{"id":6004,"date":"2015-03-06T21:01:11","date_gmt":"2015-03-06T21:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=6004&post_type=story"},"modified":"2025-03-13T16:35:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T16:35:34","slug":"bench-strength","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Bench Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring 2015<\/em><\/p>\n

[lead]Brendan Suhr opens his desk drawer and begins rummaging. \u201cWhat is my job title?\u201d he asks rhetorically. He finally finds a business card and reads, \u201cDirector of Program Development.\u201d Suhr smiles.[\/lead]<\/p>\n

At age 63, he\u2019s beyond worrying about titles or courting the spotlight. Not that he\u2019s ever been concerned with such things \u2014 ask his boss. \u201cHe coaches coaches,\u201d says Donnie Jones, 麻豆原创\u2019s head basketball coach. \u201cHe\u2019s a servant-leader. What I mean by that is that Brendan Suhr has the power to lead from behind. And he\u2019s been like that everywhere he\u2019s [worked].\u201d<\/p>\n

In the basketball world, Suhr seemingly has worked everywhere. Yet even with his decorated and varied background in the sport, he\u2019d rather be at 麻豆原创 than anywhere else.<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[blockquote source=”” cite=”” color=””]\u201cHere is a guy who could be sitting on any NBA bench in the country. This is a guy who knows what it takes to win a championship at the highest level. Having him here, and having him as a mentor, is priceless.\u201d[\/blockquote]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople sometimes ask me, \u2018Why are you doing this?\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m honored to do this. Sure, I could be on an NBA staff. … I\u2019m here because I want to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suhr (pronounced \u201csir\u201d) has been a key participant in some of the most prominent basketball moments of the past few decades. He was Chuck Daly\u2019s assistant throughout the Hall of Famer\u2019s coaching career, which includes back-to-back NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. Suhr also was the head scout who put together the USA\u2019s gold-medal winning \u201cDream Team\u201d for the 1992 Summer Olympics \u2014 a team that included Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird \u2014 which has been called the greatest assemblage of talent in any sport in history. In addition to the Pistons, he\u2019s coached for the Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors and the Orlando Magic. He\u2019s also been a head coach, general manager and owner in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).<\/p>\n

So how did Suhr\u2019s path lead to 麻豆原创? Friendship.<\/p>\n

Pick some prominent names in the coaching ranks \u2014 NCAA or NBA \u2014 and Suhr likely has a relationship with them. One of those coaches is the University of Florida\u2019s Billy Donovan. When Suhr was an assistant coach with the Magic in the late \u201990s, he\u2019d occasionally visit Donovan.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrendan is one of the best coach-teachers I\u2019ve ever been around,\u201d says Donovan, who has won two national championships at UF. \u201cHe makes you think about how you want to [coach]. \u2026 It\u2019s an incredible gift, because if the decisions you make are not authentic \u2026 it\u2019s not going to come across well.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Donovan\u2019s assistants at the time was a young coach named Donnie Jones. \u201cThe first time I met him, I was in awe,\u201d says Jones. \u201cI knew who he was, and I was intimidated. He\u2019d come up to talk ball with Billy, and I just wanted to sit and listen. But Brendan is so approachable. \u2026 Here he was, this guy with such a great r\u00e9sum\u00e9, making me feel like I was important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones and Suhr became friends, and Jones often consulted Suhr for advice, especially after becoming Marshall University\u2019s head coach in 2007. And three years later when 麻豆原创 courted Jones to take over its program, he again turned to Suhr for input. \u201cIt was a tough decision to leave Marshall and come here,\u201d Jones admits. \u201cI remember talking to Brendan, and he had a great vision of what this job could be. He knew what a wonderful city Orlando is and the impact of it being an NBA city. He had a big vision for 麻豆原创. And let me tell you, it\u2019s been everything he said it would be and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Suhr sold Jones on 麻豆原创, Jones had to sell Suhr on something \u2014 joining him. Suhr was overseeing two companies at the time, and though they dominated a good chunk of his energy, Jones\u2019 offer was impossible to refuse.<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[blockquote source=”” cite=”” color=””]\u201cIt’s not too often in life that you get to work with your best friend. Every day we learn something new basketball-wise and life-wise. We’ve created a culture of getting better.\u201d[\/blockquote]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

