JIM BOONE: What a great idea by Bob to follow us through these first 30 days as we try to mold our program into future champions — on and off the court! There are so many challenges in coaching but I have always enthusiastically tackled programs that needed a boost. In my opinion, we are talking about one thing primarily — CULTURE! If the program has been bogged down by losing habits, you have to dig deep and start making some serious decisions to change the CULTURE. If you are inheriting a program that has had an element of success, you still have to shape the CULTURE to fit your philosophy, as well as, to help it extend even further than it has in the past.
Now the word “culture” has gotten a lot of play lately — it sounds good — it seems like a catch phrase. But make no doubt about it — culture is one of the most difficult things to create. It takes time, dedication and perseverance — first on the part of the head coach and then his staff. And once you have established the culture that you want your program to portray, it is a daily maintenance program that must be strictly adhered to if you don’t want to veer away. Culture is simply what you want your program to be about — to stand for — and it must be worked upon every day in everything that you do as head coach.
Here are some key factors that I look into on a daily basis, especially during the first 30 days.
◄We will create a sense of urgency throughout the College and the entire Buckhannon area that Bobcats Basketball is HERE TO WIN NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIPS, TODAY and in the FUTURE!
◄Aggressively initiate our championship recruiting strategy by immediately addressing our most critical recruiting needs; cultivate and nurture key relationships, and evaluate our long-term needs.
◄Analyze and evaluate our student-athletes academic progress, implement immediate actions to insure our academic welfare. We are building Champions for Life!
◄Build the foundation of our program: Relationships, one fan at a time, both on our campus and throughout the Buckhannon and West Virginia area!
◄We will be an Elite NCAA Division II Program
Over the next 30 days, we will talk about the philosophy of many of these areas as well how we are going to execute them. As Bob mentioned earlier, I will also be tweeting throughout the day and any tweets regarding our 30 day philosophy will begin with the hashtag #30DC. So if you aren’t following me, please do — it’s going to be a great run!
