Doc Sadler: Iowa State Basketball Secret Weapon

  You see him on the Iowa State sidelines with a loosed tie. He will occasionally bark out instructions from his bench seat or visit with a player after his boss takes him out of the game. Doc Sadler is Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg’s go-to-guy. If Hoiberg is Iowa State’s Batman, Sandler becomes Robin.

  Hoiberg knows how fortunate Iowa State is to have Sadler on the payroll. Sadler was the head coach at two Division I stops—Nebraska and UTEP (Texas –El Paso). Sadler knows all about the rigors of being a head coach in the pressure cooker of college basketball.

  College basketball coaches have egos. But it takes a sure lesson in humility when a head coach falls to the assistant line. Sadler seems okay with it. And it appears Hoiberg and Sadler have a good relationship.

  Hoiberg came to Iowa State a few years ago with zero head coaching experience. Yes, he had NBA player and front office duties on his resume, but like a good CEO, he knew he needed expertise. Bobby Lutz was a great hire as a former head coach. After a few years in between, Hoiberg grabbed Sandler away from Kansas.

  You think Doc had any insight in drawing up a plan to defeat the Jayhawks last night (Friday) in the Big 12 Tournament?

Coach Basketball Coaches and Referees

I decided to revisit my blog writing again even if only on a limited basis. We’ll see. There has been much talk this college basketball season about coaching behavior on the sidelines. I did read in an article however that coach’s technical fouls are actually down over a year ago. But maybe coach’s antics are up causing the added attention. Both coaches and referees are at fault for this matter, but it’s largely the coaches’ problem. I understand isolated events, but when a coach has repeated bad sideline behavior, it’s a problem. One solution is to have the athletic director sit the coach down and have a little talk on the behavior problem. Another solution is placing restrictions on coaches’ access to the referees. Does the coach really require moving up and down the sidelines like a rooster ‘working’ the officials for calls? That answer: is no. Does the coach really need to yell instructions to players from the coaching box? No. He could sit on the bench and holler. Now for the referees and what they can do. Referees need to quit socializing with players and coaches before the game. I understand they want a good working relationship with the participants, but they are there to do a job not win friends. College basketball is a great game. But this problem detracts from it.