Not everybody is made out to be an NBA head coach. If they were, guys wouldn’t be getting fired so often. The turnover rate in this league is 30%, far outpacing the other three major American sports. If you don’t show you have something early, the odds are good that you will be replaced quickly. Much of this comes down to lots of coaches not having a basic understanding of how to manage, develop, and elevate their players. This is because the requirements are both substantial and complex. Chicago Bulls fans are hoping Tiago Splitter is one of those few.
The team hired the 41-year-old after a brief but successful stint with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he went 42-40 and made the playoffs. It was the team’s first trip in half a decade. Yet the Blazers still decided to let him walk, not wanting to pay him a big extension. Chicago had no issues with that. Still, nobody had a clear idea of what the team was getting. Splitter offered clarity in an interview with 104.3 The Score. He made one thing clear. Coaching every player the same is a losing proposition.
| League | Average Tenure Length | Annual Turnover Rate |
|---|---|---|
| NBA | 2.4 – 3.0 years | 30% |
| NHL | 2.5 – 3.2 years | 25% |
| MLB | 3.1 – 3.5 years | 20% |
| NFL | 3.5 – 4.3 years | 15% |
Tiago Splitter understands one fundamental reality of coaching.
It is okay to hold every player to the same standard. That is a must for successful teams. However, there is a difference between that and coaching each player the exact same way. Certain guys don’t respond well to criticism and can lose their motivation. Others don’t have the necessary drive to work hard by themselves and need that extra kick in the pants from the coach to get going. Part of being a great coach is understanding that psychology is the bedrock of the job. Xs and Os don’t matter as much as managing personalities.
Perhaps the first notable head coach who made this approach famous was Vince Lombardi. The Green Bay Packers legend was famously said to have treated all of his players the same: like dogs. However, people who studied the man and played for him soon realized that wasn’t the case. Sure, he would treat certain players like dogs, but that was only because that was the type of coaching they responded to. Others, he would take a more subtle approach, offering encouragement.
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Tiago Splitter seems to have that same philosophy.
None of this should be a surprise.
After all, Splitter was mentored by two of the best head coaches of the past quarter-century. It started with Dusko Ivanovic in Europe. His track record was exemplary, winning at least one championship in six different leagues across the continent. He seems destined for the Hall of Fame after he finally retires. Then, when Splitter traveled stateside, he came under the wing of San Antonio Spurs icon Gregg Popovich, a five-time NBA champion. Few have ever been better at getting the most out of his players.
We have no way of knowing what kind of coach Splitter will be. What we do know is he’s been successful in his brief stints on the job and has been molded by some of the best to ever do it. He clearly learned the right lessons on how to manage players. This will be the first time he’s gotten to build something from scratch. Chicago has handed him a roster full of young, talented athletes. His goal is getting them to play smart, disciplined basketball as one.
