UC Davis Head Coach Jim Les joins the Slappinâ Glass Podcast to discuss the daily habits behind elite performance, building trust before asking for hard truth, and creating a team environment where productive conflict can be handled quickly. Coach Les explains why urgency starts with what a staff is willing to tolerate, how written player goals can sharpen accountability, and why âthe game knowsâ has become a central teaching idea in his program.
On the tactical side, he breaks down UC Davisâs use of Princeton and chin action, the value of a dynamic catch before the pick and roll, teaching split cuts through clear order of operations, and using multiple offensive modes during a game. The conversation closes with ball-screen coverage complexity, deciding whether to fix or cover a team weakness, and the coaching investment that has kept him learning for more than two decades.
Episodes Chapters
02:51Â The traits of elite players and teams
03:22Â Urgency habits and editing your life
08:40Â How Coach Les changed as a communicator
11:17Â Protecting the head coachâs voice
13:40Â The game knows
15:47Â Building a pre-practice habit system
18:17Â Teaching passing off the dribble
19:36Â Productive conflict inside a team
22:27Â Staff communication and alignment
25:06Â Investing in relationships with players
28:51Â "Start Sub or Sit" Princeton into pick and roll
30:15Â Dynamic catches and sprinting into the screen
32:03Â Why Princeton punishes good defensive principles
34:55Â Teaching split cuts and the feeder is the leader
36:36Â Attacking the closeout before the ball screen