A System of Game Execution: Observations of Ralph Miller's Pressure Basketball

I have over 50 books and videos relating to baksetball coaching. Some deal with certain aspects of the game, others deal with a system. A System of Game Execution is by far the best coaching book I have ever seen. It tells of the history of basketball, how that history is related to the system, the philosophy of the system, drills for the system, and how everything within the system ties together. The book is written by Steve Seidler and explains in detail the system used by the late Ralph Miller at Oregon State University. Steve was an assistant to Ralph at OSU. Steve also provides his e-mail address and is very good about replying to e-mails. The system is sound and easy to teach and learn. The drills help the players to teach themselves the system. The system is based on team concept and pressure on the opponent at all times. I feel every basketball coach on any level should have this in their library. It is a book you can read again and again and learn something more each time.

I purchased this book last winter at mid-season and I soon realized that I had uncovered a gold mine. Author Steve Seidler was an assistant to Ralph Miller at Oregon State from 1980-1987. Ralph Miller is probably the greatest college coach of all time but never got the credit he deserved because he could not attract blue chip players to Oregon State. Therefore, the closest he ever got to a national championship was one game shy of the final four ( 1982 ). But if you take a look at his record and if you consider what he accomplished with limited talent at OSU, you find that in retrospect, his accomplishments were much more impressive than the name brand coaches. ( John Wooden, for example, finally beat a Ralph Miller team when he began attracting the Abdul-Jabbars ( Alcindor ) and Waltons. Prior to that era, Ralph's teams at Witchita State and Iowa upset Wooden three straight times. ) The beauty of Ralph Miller's pressure basketball system is that it is simple. It reduces basketball to the components that always win games: defense, constant pressure, proper spacing and teamwork. And it leaves out ridiculous drills and impossible-to-understand offenses. Miller's system is based on six drills, a basic offensive set and two simple defenses. No, you can't read it once and understand it. You have to study it. And you will have questions. But Steve offers his e-mail address and is really good about responding to questions. A video is also offered with the book. I found this to be very helpful because you see how the drills need to be executed by the players ( the video is essential for this ). And you see the Miller offense and defense in action. Results? I immediately employed several of the drills and offensive/defensive sets. It is difficult to switch gears during the middle of a season but I did as much as I could. My first-year high school team improved dramatically. They ended the season at 15-7, 23rd best regular season record in the state in their division. The drills were very helpful. This summer, I have employed the whole system and I can see the improvement and efficiency in their game. And the teamwork has improved. Ralph had 50 years experience and in that span, had only three teams with a losing record. Understand the beauty of this system, trust it and employ it. More than likely, you will take your teams to their full potential.

After reading the book and watching the video, I could see why Ralph Miller was so successful. His mastery of the fundamentals and ability to integrate them into everyday practice was outstanding. Steve Seidler's book is a must for young coaches searching for a sound fundamental system of teaching basketball.

There are more ways to coach basketball than just the popular theories of today's game and this book provides the methods and approaches to this. The book does a real good job of explaining from step 1 to completion of a system that utilizes and maximizes teaching time and how to accelerate the learning curve of the player.

The content of the book is outstanding. Any coach who reads this book will be able to take the information and immediately incorporate it into winning basketball games. By teaching the fundamentals that Coach Miller has used, tremendously helped our program. The way the whole system is explained really enabled me to become a better coach and understand the simplicty of the game.The video was also outstanding. Being able to visually see what the book outlined helped in the understanding of the entire system. From practice drills to game footage you can see how and why Coach Miller was so successful. I have watched it over and over again and learned something new each time.