COACH JIM MCGANNON
Coach Jim McGannon has the experience and communications skills to impact players, parents, administrators and management alike.
He played D-1 basketball and golf in the Ivy League at Dartmouth College, followed by stints playing in Europe and also professional golf in North Carolina. But these achievements are not why choosing him as a partner/consultant will resonate with those who attend.
Coach is the 9th of 10 children. In that remarkable brood the concepts of competition, empathy, hard work, achievement, humor, patience and perspective were not only taught everyday but also lived and modeled by his parents and siblings.
At the core of his training is his favorite 4 letter word: L-O-V-E. That ageless emotion must fit hand-in-glove with T-R-U-S-T.
Whether you are a parent hoping for guidance in your child’s sports choices, a coach wanting to understand how to better motivate his players, an administrator trying to grasp how to build excellence into your organization or an executive striving to build a more competitive and sustainable workplace, love in some form or fashion must be present, sincere and encouraged.
EXPERIENCE
- All State, Fairfield (CT) Prep School-basketball
- D-1 at Dartmouth College (2 sports–basketball and golf)
- 6’9″, 250 lbs
- European player (France), L’Equippe de Blois
- Worked as a retail executive for Lord+Taylor, Brooks Brothers and Alfred Dunhill (thru 1990)
- Played Professional Golf (1991-95) based in Pinehurst, NC.
- Participated in PGA Tour qualifier twice (then called the “Q School”)
- Central to a Rick Reilly Sports Illustrated article, “Dealt a Bad Hand”, about the demise of caddies.
- General manager of private golf and city clubs in Nashville, Hilton Head, Chapel Hill and Greenwich, CT.
- Founded Basics Sports in 2006 and CoachMcGannon.com in 2021
- As of 2021, 141 Basics graduates have made it to the college level, 15 D-1.
PHILOSOPHY
Our approach to the game begins and ends with Coach John Wooden’s** anthem of helping develop players to their full potential ON and OFF the fields-courts of play. The players-staff who attend receive reinforcement with many issues that apply in athletics or life generally. A few examples would be: respect for one another, hard work, showing up on time, making eye contact, learning from mistakes, handling disappointment, frustration and defeat, winning and losing with dignity, courtesy and politeness, developing poise and composure, improving listening skills. These are just a few of the traits that apply to successful competitors in any endeavor.
Coach McGannon’s coach at Dartmouth College was Gary Walters, the recently retired athletic director at Princeton. Coach Walters played at Princeton in the 1960’s with Bill Bradley. Our technical approach to the game mirrors the discipline, work ethic, precise nature of skill development and execution as taught by Coach Walters. Sharp skills, great conditioning and then competing with YOUR HEAD are all hallmarks of Basics.
**Coach John Wooden led UCLA to 10 NCAA Men’s D-1 basketball championships, including 7 consecutively. He is considered by many to be the greatest coach of all time, at ANY level in ANY sport. See Sporting News Top 50 list here
HISTORY
Born and raised in Norwalk, CT to Robert and Rita McGannon
Coach is the 9th of 10 children. 5 sisters and 4 brothers: PERFECT for a full court game!
All State High School Player, Fairfield (CT) Prep School
D-1 player: Dartmouth College (basketball and golf)
Caddie Master at Pinehurst # 2 1991-1995. Caddied for Arnold Palmer, practice round:1994 United States Senior Open in Pinehurst, NC.
Moved to Michigan in 2000, 3 children (Henry, Elise, Laine)
Founded Basics in 2006 with no gyms! Hustled to local facilities and got to know stakeholders in the various communities. Basics has been a breeding ground for many of the best players in West Michigan since our founding (over 100 graduates now are or have played in college).
2021 Launched Coach McGannon to revolutionize youth sports.
