Coach Danny Colangelo, Men’s Tennis Barton College
P.O. Box 5000
Wilson, NC 27893
Dear Danny:
You asked for some advice on coaching at Barton College.
Here are some suggestions.
- Be honest.
- Be fair.
- You are not a servant, but it is a service job.
- “There are two kinds of people at a golf course: workers and
players. All the players are looking for a job.” (Tennis coaching, too)
–Gerald Wallace - “You can’t make chicken salad until you get the chicken.”
–Buddy Bedgood - If you can’t get me and you don’t know the answer, call
Russell Rawlings (at Barton, 399-6358). Do what he says. - “If you want to be a coach, there are two rules: Keep your records
straight, and Don’t mess with the cheerleaders (or coeds or girl
players)” –Bob Burton, Elon basketball, 1990. - Don’t play illegal players.
- Learn the NCAA rulebook—not all the rules, but how to use the
book. Ask Gary Hall or your compliance officer every time you have
any questions. - People from eastern North Carolina have a built in “bull” detector.
Don’t even try it. - Earl Boykin (“Country” at E. B. Sports) is my dear friend.
Call him (291-5411). No one will look after the tennis center if you don’t.
- You work for the athletics director and the president. Be a positive
to those two important people. - Get the players in shape.
- Don’t panic if something goes haywire.
- Losing hurts bad enough. Don’t abuse your players. I always wait an
hour after a match to make suggestions. - Sportsmanship should be high on your team and coaching
priorities list. - Be careful in the van. Don’t schedule matches that dictate driving
too much in any one stretch. Did you hear that? Re-read it! - Don’t be a “budget buster.” Al Rehm: “I don’t want any cheese. I just
want to get out of the trap.” Find Al and Jean. They are looking
for you. - Don’t forget how much you know about tennis. Use your
intelligence, toughness, and “team first” knowledge. Be patient. - There are other teams and coaches at Barton. Their teams are
important, too. - There’s a fine faculty across the campus. They affect your teams.
- Tom Morris is an outstanding human being. He will be glad to help
if you need him. - Tell the boys at Dick’s Hot Dog Stand hello. You’ve probably already
been to Parker’s. - Barton is a fine school. Coaching is an opportunity to do a lot of
people a lot of good. Remember what tennis did for you. Pay back
your debts.
Let’s start with these 25. Call me any time you need me. Your coach,
Cc: Gary Hall, Director of Athletics, Russell Rawlings, Development Office,
Dr. Jim Hemby, President
The Little Green Book of Tennis 