led to roster turnover. However, the recent addition of unlimited free transfers has created a system with more turnover and more uncertainty than almost any level of professional basketball. 'I get a kick out of people when they say, 'Man, you've got like pro rules,' ' Izzo said in March. 'I always say, 'Which ones are those? We don't have free agency. We don't have a salary cap. We've got beyond pro rules.' ' Over the years, Izzo is among those coaches who have softened his most grueling methods. In his earliest days at Michigan State, he borrowed football pads from Nick Saban and put their players through the famous 'War Drill,' a full-contact rebounding exercise. He eventually stopped using the pads, though not because he worried about his players. 'The lawyers would sue me,' Izzo said. 'So I don't do that anymore.' Izzo, though, still feels like that drill is essential. When he studies other successful coaches, he sees similar values. Players need to be disciplined, tough, accountable and connected. The difference in the era of NIL may lie in the ways coaches communicate their standards and values to players. Advertisement 'We go too far to the right or too far to the left when we're making adjustments,' Izzo said. 'And that's why I vowed that I'm going to do what I believe in.' Michigan State, which advanced to the Elite Eight last season before losing to Auburn, has retained much of Izzo's foundational program culture. However, the portal, coaches say, has put more pressure on coaches to create bonds and connections before each season. 'You feel like you can skip steps when you really can't,' Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. 'You have to start from ground zero every summer.' For years, Scheyer says, the Duke program ran on the idea of empowering players to lead, passing down the culture to the next generation. 'Players teaching players,' Scheyer said. That changed, in part, with the emergence of one-and-done freshmen, which led to increased roster turnover. And it changed even more as the portal wreaked havoc on continuity. So last offseason, the Duke staff embarked on an unofficial summer class: Duke Basketball 101. 'We went back to the basics this (last) summer of just how to build this team from the ground up, build the connectivity, teach the standards, hold them accountable to what the standards are,' Scheyer said. 'And that's something I know we're going to have to do each year going forward.' When Alex Jensen became the head coach of Utah in early March, he surveyed the landscape of college basketball: player movement, money, negotiations for what amounted to year-long deals. For Jensen, previously an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, the system resembled one of his former stops: head coach in the NBA's G League. 'The college game, I think it's becoming more and more professional,' Jensen told reporters at his opening news conference. However, Jenson said he thinks most players are still the same. Advertisement 'They want to know if you care and two, if you know what you're talking about,' Jensen said. Jensen, who played at Utah, was the latest NBA assistant to land a Power Four college job (Florida State also hired Luke Loucks, a former Sacramento Kings assistant). The coaches were comfortable with the transactional nature of professional basketball. In some cases, Jensen says, 'it makes it simpler if that makes any sense.' 'That chaos has been my reality,' Loucks said in March. 'My reality as a professional coach and a professional player in Europe is constant roster turnover, constant ego management. One player is on a $300 million contract, and the other one is on minimum wage. Minimum wage in the NBA is like $1.2 million, but … there's egos involved.' What Loucks learned during his years as an NBA assistant was not that coaches should lower their standards or be overly deferential to players. It was that trust and respect were paramount in building relationships. To lead players at the professional level meant understanding who they were and what motivated them. 'You never want to be friends with your players,' Loucks said. 'But you need them to trust you. Or all of your words and all of your teaching, all of your coaching is in one ear and out the other. And it has to be authentic. If you don't build authentic relationships, you have no chance.' The trend has not been limited to head coaches. In May, Kansas hired former NBA head coach Jacque Vaughn — a program legend — to fill an assistant coaching opening, while Duke hired Evan Bradds, a 31-year-old assistant with the Utah Jazz. In announcing the hire, Duke touted Bradds' 'player development and NBA coaching experience.' Meanwhile, Kansas coach Bill Self said that Vaughn 'brings immediate credibility to guys that want to be pros out there.' Advertisement When Kruger coached in the NBA, he often heard the phrase 'players' coach.' Its definition was always elusive, depending on the source. Still, he came to this conclusion: A player's coach was a good communicator, honest and empathetic, who always provided a clear path forward. 