野马队训练伯格的未来

From youth basketball to Texas Tech assistant coach, 布莱恩•伯格 ’03 made his dreams a reality.

跟我们说说你在篮球方面的经历吧. 你对这项运动的热情是什么时候开始的?

BB: 我从四岁开始接触篮球. 我的爸爸, 谁是我的英雄, played college basketball and from an early age my love for the game has grown substantially.

MMU:你在Mount Mercy打了两年篮球. 那是什么样的经历?

BB: I value the relationships made both on the court and off the court. I am very thankful that Coach Gavin and Coach Drymon recruited me. 我在Mount Mercy大学的经历改变了我的一生. I developed lifelong friends and truly learned a lot about myself.

This was my first time living outside of the state of Texas and, 远离家人, 你在一个新的环境中了解自己. I look back on my years at Mount Mercy and cherish the memories throughout my time as a student-athlete. I was challenged on the court by great staff and also in the classroom that helped mold me into the person I am today.

MMU:你从2003年开始执教. What sparked your interest in coaching, and where has it taken you?

BB: I grew up with a basketball in my hand because I wanted to be like my father. In many cases, the life lessons that he taught me all came from his college coach. 团队合作, 职业道德, 纪律, 无私, and toughness were all life skills that he relayed to me—and that he uses on a day-to-day basis in running his business.

I often look back at the relationships with the coaches from Mount Mercy. The one thing that sticks out is the relationships with Coach Gavin and all his assistants. 他们说真话，建立信任关系. This is a concept that I try to use with players at Texas Tech.

MMU: What was one of your proudest moments as a coach, and how did it impact you?

BB: The past seasons have been magical—participating in an Elite 8 against Villanova and playing for a national championship against Virginia. 当我回首往事, some of the most powerful moments are the phone calls from former players thanking our staff and me for the 纪律 and accountability that the players now use on a daily basis in the real world. They are using the pillars that we teach every day in the real world (teamwork, 纪律, 无私的, 尊重, 没有权利).

We strongly believe in our program that we are creators of men who will have success on the court and off by being held to a high standard of accountability and 纪律 with extreme consistency. Through the 15 years I've coached, one concept I'm sure of is that student-athletes crave 纪律. 他们可能会在早期进行斗争, but the 纪律 provides structure and takes over into a common routine that allows them to have success. The second concept is believing in a team setting and playing for the guy next to you. These two attributes are very common, in my opinion, in any successful organization.

MMU: Thirty-six of your players have gone on to play professional basketball—what do you think contributes to your success?

BB: I’ve been very fortunate to work with great coaches and great players. A few common traits that stand out for the players and coaches that have success is 纪律 and consistency with a specific plan. Each and every player that I've worked with that is elite always has had a specific plan. 我们在节目中经常问的问题是, “你想要什么?, 你愿意做什么来实现它?“我们会问所有球员这两个问题, 并为他们制定了一个具体的计划或愿景. We believe in a "process" that consists of eight to nine daily habits that are completed at a high level. 这种“过程,“每天完成, 允许玩家成长和发展, 给他们最好的机会去实现他们的梦想. 我没有提到职业道德，因为这是既定的. 如果你不努力工作，你不能接受指导, 你不仅要在篮球场上挣扎，还要在现实世界中挣扎.

MMU:跟我们说说你的教练学习经历吧. 它对你有什么影响?

BB: "Adversity introduces a man to himself" and "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, 但他在面临挑战和争议时的立场.这两句话让我印象深刻，因为, 无论是篮球还是生活, 你将面临逆境. These are some of the most important times in players' lives that mold them into the men they will become. 在进入四强的过程中，我们经历了很多磨难. Early in the year the coaching staff created it in a controlled environment on the practice court.

We strongly believe in mental toughness and our motto "4:1" (the mental is to physical as 4 is to 1). Injuries during the season created adversity, and it challenges not only players but also coaches. Through the ups and downs of the season, adversity hit and allowed our team to grow closer. The learning experience is that you truly understand who you are and what you stand for through adversity. 我们团队在今年晚些时候建立的纽带是难以想象的. Some of the closeness came through tough, adverse times throughout the year.

在你的职业生涯中，你最期待的是什么? 你接下来要做什么?

BB: 我的梦想是成为NCAA一级联赛的主教练. I’ve been extremely fortunate to work for some very talented head coaches. 克里斯·比尔德(德克萨斯理工大学), 克米特·戴维斯(密西西比大学), LeVelle Moton(北卡罗来纳中央), and Robbie Laing (UCF) have all made an impact on my coaching philosophy. 从他们的教诲和作为我的良师益友, I've been able to formulate my own coaching philosophy and am hoping in the near future to have the opportunity to run my own program.

“我已经能够形成自己的教练哲学,and am hoping in the near future to have the opportunity to run my own program."

你还有什么想补充的吗?

BB: Thank you to President Hamen for coming to the Final 4 and cheering on the Red Raiders! Thank you to Coach Gavin and his staff for giving me the opportunity to come to such a great university. Thank you to the professors who might not have known they made an impact on my life but they did: Dr. 弗兰克·贾斯兹博士. 汤姆·卡塞尔，杰伊·舒尔丁纳，戴尔·哈里森. 简·汉德勒博士. 夏洛特·法伦，还有很多其他人.