The following article was posted in the local newspaper this week about the greatest basketball coach in Pennsylvania High School Basketball history. It is a great article that inspired me to do a little research on Coach McCluskey. I found some great articles on his philosophies and teaching methods which I will post soon.
A Young McCluskey Watcher Learned More Than Basketball
By Jim Raykie
The Sharon Herald: Mon., May 3, 2010
I got a call about a month ago from Lee Adams of Pittsburgh, who is putting together an hour-long story about former Farrell High basketball coach Ed McCluskey for Comcast Cable.
The legendary coach's name crops up from time to time in the national spotlight, although it is well beyond two decades since he died in 1987. The latest was during the NCAA tournament, when Final Four coach Bob Huggins of West Virginia talked about his relationship with McCluskey throughout the years.
Lee, who played for Penn Hills and said he felt the wrath of the Farrell defense up close and personal in the 1970s during a playoff loss, asked if I would contribute to the program and help him line up ex-players and others. He wants them to tell first-hand stories - not limited to ones of basketball - about the coach to provide insight into Pennsylvania's most storied program.
I idolized McCluskey as a teacher and a coach, and jump at any chance to preserve his memory and the legacy that he created at Farrell High. During my conversation with Lee, I told him of my many hours at the gym as a high school student and young adult during McCluskey's practices, soaking up the experience.He asked what I learned beyond Xs and Os of basketball. I had never been asked that question, and the more I have thought about it since he called, the more I realize how many lessons in life that I learned from watching him, maybe subconsciously, from hours in the stands at the E.J. McCluskey Gymnasium. Here are at least 10.
Punctuality
Be where you are supposed to be, and be there on time. If you were late, if only by a second or two in McCluskey's 2-3 zone defense, you encountered his wrath for being the cause of allowing a cheap basket. Being on time was paramount.
Precision
When I watched McCluskey coach that zone defense throughout the years, angles and spacing, practically down to inches, were critical. Almost didn't cut it, and his players had to be precise, almost to the point of impossibility.
Focus
When McCluskey ran a practice, no one talked, and all sets of eyes were on him and the players on the court. Assistants spoke up only when asked. Paying attention was a must when playing for him, and seperated the wheat from the chaff.
Teamwork
It was a hallmark of McCluskey. While he had leaders and star players throughout the years, it was all about team, long before Coach Norman Dale said it in "Hoosiers" in 1986: "Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit...team, team, team...no one more important than the other."
Preparation
McCluskey's practices were for the sole purpose of getting ready for the next opponent, for the second half of the season, for the playoff run, and one would argue, for the following season. The coach was the king of preparing his players - mentally as well as physically - and it helped his teams beat others with far better talent.
Time Management
The coach's daily practices were scripted, and not one minute was wasted. His practice schedules, of which former Coach Frank Sincek has many, are practical lessons in time management. If the schedule called for 20 minutes of practicing the motion offense, he blew the whistle, added a comment or two, and moved on to the next segment right on cue.
Respect
Whether it was respect from a player to a coach, a player to a player, or his team for an opponent, respect was one of the laws. If you didn't have it when you started playing for him, you had it when he was finished with you. If you didn't get it, you were gone.
Persistence
It's cliche that there's no substitute for brutal persistence, but that's the way it was at Farrell. Whether it was being persistent to be successful or persistent to improve one's deficiencies (the main reason for the summer basketball program run by McCluskey), persistance was one of the main ingredients in his career.
Limitations
Harry Callahan said it in "Magnum Force" in 1973 - a good man has to know his limitations - but McCluskey had that philosophy long before the creation of Dirty Harry. Tied to his philosophy of team first, it was do what you are best capable of doing, and do it well. Forget the rest. Anything else gave an opponent opportunity.
Leadership
McCluskey was the consummate leader, and he developed them on the floor. Not many of his teams lacked leadership. Some may have been less talented than others, but not because they were without leadership.