'My style was not to yell and scream,' Kruger said. 'Which I think certainly doesn't work in the NBA. You have to communicate on a more peer basis rather than saying, 'I'm the coach and you're the player and disregard everything else.' ' College coaches may soon resemble their NBA counterparts, Kruger says, but the secrets of leading basketball players remain the same, no matter the level: You need to be able to adjust. You need to embody different styles. You need to build relationships. In other words, you need to be an effective and consistent leader.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BYU Basketball moves up in ESPN's early top 25 preseason poll
The BYU basketball program comes into next season as one of the "top dogs" in the Big 12. After a Sweet 16 appearance in Kevin Young's first year, the Cougars weren't happy with just being in the NCAA tournament. The loss to Alabama set many things in motion for what's about to happen in Provo. The nation's best recruit AJ Dybansta will be the cornerstone piece for BYU, along with former five-star Baylor transfer Rob Wright III, next-level shooter Kennard Davis Jr., and returning starters Richie Saunders and Keba Keita. The projected starting lineup for the Cougars is possibly the top in the country. Many outlets have agreed, ranking BYU at a top ten team in early polls. Advertisement ESPN's insider Jeff Borzello updated his early preseason Top 25 with BYU cracking the top five. "All eyes will be on Provo, Utah, next season, as No. 1 recruit A.J. Dybantsa arrives in college to suit up for the Cougars," Borzello wrote. "How has Kevin Young built around Dybantsa? Teaming him up with high-level scorer Richie Saunders on the wing was a great start, and landing Robert Wright III at point guard was a boost. That trio should be one of the country's most explosive on the offensive end." Young has set a new standard after coming over from the Phoenix Suns. BYU has been flipped into a true NBA-ready program with big expectations. Better recruiting efforts, keeping key talents, and developing a solid approach has been the difference. But the national spotlight burns bright with many seeing the Cougars as the team to beat in the Big 12. Related: BYU Basketball goes viral after conference announces all-academic honors There was a lot Young gave up in Phoenix. He was the highest-paid assistant in the NBA, but still kept a good relationship with players in the league. New BYU athletic director Brian Santiago will try to keep Young at BYU, even if the NBA comes calling. Advertisement Related: Where ESPN ranked BYU's offseason against Big 12 rivals 'I'm hoping that Kevin Young sees everything that's happening here, and for all of these student athletes that we've brought to BYU, that this is the right place for him and his family,' Santiago said. 'So that we can move forward with confidence, and everybody knows we're ready to go.' Related: New BYU AD reveals top priority for next year and beyond Young comes as the next wave in the second-degree from Gregg Popovich's coaching tree. He was an assistant to Brett Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, who spent a decade with Pop in San Antonio. Brown returned for his second stint with the Spurs in 2022.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What Greg Gard said about Wisconsin basketball's 2025 non-conference game against BYU
Wisconsin basketball head coach Greg Gard shared his views on his team's recently scheduled nonconference matchup against the BYU Cougars on Tuesday. Roughly one week after reports surfaced regarding the Nov. 21 bout against the Cougars in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Utah Jazz's Delta Center, the program officially announced the game with a press release. Advertisement "We're really excited that we're able to schedule this game with BYU," UW head coach Greg Gard told "Our game last year was one of the best of the NCAA Tournament and I think both fanbases will enjoy seeing a rematch this season. We have always tried to challenge ourselves in the non-conference schedule to prepare the team for Big Ten play and beyond and this game certainly will do so." The Badgers will certainly gear up for another highly anticipated test against Kevin Young's crew. The Cougars secured a 91-89 victory in the most recent contest between the two teams on March 22, which featured a 37-point performance from former star Badger John Tonje and a 25-tally finish from BYU veteran Richie Saunders. While Tonje will not return to the hardwood for the Badgers in Utah, the Cougars will return Saunders, send out starting center Keba Keita and welcome in freshman small forward A.J. Dybantsa, a five-star recruit and projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA draft. UW, meanwhile, projects