Show Notes
In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Frank Bennett joins The Basketball Podcast to share insights on inbound philosophy and high school coaching. Frank Bennett has established himself as one of Missouri’s premier high school basketball coaches, leading Chaminade College Preparatory to sustained excellence in the state’s top class. Since taking over the program in 2013, Bennett has guided the Red Devils to a Missouri State Championship, two state runner‑up finishes, eight Final Four appearances, multiple Metro Catholic Conference titles, and several district championships. His leadership has produced a remarkable career record of 248 wins against just 72 losses, cementing Chaminade’s reputation as one of the most consistent programs in the region Bennett has coached and developed some of the most significant basketball talents to come out of Missouri, including: • Jayson Tatum — NBA All‑Star and 2024 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics • Bradley Beal — Three‑time NBA All‑Star and Olympic gold medalist • Tyler Cook — Former NBA forward and standout at Iowa • David Lee — NBA All‑Star and two‑time NBA champion Bennett’s impact extends beyond Chaminade. He has served as a head coach for USA Basketball at the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit, leading the USA Men’s team against the World Team of top international players. He has also been an assistant coach at previous Nike Hoop Summits (2023, 2024) and contributed to USA Basketball Junior National Team camps. His involvement underscores his reputation as one of the nation’s most respected high school coaches.
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Korey McCray, Assistant Coach at the University of Florida and a key contributor to the Gators' National Championship-winning program, joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss Florida's philosophy of playing fast with purpose, using analytics to shape decision-making, and building a team around discipline, toughness, and high-IQ basketball. McCray breaks down how Florida uses multiple bigs to create spacing and dominate the offensive glass, the defensive principles behind taking calculated risks, the practice habits that fueled a championship run, and the "hustle stats" accountability system that measures winning beyond the box score. He also shares his "faith over fear" approach to player development, leadership, confidence building, and creating meaningful relationships with athletes.
Maureen Hirt, head coach of the 2026 NCAA Division III National Champion Denison University women’s basketball team, joined the Basketball Podcast to discuss one of the most remarkable championship runs in college basketball history. Hirt shares how Denison became the first unranked team to win a Division III national title, built on a process-driven culture, shared leadership, and player ownership.
Milwaukee Bucks Head of Player Development and Assistant Coach Johnny Carpenter joins The Basketball Podcast to explore how coaches can develop players who think, adapt and solve problems. He shares how relationships, film and analytics help identify what is holding a player back and shape an individualized development plan. Carpenter explains how to build learning into workouts and team practices through varied situations, live decisions and purposeful constraints. He also discusses reading space, finding the “play after the play,” and shifting the focus from practice intensity to player intent—offering practical ideas coaches can apply at any level. The conversation also explores how to refresh familiar activities like shell defense with random starts, disadvantage situations and live play. Carpenter shares how coaches can teach through those moments, balancing clear technical instruction with opportunities for players to discover solutions themselves.
Gabo Loaiza, head coach of Jämtland Basket, shared how he builds his teams around a shared way of seeing the game. That common picture comes from video work and clear communication so players can decide for themselves. Identity starts with energy and effort, then talent, then tactics chosen to multiply both. His game model is fast and risk-taking. He develops Plan A instead of inventing Plan B for every opponent, trusting the team’s strengths even in playoffs. Players must win individual battles and show “blind generosity”—unseen effort that helps teammates. Passing and constant movement sit at the core.
Stella Kaltsidou, one of European basketball's most accomplished female coaches, having won the Euro Cup with the London Lions. Stella discussed her coaching philosophy centered on making players feel good while being aggressive, explaining how she implemented the tagging up system at Athinaikos which generated 12.9 second chance points per game during the Euro Cup.