Philosophy

Coach Tom Diener’s coaching philosophy is built on disciplined man-to-man defense, strong fundamentals, and a relentless drive for competitive excellence. His teams are known for their defensive toughness—guarding hard, communicating, and taking pride in stopping opponents through accountability and effort. Offensively, he emphasizes precision, spacing, and fundamental skill development, ensuring players make smart, unselfish decisions that elevate the entire team.

  • Whole - Part - Whole Teaching

  • Demand players COMPETE and FINISH on every single drill/play.

  • Teach individual and team skills in a simple competitive manner.

  • Drills teach both offense and defense and always reinforce good habits - never bad habits.

  • Versatile press breaker invented by Dean Smith that can be employed against all presses.

  • Out of bounds plays with great spacing and angles that require little time to master but ensure successful entry.

  • Man defensive system that is simple and straight forward to teach with specific drills to teach specific skills.

  • Play time and score basketball.

  • Define players defensive strengths and weaknesses.

  • Attack and be successful versus a half court 1-3-1 zone.

  • What to say during timeouts. “It’s not what you tell your players, it’s what they hear, and can execute.”

  • Practice to beat the best not the average.

  • Proven quick hitter plays verses man defense. (space, spots, angles, timing)

  • Motion principles versus zone defense.

  • In-bound versus extreme pressure to close out game from everywhere on the floor. (2025 Duke team lost because of this)

  • Practice special situations every day