Chalktalk Conversations: Head Coach Alan Major of Charlotte
Chris DiSano
I'll keep this introduction simple. While five years in this business is no eternity, it's enough time to meet a fair share of coaches, administrators and others around the game. In the past year, I've gotten to know 49ers head coach Alan Major and I'm not sure I've met a more genuine guy. For that reason, Major tips off this season as the first 'Chalktalk Conversation'.
Chris DiSano: Coach, thanks for talking as always. With your season ready to begin tomorrow, I suppose a good place to start is to ask you what you feel are the most important ingredients to achieving team success?
Alan Major: First, chemistry. Because you can have talent, but if you don’t have chemistry than that can go haywire. Other times, even if you don’t have high-level talent but still have chemistry you can still have something special and get the most out of that group. The other thing is being consistent. Those two things – we talk about them on our own team – are crucial. If you hit a skid, that will help you fight through.
Do you have a ballpark figure on extra wins per year, if any, for a team with great chemistry?
AM: I'd say it depends upon the type of team you have. If it's a team that’s growing, it could be the difference between 14 and 17. If it’s a special team with talent and experience, could be the difference between 25 or 32. It depends on the context of the group but, bottom line, chemistry is so important and creates an atmosphere of trying to play the game the right way. If you can have that, it can help you get the most out of a basketball team.
Well, its always difficult to determine character/chemistry until it's tested, but what is your take on the chemistry of your Niners team this season?
AM: We’re headed in the right direction. We’re clearly not perfect but we’re growing, we have a different dynamic. We have five guys who have experience and have been through the fires, so to speak, and then we have seven guys (five newcomers, two guys who sat last year) who will be playing their first Division I basketball game on Friday. But in terms of how they have been with eachother, I’m very pleased. I’m also very pleased with how our older guys have tried to show our younger guys what Charlotte basketball is all about in terms of our culture.
Shifting gears from this concept of chemistry to your development
as a basketball coach, I’m going to name a few of your
multi-year stops along the way and would love it if you can
weigh-in on what you took specifically from your experience at each
place.
AM: Sure.
Purdue...
AM: The meat-and-potatoes of basketball (laughs) from a Midwest standpoint. The fundamentals of basketball. Coach Keady was a phenomenal human being and he’s been a tremendous part of my life. But just the fundamentals: Defense, Toughness, Togetherness, Unselfish basketball, you name it… the fundamental nuts and bolts. To have a chance to have been part of that program, to me today, is still priceless.
Pacific…
AM: My first Division I stop. There, I learned to develop my own identity as a coach. Coach (Bob) Thomason let me have a ton of responsibility and allowed all of us on the staff to have freedom and grow. I owe him a tremendous amount. When you're young as a coach, you’re not always sure if you may be working for a micro-manager and you wonder if someone will allow you the freedom. Coach Thomason greatly accelerated my growth by giving me that freedom and responsibility. Together, our entire staff was able to take a team which hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament in 18 years, back to that place.
How about Xavier?
AM: The most critical thing I learned at Xavier was to understand how to continue a tradition. We didn’t arrive at Xavier having to change anything or reconstruct the program, as they had been successful long before we had arrived as a staff. So it was about us as a staff accepting the challenge and trying to take a progam that was already extremely successful to a place it had never been. That was gratifying to be able to take that team to the Elite Eight and within a few minutes of a Final Four.
Ohio State...
AM: (laughs) What can you say? At Ohio State I learned the importance of developing talent and maximizing talent. I’ll use Evan Turner as an example. He was the 74th ranked player coming out of high school and becomes the No. 2 NBA draft pick. Not that we were the sole reason why he developed, but when you provide guys an avenue for improvement and create a culture of improvement in terms of basketball knowledge, physically with strength and conditioning, and skill-wise with development, it’s amazing what can happen. That was a huge lesson for me. Don’t be satisfied with just having talent. Do your best as a coach to help the player max his talent out.
Let’s backtrack to your experience at Pacific for a minute because you touched upon an interesting point. How did your experience with Coach Thomason giving you freedom shape how you handle your assistants now at Charlotte?
