Coach ,

Like most coaches, you have probably been putting the finishing touches on you playbooks, practice schedules, and plans for the season. However, hitting pause to think about your culture certainly can be beneficial to your team’s success this season.

The UCLA Bruins Men’s Team provided a great story of how a strong culture can produce a winning team. UCLA hadn’t been to the Final Four since 2008. This past season, Coach Cronin led the Bruins to the NCAA Final Four. 

Coach Mick Cronin took over the Bruins in 2019 after an impressive stint at the University of Cincinnati. He was named the Pac 12 Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach for the Bruins.

One of the biggest proponents of turning UCLA Basketball around was the change of the Culture.

Darren Savino, Associate HC of UCLA, has worked with Coach Cronin for over 10 years. Coach Savino breaks down 3 components of how they changed the culture at UCLA.

#1 - Team Coherence 

Coach Savino preaches:

“Winners know why they win. Losers have no idea why they lose.”

In UCLA’s culture, WINNING = FUN. 

The team buy-in is built on Love and Relationships.

(Click image to play Video)

#2 - Culture of Hustle

In UCLA’s Culture, the only way to erase a mistake is through Hustle.

Every mistake is dealt with by moving to the Next Play. They have a saying that the hungry dog gets the bone.

That saying means that the culture of hustle will keep UCLA always ready for any competition. UCLA teaches that Hustle is a Mentality.

(Click image to play Video)

#3 - Ways to turn around a losing program 

One of the biggest ways to turn around a program is buying into the little things. 

The attention to detail is the small things that people usually don't relate into winning basketball games. However, they actually make the difference in games won and games lost. 

Examples of little things include: going to class, high academics, being on time, screening, etc. as Coach explains here:

(Click image to play Video)

As you get ready to tip off your season, learning from the Bruins culture which Coach Savino shares gives you an excellent understanding of how to turn around a losing program and build a winning culture. This is a blueprint of a successful culture.

Thank you to Coach Savino for an excellent clinic.

Never get out-coached,

-- The Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches Helping Coaches