A Young McCluskey Watcher Learned More Than Basketball
By Jim Raykie
The Sharon Herald: Mon., May 3, 2010
I got a call about a month ago from Lee Adams of Pittsburgh, who is putting together an hour-long story about former Farrell High basketball coach Ed McCluskey for Comcast Cable.
The legendary coach's name crops up from time to time in the national spotlight, although it is well beyond two decades since he died in 1987. The latest was during the NCAA tournament, when Final Four coach Bob Huggins of West Virginia talked about his relationship with McCluskey throughout the years.
Lee, who played for Penn Hills and said he felt the wrath of the Farrell defense up close and personal in the 1970s during a playoff loss, asked if I would contribute to the program and help him line up ex-players and others. He wants them to tell first-hand stories - not limited to ones of basketball - about the coach to provide insight into Pennsylvania's most storied program.
I idolized McCluskey as a teacher and a coach, and jump at any chance to preserve his memory and the legacy that he created at Farrell High. During my conversation with Lee, I told him of my many hours at the gym as a high school student and young adult during McCluskey's practices, soaking up the experience.He asked what I learned beyond Xs and Os of basketball. I had never been asked that question, and the more I have thought about it since he called, the more I realize how many lessons in life that I learned from watching him, maybe subconsciously, from hours in the stands at the E.J. McCluskey Gymnasium. Here are at least 10.
Punctuality
Be where you are supposed to be, and be there on time. If you were late, if only by a second or two in McCluskey's 2-3 zone defense, you encountered his wrath for being the cause of allowing a cheap basket. Being on time was paramount.
Precision
When I watched McCluskey coach that zone defense throughout the years, angles and spacing, practically down to inches, were critical. Almost didn't cut it, and his players had to be precise, almost to the point of impossibility.
Focus
When McCluskey ran a practice, no one talked, and all sets of eyes were on him and the players on the court. Assistants spoke up only when asked. Paying attention was a must when playing for him, and seperated the wheat from the chaff.
Teamwork
It was a hallmark of McCluskey. While he had leaders and star players throughout the years, it was all about team, long before Coach Norman Dale said it in "Hoosiers" in 1986: "Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit...team, team, team...no one more important than the other."
Preparation
McCluskey's practices were for the sole purpose of getting ready for the next opponent, for the second half of the season, for the playoff run, and one would argue, for the following season. The coach was the king of preparing his players - mentally as well as physically - and it helped his teams beat others with far better talent.
Time Management
The coach's daily practices were scripted, and not one minute was wasted. His practice schedules, of which former Coach Frank Sincek has many, are practical lessons in time management. If the schedule called for 20 minutes of practicing the motion offense, he blew the whistle, added a comment or two, and moved on to the next segment right on cue.
Respect
Whether it was respect from a player to a coach, a player to a player, or his team for an opponent, respect was one of the laws. If you didn't have it when you started playing for him, you had it when he was finished with you. If you didn't get it, you were gone.
Persistence
It's cliche that there's no substitute for brutal persistence, but that's the way it was at Farrell. Whether it was being persistent to be successful or persistent to improve one's deficiencies (the main reason for the summer basketball program run by McCluskey), persistance was one of the main ingredients in his career.
Limitations
Harry Callahan said it in "Magnum Force" in 1973 - a good man has to know his limitations - but McCluskey had that philosophy long before the creation of Dirty Harry. Tied to his philosophy of team first, it was do what you are best capable of doing, and do it well. Forget the rest. Anything else gave an opponent opportunity.
Leadership
McCluskey was the consummate leader, and he developed them on the floor. Not many of his teams lacked leadership. Some may have been less talented than others, but not because they were without leadership.
I am looking for information on Coach McCluskey Offense Herb.Welling@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI remember attending summer camps at Brookfield High School under Coach McCloskey. He taught me the importance of tenacious defense! I grew up listening to the games on the radio in the early 70's and remember the 1972 Championship team. A great coach and program.
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