FSN SportScience

[kmspeaks]

Today on FSN SportScience they were exploring factors that athletes have no control over. They included coaching style as one of these factors. They were doing an experiment to determine whether a intimidating dictator type coaching style or a nurturing father figure coaching style gets better results from an athlete.
They had a college kid shooting 10 free throws while being coached by two different style coaches and he made 7 when coached by the encouraging positive guy and 8 when coached by the screamer.
The show then posed the question how would this experiment play out over time. They compared Bobby Knight and Coach K. The show stated that over the last 5 years Knight's teams shot 71% from the line compared to 68% by K's teams and Knight's teams won 66% of games decided by 3 points or less (i'm not totally sure about this number but i think it was around there) while Duke only won 45% of these games.
First, anyone with better information than me know how those numbers would change it we took 5 years excluding last season? I'm thinking they would be different but I'd be interested to see how different.
Second, what do you think about these "conclusions"? Obviously there are many factors contributing to the numbers above but how much do you think K's coaching style factors in?

[captmojo]

I don't know how much teaching styles have to do with it. I think the most effective teachers of the shot are the ones who can teach the physical mechanics best. I liken it to a pitching coach in baseball. The shooter who is most consistent in making the shot is the one who is focused and comfortable, and has a routine about his shot. For some, this can be seen in going so far as to make a jump shot out of it. Hal Greer was successful at this method for years. For others, it can be mental focus, such as was the case with JJ Redick.

Even though they were good at it, Chamberlain and Barry's underhand shot hopefully won't make a return soon. On second thought, if our guys can hit 90% with this style you won't hear me complain!

[dukerev]

They compared Knight and K? That seems odd. K has been known to chew on some rearend when needed and I understand that Knight also tries to build good relationships with his players (though not in the same way K does obviously). While K clearly builds relationships through encouragement, he also leads by screaming, cussing, etc. when needed. Maybe they should have compared Knight and someone else. Bruce Pearl? What coach out there only encourages?

[throatybeard]

Yeah, like, how is K nice benign paternal Bowden dude?. K is like RMK-lite. He's nice RMK. Or that was the conventional wisdom for a long time.

[JasonEvans]

This is virtually impossible to measure by looking at one coach versus one other. You would have to look at a much larger population and a ton more data to draw any meaningful conclusion.

And I doubt you could draw a meaningful conclusion from it.

--Jason "Knight vs K seems like a very strange comparison-- I would have looked at Knight versus Wooden" Evans