The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO: A Coach's Guide to Seeking & Securing, Building & Maintaining a Successful Program

by Matt Kramer, Randy Montgomery

What others in sports are saying about The Best-Laid Plans... "Randy and Matt have put together a great book for building a high school basketball program. ...This book would be an excellent read not only for high school basketball coaches, but also for coaches of all sports and all leaders of young people." from the Foreword by Bob Huggins "This book is a great source of information for any coach or interested reader about how to properly run a basketball program and lead young people. I personally have observed many of the ideas in this book, especially during Randy's career. In my years of high school and professional sports, I have not found a better blueprint for success than that which is presented in The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO." Dean Chance • 1964 Cy Young Award Winning Pitcher • All-Ohio and State Champion Basketball Player "I came to know Randy very well while recruiting one of his players. He runs as good a program as I have seen throughout the country. Randy and Matt Kramer have put together a great tool for design and example in how to lead a high school basketball program from top to bottom. The Best-Laid Plans comes to you with my highest recommendation. Brad Brownell • Head Men's Basketball Coach • Clemson University A leadership book, a book that offers tips on how to run a sports program from kindergarten through high school, an inspirational underdog story-The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO is all of the above and more. Here's a Matt Kramer's boys' basketball team from Navarre Fairless High School was perhaps the worst in the Canton (Ohio) area, finishing 3-19 in 2004; in 2005, he was sitting on a coaching "hot seat" at 0-12 in the middle of January. His program and his career were left for dead... ...Twenty-six months later, Coach Kramer was standing on a ladder in the Canton Memorial Field House cutting down the nets after his Fairless team won the prestigious Canton Division-II District Championship Game in overtime and earned a spot in Ohio's Division-II "Sweet-16". Miracle? No, it happened with hard work, a little luck, and the mentoring of a legendary 500-win coach, Randy Montgomery-ideas that are now shared here in The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO. Matt Kramer Born the son of a basketball coach on July 16, 1969, Matt Kramer spent his childhood in a gym by Dan Kamer's side watching him run the program at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron (Ohio). Kramer went on to play at Hoban, graduating in 1987, then went on to a two-year career as an NCAA Division-III collegiate basketball player at The College of Wooster for legendary coach Steve Moore. After transferring to Mount Union College in the fall of 1989, he incurred a back injury that ended his playing career and sent him down a career path in coaching and education. Married to his wife Christine since 1996 and father of three-sons Luke and Landon, and daughter Olivia-Matt Kramer shares ideas and stories here that range from being inspirational to heart-breaking, illustrating the roller-coaster ride a twenty-one-year career in coaching can be. Randy Montgomery A Hall-of-Fame high school basketball coach, and a disciple and close friend of West Virginia University head coach Bob Huggins, Randy Montgomery has spent over three decades using his innovative approach to lead two high school programs-Wooster Triway and North Canton Hoover-to elite status.

180 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2012

Reviews

[Frank Hamrick Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a voracious reader. I am ALWAYS reading a book on basketball or studying a video and I have to say, this is one of the best books I've read. I am a NORMAL High School basketball coach at a very normal school in the Charlotte, NC area. Most of the books and videos I read or watch are by guys who are at an ELITE level: Duke, West Virginia, DeMatha, etc. I often wonder how to translate D1 thinking to the level of a normal HS basketball team.

This book was the answer.

This book was written by guys on either end of the spectrum. On the one hand you have legendary Randy Montgomery with 500+ wins and on the other hand you have the guy who represents most of "us"...Matt Kramer with 100 wins. Hearing about how to build a program from both of these guys was just incredible. Randy represented the ideal while Matt spoke directly to my reality! I took a ton of GREAT ideas from this book, and probably most of all...I came away inspired.

Whether you achieve 500 wins or 100 wins...you can make a HUGE impact on the lives of the next generation and you can build something that will LAST. I give this book 5 stars and can't recommend it highly enough. Oh, and one more thing, Matt is so accessible. I've emailed him several times during the season and he never fails to respond.

If you are a "normal" coach like me...this is a must read. Also, get in touch with Matt...you won't regret it.