This is the third installment in a series of Q&A’s with DI basketball support staffers. Hopefully this series can be helpful for young coaches trying to climb the coaching ladder.
This edition is with University of Cincinnati Program Assistant Greg Youncofski:
What is your title? How long have you been in your current position?
I am currently in my third season as the Program Assistant at the University of
Cincinnati.
Where did you attend college?
The University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS.
Where have you coached previously?
I started my career as a student-manager at Kansas. I was very fortunate to spend
my college years learning from Coach Self and assistant coaches Norm Roberts, Joe
Dooley, Danny Manning, and Kurtis Townsend.
Why did you choose Cincinnati?
I chose Cincinnati because I felt it was a great opportunity to go from one tradition
rich program to another. Coach Cronin is one of the best teachers in all of
basketball and I felt (and was right about) that I could learn a lot from him and
assistant coaches Darren Savino, Larry Davis, and Antwon Jackson.
What are some of your responsibilities in your current role? I’m very fortunate in my current role to be able to do many different things.
Helping an assistant coach with a scout, breaking down film on our own team, class
checks, etc. are all apart of the job. Staying ready at all times to assist a coach with
whatever they may need to help make our team better is most important.
Any advice for young coaches looking to enter college athletics?
Coaching is a great profession and I could not imagine myself doing anything else.
A young person thinking about coaching needs to be someone who is eager to
learn and knows when to keep his mouth shut. Focus on your current job and do
everything you can to make your program better and the rest will take care of
itself. Be willing to meet other coaches and think about ways that you could help
them. Too often we are concerned with how someone can help us, but we should
be more concerned with what we can do for them. That will lead to more
meaningful relationships in the business. Send notes, plays, scouts/play calls, etc. to
other coaches as these are things that could help make their job easier.
Previous Support Staff Q&A’s:
