To be a good basketball coach you must be constantly evolving. you will need to continually learn new methods and techniques. as the great john wooden once said,
“If I’m done learning, I’m done.”
You are reading: Best basketball books for coaches
I’ve been playing basketball for more than 20 years. if arguably the best basketball coach has that mindset, then you know how important it is to success. no matter how much knowledge you have learned in the past, you will never know everything.
A great way to learn or continue to learn the game of basketball is to listen to what others have to say and have learned about the game. basketball training books can provide a good perspective on different strategies that can help you in your own training.
who should get this
Coaching basketball can be a lot of fun but also very demanding. Whether you’re helping out with your child’s junior league team or a professional basketball coach, you’ll definitely need help along the way. all coaches at any level must continually learn the game and basketball books are a great resource to help you evolve as a coach.
Whether you’re looking for help with new plays, new coaching philosophies, or new coaching styles, there’s always something new to learn along the way. Even if you read a book and find that you don’t like the style of play it describes, it can help you recognize a specific offense that another team is using in a game and help you instruct your team on how to defend against it.
Most of the basketball training books out there have good content and something everyone can learn from. Below is our list of some of the best basketball coaching books. check them out and read as many as you can. you can never have too much knowledge.
top picks from the best basketball coaching books in 2022
This is a list of excellent training books, some covering leadership, playstyle, and/or offensive and defensive strategies, that you will benefit from no matter your skill or experience level. these are in no particular order and I would recommend reading as many as you can.
1. wooden board on leadership: how to create a winning organization
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coach wooden is one of the greatest coaches of all time and the epitome of a winner. this book is about leadership, how to lead his team and how to create leaders in his team. this book is not only good for basketball but for any sport and even for business or life in general. This is just one of several books by John Wooden and I would recommend reading any of his books if you get the chance.
2. survival guide to coach youth basketball
If you plan on coaching your kids’ junior league team, this is a great book to help you get started. is essentially a Coaching 101 guide and will help you plan all aspects of coaching, such as how to handle practices, drills, and game situations. If you’re already coaching a youth league and feeling lost, this book can help you get back on track.
3. Basketball Drills, Plays & Strategies: A Complete Resource for Coaches
If you’ve got the training basics down, this book can help you take things to the next level. Whether you’re instructing beginning or experienced players, this is a great resource for practicing drills, plays, and strategies. this can also be a great refresher if you’ve been out of the game for a while and are getting back into training.
4. Whiteboard Strategies: Over 200 Successful Coaches’ Favorite Plays for Almost Every Possible Situation (Winning Hoops)
This is one you might want to have with you on the sidelines, it has almost 200 plays for just about any situation. Whether you’re an experienced trainer or a beginner, you’ll find this book to be a great resource. this book is like a swiss army knife for training.
5. basketball coaching: a multiple choice system based on bill self and the kansas jayhawks
This is an advanced training book and is intended for someone who is already very familiar with the game of basketball. teaches an offensive system based on the one used by bill self, head coach of the kansas jayhawks.
6. basketball playbook how to coach san antonio spurs offense
This is another advanced training book that teaches basketball philosophy, drills, plays and more. It is based on the system used by the San Antonio Spurs. not only introduces drills and moves, but explains details on how and why they should be used.
7. basketball training: how to train dribbling momentum movement offense
This advanced training book teaches the offensive dribbling momentum movement system. this system has no position so it can be adapted to any type of player. it is similar to the system used by the warriors of the golden state.
8. game strategies and tactics for basketball: bench training for success
This is a great book that focuses on basketball strategy. it doesn’t go over specific moves or the xs and os. is an intermediate level book that focuses on tips and tricks to help you win games.
9. nba coaches playbook: techniques, tactics and teaching points
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get insights from nba coaches with this book. provides details on the xs and os of many concepts and plays used by some great nba coaches and players.
10. basketball on paper: rules and tools for performance analysis
Take a look at basketball numbers and stats and learn how to use them to improve your coaching decisions. This book doesn’t provide plays or drills, but it does help you learn how to use stats to put your best players on the floor and put them in winning situations.
tips and resources
As I mentioned at the beginning of this list, I would recommend reading anything written by or about Coach John Wooden. he was a true genius coach and his philosophies go far beyond basketball. If you want to know more about Coach Wood and what others have learned from him, check out this short documentary film called “Coach: The Life and Legacy of John R. made of wood”.
You can also read our curated list of the best basketball training apps, so you can learn as you go.
read also:
- best basketball books
- best basketball anime and manga
final words
As you can see, there are numerous basketball training books for all different levels of training. there are also books that cover many different areas, such as leadership, strategies, and systems. there are even detailed books that give you plays for any situation.
If you’re a basketball coach at any level, it’s important that you continue to learn as much as you can about the game of basketball. The books we have listed above provide a variety of topics that can help any coach improve their game. If you want to become a serious coach who can lead a basketball team to greatness, I recommend that you read as many basketball books as you can
Do you have any good basketball book recommendations? give us your opinion and let us know what you think.