DRIVE Basketball :: Coaches Corner

(Pictured: Top left Coach Hyde-Lay is a current Assistant Coach with the University of Victoria Vikes who are ranked #4 in the Country.)

COACHES CORNER: IAN HYDE-LAY

We are proud to debut our latest "Coach's Corner" with one of the all-time greats, Ian Hyde-Lay. Coach Ian Hyde-Lay has been a fixture of the local hoops scene for over 25 years. He has coached numerous players who have gone on to play University basketball and played for the Canadian National Team. In 1992 he helped guide his SMU team to AAA championship with a very deep, talented and hard working squad led by a certain Steve Nash. Most recently Coach Hyde-Lay has brought his wealth of knowledge to the University of Victoria’s Men's Basketball coaching staff. Upon his arrival in 2004/05 the Vike’s earned a birth back to the National’s in Halifax and are currently ranked #4 in Canada.

DRIVE would like to thank Coach Hyde-Lay, a true legend in BC basketball, for sharing his wonderful thoughts in the latest edition of "Coach's Corner".

DRIVE: Where did your illustrious coaching career begin?

IHL: I was very fortunate to play at the University of Victoria 1975-1980 (where he was the captain of the first UVic Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championship team in 1979-1980.) and learn from Ken Shields. He had a great influence on my live and was a tremendous teacher of the game. It was a natural progression that I started coaching at high school level once I began my teaching career, first at Shawnigan Lake School and then at St. Michaels University School (SMUS). I was also fortunate to work with 2 National championship Vikes teams in 1982 and 1983. I thought in 1995, 1999 and 2003 SMUS had other legitimate chances to win but we did not achieve what we might have. Everything has to go right to win a Provincial Championships. You just cannot under perform in any one area or pick up and un-timely injury.

DRIVE: What is your greatest moment throughout your coaching career?

IHL: No one moment stands out over the others. Maybe 4 or 5 games over the years the team performed just about as well as possible – always against a powerful opponent. I’ve been lucky to work with so many terrific athletes and characters, and it has been very rewarding to see them achieve and develop both as players and people.

DRIVE: As Steve Nash's High school Coach, what are some of the attributes did he have that separated him from others?

IHL: Steve had everything. Charisma, intelligence, great leadership skills, sound moral values, unbelievable raw skill and a work ethic second to none. Other players have some of these attributes but only a very select few possess all of them.

DRIVE: You have had so much coaching experience through your career, howhas the game changed over the years? Is it for the better or the worse?

IHL: My feeling at the high school level is that players, overall, are bigger, quicker and faster. Yet I do not believe they are necessarily better that 15 years ago. Fundamental skills have declined. There are too many games. Often the ratio during a high school season is 4-5 games each week to every 1-2 practices. Imagine if this occurred in an academic setting, the necessary building blocks couldn’t be established. So I think that there are a handful of terrific players and teams in BC, there is also much more low quality basketball than there should be.

DRIVE: Now that you’re an Assistant Coach at UVIC, what's the biggest adjustmentyou notice that High school players have to make in order to play at the university level?

IHL: The speed of the University game is significantly different to high school, as is the size and strength of all the players. The fact that only a select few high school seniors (even the very cream of a high school class) can move immediately into a university lineup and contribute significantly right away.
There are so many other factors that take high school players out of their comfort zones, such as being away from home for their first time and adjusting to new academic and social environments.

DRIVE: You’ve coached many great point guards including the NBA’s MVP Steve Nash. Could you list the top 5 things a point guard needs to be able to do tobe successful.

IHL:

1. Leadership Skills

2. Work Ethic

3. Understanding of the game

4. Sound fundamental skills – particularly ball handling and passing

5. Integrity

.: For past article's from our Coaches Corner section click here.