Annapolis Basketball Coach Still Teaching and Learning

Annapolis boys’ basketball coach John Brady picked up his 700th win earlier last month, a milestone he didn’t spend much time celebrating. He had been focused on the playoffs and the possibilities of wins 701 and beyond.

Brady, 63, just ended his 41st high school coaching season, 34 of those as head coach at Annapolis High School, which finished the regular season 18-4. And he sees no immediate end in sight, noting that he’s still on the road to 1,000 wins.

But he did take a brief break before practice the other day to reflect on the game he has studied and taught to area youth for two-thirds of his life.

The Players

The NBA has had a major influence on teenage basketball skills, Brady said.

“More kids are good ball-handlers now” than 30 years ago, he said. “And when I say ball-handling I don’t mean passing. Passing may have gotten worse.”

NBA-admiring high school players also are better one-on-one players, something that’s changed the high school game.

“You very seldom see a kid that’s good coming off the screen," he said. "It’s more off the dribble. Years ago we had to worry about defending the screen all the time. Now you better worry about defending the ball.”

The Rules

The boys’ high school game needs a shot clock, Brady said. There is a clock in girls’ high school, all college divisions and the pros. The rule is because many coaches “think the shot clock takes some advantages away from the underdogs,” he said. “It doesn’t. You can do all kinds of things with the shot clock.”

He likes the idea that a shot clock provides options other than fouling at the end of a game. And the clock doesn’t play a big role in other cases, something he has demonstrated by using a shot clock during the Annapolis winter tournament.

Brady said he also would like a change in the foul-shooting rule that don’t let players move till the ball hits the rim.

“I liked it better on the release,” he said. “You could do some coaching with that.”

Overall, he said he “doesn’t have any problems” with rules old and new. Most high school rules are designed by coaches who know the needs of the game and the challenges facing referees.

The School

Over the years, the often-brash coach has been synonymous with Annapolis, once one of the dominant teams of the county. There’s the assumption that his team has flourished because basketball is an urban game. Others assume he struggles to keep players eligible and has to handle more off-sport issues than schools with more affluent players.

Neither is true these days, Brady said. Lately, his teams have had smart kids, many in Annapolis’ International Baccalaureate program.

“Things have kind of evened out over the years," he said. "I got lots of good students, not one (disciplinary) referral this year. These guys are all smart this year; they’re nice guys. The parents are involved.”

But the years have given Brady a different perspective on how the lives of players affect the game. He’s seen a little loss of “toughness.”

When Annapolis first relocated to Riva Road, players didn’t have cars and some struggled to get to practice. They had to really work to be part of it.

“We would have brutal practices,” he said, “because they wanted to play.”

Today’s players aren’t always as hungry, he said.

“Some of the things seen as disadvantages turned out to be advantages,” he said.

Most vivid memory

Winning the 1990 state championship, 106-102, was particularly nice because it was an exciting, well-played game and the same players had lost in the final the year before, to the same team, High Point.

“I felt good for the players,” he said.

But Brady said he doesn’t have a single favorite coaching moment. He’s been to the state tournament 17 times and notes it gets harder to get there every year. And it’s been disappointing on occasion to get that far and have an off night.

This year, the Panthers were upset in the state tournament by Old Mill 78-61.

But really there is no single win or loss that stands out. In that regard, Brady said, he’s like Bobby Knight: It’s not that he loves winning; he just hates losing.

The Coach

Brady won’t say he’s mellowed over the years. But he has learned.

He used to vent after games and over-talk the pregame. These days, he said, “I try to do pregame and postgame with just a couple points because I think after that you’re just talking to yourself.”

He said he’s become more efficient and creative at practice. He’s a disciplinarian, but not overbearing.

“I’m not crazy," he said. "I’m not going to run these kids into the ground.”

And he said he will always be a student of the game.

“I really enjoy the offseason," he said. "That’s when I really explore different things. During the season you’ve got to stick with what you do.”

Over the years, he said he’s learned from colleagues in the county and coaches around the country.

“I’m not interested in treading water,” he said.

Advice

In the end, learn as much as you can about the game and teach it the most efficient way you can. And remember, you’re just the coach.

“It’s not what you know, it’s what your players do,” he said.