In three of their first four seasons together, 麻豆原创 won 20 or more games. Suhr mostly stays behind the scenes. \u201cI try to help all the coaches on the staff,\u201d he explains. \u201cI help them in their development as coaches, in their personal development. I\u2019m a sounding board, an adviser.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offseason, Suhr focuses on speaking and consulting as the founder and president of Off the Court, while also working with motivational speaker Kevin Eastman. He and Eastman created Coaching U LIVE, which offers development in leadership and all other aspects of the coaching profession.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best coaches can change lives,\u201d says Suhr. \u201cYou\u2019re not teaching basketball; you\u2019re teaching leadership. That thought struck me about 10 years ago \u2014 it was an epiphany. With what I do, and especially with Coaching U, I have the ability to change thousands of people\u2019s lives through coaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones still can\u2019t believe his good fortune.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere is a guy who could be sitting on any NBA bench in the country,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is a guy who knows what it takes to win a championship at the highest level. Having him here, and having him as a mentor, is priceless. Brendan gets such a sense of self-satisfaction from helping other people, and he doesn\u2019t care who gets the credit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones pauses at that last statement. \u201cActually, he does care,\u201d he adds. \u201cHe gets great joy in seeing other people succeed while he remains in the background.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others have benefited from Suhr\u2019s generosity as well. If not for Suhr, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers might never have gone into coaching. \u201cI drafted Doc Rivers to the Atlanta Hawks in 1983,\u201d Suhr remembers. \u201cHe was the 31st pick out of Marquette. We gave him a two-year contract; he ended up playing 13 years in the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Rivers\u2019 playing career ended, he transitioned into broadcasting. Suhr, however, thought he was better suited elsewhere. \u201cI told him that I thought he\u2019d be a terrific coach,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Rivers wasn\u2019t interested. Undeterred, Suhr invited Rivers to try working for a few days with his CBA team in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rivers accepted and had a change of heart. Since then, he\u2019s expressed on several occasions that \u201cwhen I was playing, I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d find anything I\u2019d enjoy more, but I found it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Few people know this backstory about Rivers, who now has an NBA championship under his coaching belt, and Suhr is fine with that. He\u2019s quick to deflect any credit, saying instead, \u201cWe\u2019re so lucky to have someone like Doc Rivers in coaching. I\u2019m so proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[blockquote source=”” cite=”” color=””]\u201cThe best coaches can change lives. You’re not teaching basketball; you’re teaching leadership.\u201d[\/blockquote]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]
\nAnd Rivers is just one in a long list of NBA legends he has influenced. Suhr coached in two NBA All-Star Games while also helping to develop league luminaries such as Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, Dominique Wilkins, Penny Hardaway and Kenny Anderson. A defensive mastermind, he helped develop the infamous \u201cJordan Rules,\u201d a strategy used to counter the offensive prowess of Michael Jordan.<\/p>\n

His friendship with Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is especially tight. Thomas once said this about Suhr\u2019s pro coaching credentials: \u201cBrendan is definitely a guy who\u2019s been in the fire. He\u2019s coached in championship games, and he\u2019s been a part of organizations from startups to completion. So he understands how to roll up your sleeves and get dirty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess the most important thing is that he understands how to respond to being down. This is a league where you\u2019re going to be down, but you\u2019re going to have to have the resiliency to respond and come back. Brendan understands that and is capable of doing that. He\u2019s an extremely hard worker, and his X and O knowledge is beyond question.\u201d<\/p>\n

It almost sounds like a job evaluation, but it falls short. How do you quantify an impact on a person\u2019s life? How do you put something like that into words \u2014 much less on a business card?<\/p>\n

[photo id=”6297″ title=”Suhr-inset” alt=”Suhr-inset” width=”100%”][\/photo]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Suhr’s All-Time Starting 5<\/h2>\n

