The Carolina Way

February 1, 2004
Smith (A Coach's Life), basketball coach at the University of North Carolina for nearly 40 years, holds the record for the most college basketball victories and can boast that 96% of his players graduated from college and about one third of them earned graduate degrees. Writing with Bell, a professor at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, and Kilgo, a newspaper columnist, Smith analyzes his coaching tactics and how they can be used to succeed in the corporate arena. The book focuses on Smith's key strategies, including practicing, treating all players fairly and emphasizing teamwork. Comments from former players, now successful business executives, are interspersed with Smith's own words. Smith says:"Did we play hard? Did we play together? Did we play smart? If the answers to those questions are yes, there should be satisfaction gained from a successful execution of the plan, regardless of whether it resulted in winning or losing." In discussing the decision to promote a woman to a top company position, the authors say,"If you want to motivate people to work hard, work smart, and work together, help them become successful. People give back what they receive." Smith's philosophy obviously works and he has legions of fans, but sometimes his message gets lost within his comments on the corporate world, anecdotes, and observations from former players. Overall, the book will be a useful tool for those not expecting easy one-liners from the sidelines.

Starred review from June 1, 2004
Using Smith's approach to playing basketball, Bell's management applications, and Kilgo's presentation of player perspectives on their experiences at North Carolina under basketball coach Smith, this audiobook shows the real working-world application of Smith's coaching theory and practice. It proves that the common experience at Carolina indeed created a basketball "family" among coaches and players and shows the extraordinary humanity of Smith himself. Smith crafted a system that won four NCAA national championships, winning 75 percent of their games while graduating 96 percent of their basketball scholar athletes. The solid tips in this program concerning careful staff recruiting and the creation of the proper workplace atmosphere should allow managers to form and nurture a working team as effective as the Carolina "family." Straightforward, practical, and thought-provoking; a sports book that will make ordinary managers into Smith fans. Very highly recommended for sports management collections.-Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.