NCDS: Larry DeSimpelare, Asst. Coach - Cleveland State ("The Importance of Scheduling")

By: Larry DeSimpelare, Asst. Coach - Cleveland State

One of the most challenging aspects of coaching at a mid-major division one school is scheduling.  It is an extremely important (and sometimes overlooked) aspect of your team's success.  If your schedule consists of weak competition and easy wins, you can build confidence in your team that may be false by the team your conference season rolls around.  If your schedule consists of high major programs or tough non-conference opponents, you may learn a lot about your team, but lose valuable confidence in those games.

Another important aspect to scheduling is your programs success.  If you are very successful program and have a dominant home record, you find it very difficult to schedule home and home contests with teams at your level.  In short, no one wants to take a loss unless to a high major where you can receive six figure guarantees.   Why risk a loss to a mid major team that your alumni, fans and supporters believe you should NEVER lose to! 

Last year, we hit a jackpot when we upset a nationally ranked team on the road.  It was a very fortunate win for us that would have gained some national exposure just by the shear nature of winning.  However, when we won on a 65 foot buzzer beater, it was the lead on ESPN Sportscenter for 24 hours.  Every news station in Cleveland was covering us, and doing lead stories on this amazing win.  The national exposure created by that game-winning shot was more valuable than any add campaign a university could ever buy.  Not to mention there was large financial guarantee just for playing the game.   Keep in mind, that may only happen once in your coaching lifetime, but finding the right team to compete against takes a solid amount of research, planning and good fortune! 

This season, with only four players who played on last season's NCAA Second Round team, we are finding some trials during this demanding non-conference season.  We are currently five games below .500 after losing a highly competitive game to West Virginia on Saturday and a tough one to Ohio State on Tuesday.  We've also still yet to play at Kansas State, where we'll be traveling to after Christmas.  Not to mention the first three games of our conference schedule are on the road. 

Lastly, it is important to find a good balance of scheduling teams that will challenge your club, raise their confidence, bring humility to the team and individual, and provide the path to play at their very best as the season moves forward.   This cannot be done without careful consideration and a well thought plan that leads far beyond the next season.  Great schedulers are long range planners, thorough investigators, and great salesmen.  Don't underestimate the importance of scheduling, whether you are the head coach, or an aspiring assistant.  Being good at it may be the second most important aspect of your program. 

Good luck.  Call us if you want to start a home and home series at Cleveland State in 2010!