AM: I’m still learning to get out of their way. Last year, I was probably in their way too much because it’s the first year, you’re trying to set a tone and you feel like you need to be that voice for a stretch. Even this year, I’m learning to step aside and allow those guys to do more, because that is going to be the best way that they grow. It’s somewhat similar to players. If they make a mistake, you can’t just pull them instantly or create a culture where they are always looking to the bench wondering if they are going to be pulled. You got to give them freedom to let them grow.
I’m very lucky and, to me, I’ve got the best staff in the country. Not only are these guys great coaches, but they are great husbands and dads and, in part, that’s what makes them great coaches because the way they treat their own families is the way they treat our guys as well.
As far as your faith in the assistants, is that the most important lesson you learned from year one on the job to year two, or is there another which stands out?
AM: I think having the right culture in place is most important. Last year, so much of what we were working on was just about establishing our culture; how we wanted our guys to carry themselves on and off the floor; to understand the magnitude of what they represent when they put the Charlotte jersey on and wear that gear… that they represent the University. Getting them to understand that if they treat that opportunity the right way, they can parlay that into other opportunities for themselves after college is over. It was so much about culture and understanding how to live your life the right way.
Speaking of living your life the right way, is there anyone who you particularly credit as being a mentor to you?
AM: There’s a line of people that goes around the block of folks who I credit. My parents first and foremost. Steve Miller, my seventh grade coach, who recently passed away. He was the first guy to tell me I was good and there’s no feeling like a coach telling you he believes in you.
My high school coach Fred Belser, who encouraged me to get
into coaching after high school. I knew I wasn’t going
to be a D-1 player and Belser encouraged me to pursue it.
Coach Keady, of course, and the opportunity he gave me. Steve
Lavin, who was graduate assistant under Keady, introduced me to the
summer camp circuit and the importance of meeting people. One
of the people who I met through Lavin was Mike Dunlap (now his
assistant as SJU), who gave me my first job at California Lutheran
University coaching Division III basketball. Then, Coach
Thomason giving me my first Division I opportunity. Bruce
Weber, Thad Matta, both great guys. Amazing. With Thad,
what developed was a nine year coaching relationship and one of the
best friendships I have. Everyone in their own way touched my
life and I owe ‘em a ton.
All of those folks, as you said, had a tremendous impact upon you along the way. Once you were hired at Charlotte, what surprised you after getting settled into the job?
AM: Two things. The tradition of the school, how impressive it is, and the tradition of the basketball team. I had done my research during the interview process, but honestly, you’re in a time warp when you’re going through an interview process. Once I got here, I got to meet former players and we’ve hosted two straight program ‘family reunions’ where we have a summer cookout that is a great time. As I’ve gotten more and more into it and met these guys personally, I’ve appreciated this tradition more and more.
When a school has been to a Final Four, what percentage of programs does that put you in having been to a Final Four? I’ve always wanted to do to the research but, regardless, it’s pretty unique… not many schools can say that. Charlotte can say that.
The other thing is the city of Charlotte. It’s impressive. Second largest banking industry with a global reach. It’s a powerful place and I’m excited to continue to build relationships with people in Charlotte.
Okay, back to this year’s team briefly given that we're right around the corner from seeing all of these newcomers in regular season action. What will this team do better? And, finish this sentence, “The Charlotte 49ers will max out if…”
AM: Great questions... I think this team will be better at being consistent. We showed flashes and wonderful snapshots of what we’d like to be last year with great wins against Xavier, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, but we had some heartbreaking losses, some of which were due to being up and down and not grasping the importance of playing at the same level every single night.
I truly believe that we will be better at being consistent and, if we max out how I think we’re capable of maxing out – though I’m not the Easter Bunny or Houdini – I have great confidence we’ll be playing sometime in mid-March.
Coach, as always, thanks so much for talking and best of luck to you and your team this season.
AM: Absolutely and happy to talk anytime, thank you.
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Photos courtesy Charlotte Athletics Media Relations and St. John's Athletics
