Mike Vandermause column: Bennett's core coaching values stand test of time

Here is an article that I found at the Green Bay Press Gazette via Bob Starkey about the legendary Dick Bennett.

Key Takeaways:

-  We never know how much we can/do impact others
-  Be great in the small things
-  Know your philosophy/values

via Mike Vandermause:

I consider myself fortunate to have learned firsthand about Dick Bennett's influence long before he became one of the most successful college basketball coaches in state history.

As a high school junior in the summer of 1975, I attended a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire basketball camp and by the luck of the draw, Bennett was my coach.

It might have been the best $125 my parents ever spent on me.

At the time, Bennett was a relatively obscure coach at Eau Claire Memorial.  One memorable week is all I needed to discover Bennett was a very special coach. I loved playing for him and would have run through a brick wall if he asked.

I had no doubt this up-and-coming, 32-year-old high school basketball coach was going places. It was no surprise when Bennett's career took off, first as he guided Eau Claire Memorial to the Class A state championship game, then as he directed UW-Stevens Point to great heights, followed by a remarkable UW-Green Bay stint that included three NCAA Tournament appearances and a highly successful run at the University of Wisconsin that included a Final Four berth.

During his nearly 40-year career, Bennett never altered his approach, whether he was coaching in high school or at the Division I college level.

"On the court, I don't think I changed at all," said Bennett, who at 67 is four years into his second retirement but still making an impact on people.

During a recent telephone interview, Bennett was brimming with wisdom about basketball and life, and it took me back to my first encounter with him decades ago.

Some good things never change.

He continues to preach the importance of teamwork, passion and humility.

This is Bennett's best coaching advice to aspiring young players: "It's a team sport. Will you buy in, will you give so that we can be successful because it's about us, not just you? I talk about servant-hood a lot with kids because my approach to the game was built on servant-hood. We helped on defense, we set screens offensively, we made the extra pass. That's serving your teammates. Are you willing to play in such a way that you will make others better?"

Bennett said he learned as a coach to emphasize only what's important, stick to his convictions and realize he can't please everyone.  "You have to face criticism," he said. "I was criticized because my teams didn't play fast. The most severe criticism that I received as a coach, ironically, was after the Final Four."

Bennett said he took losses hard but learned from them.

"I think losing offers the wisdom for people to grow if they choose to use that wisdom," he said. "There's a choice, you can blame or you can accept. Almost all of my basketball wisdom came when I had my lunch handed to me as a coach."

He can sum up his basketball philosophy in six words: play hard; play smart; play together.

"Every player who played for me knew what was important to me on the court," he said.

Thirty-five years later, I can vouch for that.