Doug Porter

Yesterday I received an email from Doug Porter, the women's basketball coach at Olivet Nazarene University. Actually it was an email to a group of coach's that Coach Porter had been a mentor too over the last number of years. Speaking for me Coach Porter helped bring my passion back to basketball after I no longer wanted to coach the traditional way.


Coach Porter allowed me and other coaches into his practices, he shared his philosophy for the beautiful game he called "Tigerball". That philosophy that he shared has influenced basketball teams across the nation at the college and high school level.

I asked him if I could post his email on my blog and as he always is; he was kind enough to let me. Here it is;


“Hi Everybody!

We finished our season at Olivet Nazarene University last week at the NAIA national tournament in a disappointing fashion. Hit 10-27 threes in the first half to go up 54-41 at intermission, then had a shooting meltdown in the second half, going 0-22 from the arc, and 10-50 from the floor overall. Lost 84-83. In 250 system games here over the past eight seasons at ONU, we’ve NEVER had a “0 for ___” half until this game. So, next year, we are shooting only layups!

Just kidding.

In other news, I wanted to announce to the runandgun and grinnellsystem groups my retirement at ONU. After 34 years of coaching and 14 at Olivet Nazarene, I need a change of scenery, and want to step back from the game for a while. Our disappointment at the national tourney had nothing whatsoever to do with my decision (these things happen, and are the price we pay for avoiding those 52-47 games!) But for the past few months I’d been feeling the circumstances were right, and although I still love many things about coaching—and could see myself getting back in at some point in the future—I’ve always wanted to go out on top and this feels like a good time to do so!

Honestly, I might have stepped down sooner, but have been passionate these past several years about wanting to prove something to myself and my NAIA colleagues, something which most of you already know: that system basketball (our term is “TigerBall”) is a sound approach to the game. We’ve had a good run at ONU with 18 NAIA records, breaking our own 3-point totals this year (522 makes), setting a school records for wins to go along with our highest ranking in school history (10th) this season. But with our league (Chicagoland Collegiate) dropping down to the NAIA D-2 level next year, there will be lots of changes in our future, and I’m hoping to turn the program over to my assistant Lauren Stamatis, who wishes to continue the “TigerBall” tradition.

I’ll continue to check in with you guys from time to time, along with my co-author and friend Gary Smith, but please allow me to thank all of you with whom I’ve crossed paths in the past 8 years: “Colleagues in Chaos!” As we’ve traded ideas, I’ve learned so much from this group—and especially from Coach Arseneault—about the true values of the game. The group has been an invaluable resource for testing ideas and sharing insights, and I can’t tell you how much you’ve meant to me. So, please don’t hesitate to call or write if I can ever do anything for you!

Thanks for the memories,

Doug Porter

Olivet Nazarene Univ. “