to start former San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia wing Andrew Rhode and Portland forward Austin Rapp alongside two returning starters in John Blackwell and center Nolan Winter. The Badgers' non-conference slate will also include a neutral-site match against the Villanova Wildcats at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on December 19th, an exhibition against the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 24 in Milwaukee and an appearance in the Rady's Children's Invitational in late November. Advertisement Games outside the Big Ten have traditionally enabled the Badgers to gauge where they stand against potential NCAA Tournament participants down the line. Those games also allow Gard to experiment with rotations and evaluate how his athletes perform alongside one another. With Dybantsa at the helm for BYU, Wisconsin's Nov. 21 bout vs. the Cougars will also draw eyeballs. The battle is expected to be the first of a home-and-home, with BYU set to travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2026. Before then, Gard and company will look to notch an early signature win to start the 2025-26 regular season. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard comments on BYU game
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
CBS Sports analyst drops bold prediction for BYU Basketball next season
BYU Basketball is getting national hype going into the next season. After top recruit AJ Dybantsa arrived on campus the feeling around the program has intensified. This comes months after Kevin Young's first year with the Cougars ended in a Sweet 16 loss to Alabama. Most analysts have BYU as a top 10 team going into the 2025-26 college basketball season. Jon Rothstein believes this could be a historic year for Young's team and sees a deep tournament run on the horizon. "I think if you're a BYU fan now and you went to the Sweet 16 without a talent like [AJ Dybantsa], the goal and the realistic expectations for BYU should be to go to a Final Four. And I don't even think that's anything that should blink at," Rothstein said on his podcast. BYU not only has Dybantsa, but Baylor transfer Rob Wright will be one of the best guards in the nation. Richie Saunders is a proven All-Big 12 talent and put off the NBA to "run it back" in Provo. While Dybantsa already said he's out after the upcoming season, he'll be a leader on this team and a likely candidate to be the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Advertisement Related: BYU Basketball players are turning heads for unexpected choice If BYU can reach the final phase of March Madness, it would be unprecedented. The Cougars have only experienced one Elite Eight run under the current NCAA tournament format. Danny Ainge led the Cougars to the best result in 1981. Since then, the 2011 team came close with a 83-74 Sweet 16 overtime loss to No. 2 seeded Florida. Related: AJ Dybantsa admits BYU wasn't top school, blown away by NBA ready program Needless to say, the expectations are high for BYU this year. If they come together and play outstanding basketball, the sky's the limit. It's not unrealistic to say the Cougars could be the team to beat in the Big 12.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Richie Saunders makes announcement about his future at BYU
Richie Saunders announced he'll return to BYU for his senior season on Saturday. The Cougars standout tested the NBA waters but decided to run it back one more time. After leading BYU in scoring last season and earning All-Big 12 First-Team honors, Saunders' decision gives BYU a real shot at a special 2025-26 campaign. Kevin Young and his staff have built an incredible starting five around top recruit AJ Dybantsa. Saunders was sensational throughout the year, averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting an efficient 52% from the field and 43% from three-point range. His all-around impact helped push BYU to the Sweet 16 for the first time in over a decade. Advertisement Related: BYU Basketball lands top four-star transfer guard With Saunders returning, the rest of BYU's roster looks loaded. He'll join forces Dybansta and two high-level scorers in Rob Wright and Kennard Davis Jr., who transferred this past week. All three are capable of putting up double figures, and Dybansta could be the best scorer on the team. For Saunders, it's a dream setup after carrying a major burden last season. He'll now find himself surrounded by elite offensive talent, allowing him to play free and more efficiently. Related: BYU's AJ Dybantsa reveals all-time NBA starting five BYU will likely enter the season as a preseason favorite in Big 12, and it could be the most anticipated year in the history of Cougar basketball. Saunders already helped lead BYU to one Sweet 16. Now he has a chance to do something no BYU player ever has, which is to make it twice. Young's Cougars will be a force with all eyes on Provo next year.