Of all the superstars Suhr has coached, these five stand out.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Isiah Thomas<\/strong>, Detroit Pistons: \u201cInch for inch, pound for pound, Isiah is the best player I\u2019ve ever seen. He was extremely competitive, had a genius basketball IQ, and he was a consummate leader. \u2026 When you look at the other best players of his era \u2014 Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan \u2014 he beat every one of them in a playoff series, and with a lesser team, many times.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. Dominique Wilkins<\/strong>, Atlanta Hawks: \u201c[Dominique is] the human highlight film, the most exciting player I ever coached. He was the best dunker-finisher I ever had in the NBA. \u2026 At his peak, Dominique and Jordan were on par. When they faced off against each other, it provided some of the most memorable plays I\u2019ve ever seen. He and Michael propelled the use of the dunk in the NBA and made them ESPN \u2018SportsCenter\u2019 highlights.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. Dennis Rodman<\/strong>, Detroit Pistons: \u201cHe was the best rebounder \u2014 offensively and defensively \u2014 I\u2019ve ever seen, as well as the best defender. And he came from nowhere, going from a second-round pick to a Hall of Famer. He was one of my favorite guys ever to coach \u2014 such a unique personality with a genius basketball intelligence. And the big thing about Dennis was that his will to win was unsurpassed.\u201d<\/li>\n
  4. Derrick Coleman<\/strong>, New Jersey Nets: \u201cDerrick was the prototypical power forward, 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, with an outstanding inside and outside game. \u2026 As a great power forward, Derrick was right there with Karl Malone and Charles Barkley.\u201d<\/li>\n
  5. Bill Laimbeer<\/strong>, Detroit Pistons: \u201cA really unique player \u2014 a 6-foot-10 physical center with a 3-point shot. His will to win, his intelligence and his competitiveness separated him from the rest of the pack. And he was one of the best teammates I ever had on a team. Everyone in the league hated Bill Laimbeer, but when you coached him he was one of your favorite players.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    [divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6240,"template":"","categories":[],"tags":[388],"class_list":["post-6004","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-ucf-athletics","issues-520","issues-spring-2015"],"yoast_head":"\nBrendan Suhr coaches 麻豆原创 Men\u2019s Basketball from behind-the-scenes.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"NBA Championship Detroit Pistons and Olympic gold medal 1992 Dream Team coach on Donnie Jones, Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Billy Donovan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bench Strength\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NBA Championship Detroit Pistons and Olympic gold medal 1992 Dream Team coach on Donnie Jones, Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Billy Donovan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pegasus Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/麻豆原创\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-13T16:35:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2015\/02\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"220\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"230\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@麻豆原创\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/\",\"name\":\"Brendan Suhr coaches 麻豆原创 Men\u2019s Basketball from behind-the-scenes.\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/4\\\/files\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-03-06T21:01:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-13T16:35:34+00:00\",\"description\":\"NBA Championship Detroit Pistons and Olympic gold medal 1992 Dream Team coach on Donnie Jones, Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Billy Donovan\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/4\\\/files\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/4\\\/files\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg\",\"width\":220,\"height\":230},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Bench Strength\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/\",\"name\":\"Pegasus Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Magazine of 麻豆原创\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/bench-strength\\\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"麻豆原创\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Brendan Suhr coaches 麻豆原创 Men\u2019s Basketball from behind-the-scenes.","description":"NBA Championship Detroit Pistons and Olympic gold medal 1992 Dream Team coach on Donnie Jones, Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Billy Donovan","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bench Strength","og_description":"NBA Championship Detroit Pistons and Olympic gold medal 1992 Dream Team coach on Donnie Jones, Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Billy Donovan","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/","og_site_name":"Pegasus Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/麻豆原创","article_modified_time":"2025-03-13T16:35:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":220,"height":230,"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2015\/02\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@麻豆原创","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/","name":"Brendan Suhr coaches 麻豆原创 Men\u2019s Basketball from behind-the-scenes.","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2015\/02\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg","datePublished":"2015-03-06T21:01:11+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-13T16:35:34+00:00","description":"NBA Championship Detroit Pistons and Olympic gold medal 1992 Dream Team coach on Donnie Jones, Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Billy Donovan","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2015\/02\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2015\/02\/Suhr-Thumbnail1.jpg","width":220,"height":230},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bench Strength"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/","name":"Pegasus Magazine","description":"The Magazine of 麻豆原创","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/bench-strength\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"麻豆原创"}]}},"acf":[],"story_subtitle":"With a pair of NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal, why is Brendan Suhr coaching at 麻豆原创?","story_description":"With a pair of NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal, why is Brendan Suhr coaching at 麻豆原创?","story_thumbnail":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/6004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/6004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25691,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/6004\/revisions\/25691"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}