By: Mark Montieth
The Indianapolis Star
If you didn't play in the NBA, you need a hall pass for admittance to its exclusive coaching ranks. Mike Brown got his from Bernie Bickerstaff.
Bickerstaff, the Charlotte Bobcats coach, provided the inspiration and opportunity that helped Brown beat the system. Brown has done the rest, establishing himself as a respected assistant who, at 34, has interviewed for two head coaching positions.
"That's my guy", Bickerstaff said of Brown. "He's got a great basketball mind, a great work ethic".
"You need a chance to get in the door. But then it's on you. Everything that happened since then is because of Mike".
Now in his 13th season as an NBA assistant, Brown is an associate head coach in charge of defense for the Indiana Pacers. He interviewed with Toronto and Atlanta for head coaching positions last summer and was the runner-up to Mike Woodsen for the Hawks job.
Of the 30 NBA coaches, 10 did not play in the NBA or ABA. They need a connection, to know the right person at the right time, and then make the most of their chance.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had the benefit of playing in the NBA for five seasons, but he needed a break too. He got it in the same phone call New Jersey coach Bill Fitch that informed him he had waived early in the 1989-90 season. Carlisle started as an advance scout who sat behind the Nets bench on occasion, eventually working his way up to the bench.
Carlisle in turn has helped pave the way for Pacers assistants Dan Burke, who was the video coordinator in Portland when Carlisle was an assistant there, and Chad Forcier, with whom he became acquainted at summer camps.
"NBA coaching is a tough business to get into, because there aren't a lot of jobs," Carlisle said. "Familiarity with people and how they work is a big prerequisite to hiring."
Brown didn't even have a connection to the NBA as a senior guard at the University of San Diego. He knew he wasn't good enough to play in the NBA, but he also knew he wanted to coach. Somewhere. So when he grabbed an alumni magazine while sitting in the coaches' office, waiting to board a bus for a trip, he was intrigued by the face staring back at him from the cover.
There was Bickerstaff, a USD graduate who was coaching the Denver Nuggets. That photo and the article inside were like a Holy Grail for Brown, who took the magazine with him for inspirational reading.
Brown arranged a summer internship with Bickerstaff through his college coach at USD, Hank Egan. He started out providing free grunt labor as a video coordinator, scout and summer camp coach, and kept adding responsibilities.
"I was able to grow under him," Brown said. "He didn't hold me down or give me specific duties. Anything that came my way, I just started doing it. The more I got, the more hungry I got. I realized, 'Wow, I don't know how many people in this business enjoy this stuff, but I know I do.'"
Bickerstaff surprised Brown with a $1,500 check at the end of his summer internship and held a job for him until December, when he completed his final semester of college. Brown followed Bickerstaff to Washington, stayed on after Bickerstaff was fired, then moved on to San Antonio to work for Gregg Popovich, another coach who found his way to the NBA without playing professionally.
It takes more than connections to become a head coach. But if Brown gets his chance, he'll know where to trace his lineage - to the cover of that alumni magazine.
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When I saw the title of this article I knew it was a must read. Although my goal isn't to become a head coach in the NBA like Mike Brown, this article is relevant to anyone who would like to work for an NBA team. My career goal is to eventually work in the basketball operations department of an NBA team and through years of hard work and dedication, climb the ladder to President of Basketball Operations. Fortunately, I have the opportunity at Marist to work with Bernie Bickerstaff's (the current assistant coach for the Houston Rockets) godson, JJ Outlaw. Outlaw is the Director of Basketball Operations for the Red Foxes. Being able to work closely with JJ on a day-to-day basis and witness his motivation, hard work, and passion makes me appreciate this opportunity and continues to motivate me. Although a large part of being a manager is doing the small things that coaches don't want to do, everyone has to start somewhere. Doing your best work with whatever responsibility you are given is the fastest way to rise to the top.
Working with someone - Outlaw Jr. - with the same goals as me - getting to the NBA - and NBA connections helps me to understand what it takes to get there. Many people dream of working with professional teams after getting their college degree, but in reality it comes down to having a special resume and connections. I have been extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as a manager for the Marist men's basketball team and to work at several elite basketball camps the past summers.
Working hard in life gets you places. If I had not been cut from my high school freshman team, I might not have had the opportunity to be on the right path leading to my dream job. The reality of this situation is, however, that good contacts and good resume may be necessary to make it to the top, and many managers - due to their connections - are blessed with these opportunities to get their foot in the door.
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