Coach Brian Katz on His New Book ‘It’s Not About The Ball’ and the NIL/Transfer Portal Reality

Justin welcomes back Northern California coach Brian Katz for a third podcast episode to discuss Katz’s second book, “It’s Not About The Ball: A Modern Basketball Story,” and his views on today’s basketball and college sports landscape. Katz shares what he’s been doing since retiring, including local March Madness analysis, and emphasizes four keys to winning: foul line, three-point line, rebounding, and turnovers. He explains rebounding drills (including taping rims) and the “go or get back” approach learned from elite rebounding coaches. Katz argues coaching and teaching are being devalued amid NIL, transfers, and lack of enforceable rules, and says most athletes chase “fool’s gold” at the expense of education. He offers candid advice on recruiting realities, parents and trainers, player development, and why winning and player growth can coexist. 00:00 Coach Katz Returns 00:49 Staying Involved Post Coaching 01:42 March Madness Trends 02:38 Four Keys To Winning 05:06 Quick Career Recap 05:54 Rebounding Secret Sauce 08:02 Go Or Get Back 10:23 Retirement To Writing 10:58 NIL And Devalued Education 13:54 NCAA Toothless Wild West 16:01 Portal Chaos And Integrity 19:27 Parents Ego And Misinformation 22:51 Coaches Cant Speak Freely 26:22 Handling Parents And Transfers 29:55 Owning The Desire To Win 33:54 Recruiting Reality Check 36:14 Coaches Work 24 7 38:08 Winning Over Stats 43:20 Positions And Intangibles 45:53 Money Mindset Shift 47:52 Do You Need College 48:57 Versatility Over Hype 50:42 Confidence Through Hardship 54:46 Winning Habits Get Recruited 01:01:13 Watch Off The Ball 01:02:49 What Recruiting Really Means 01:07:08 Honesty With Players 01:11:03 Unsexy Work Gets Better 01:17:47 Stop Holding Kids Back 01:23:59 Winning And Life Lessons 01:30:46 Why He Wrote The Book 01:34:58 Final Thoughts On Coaching