Jeff Mittie's Practice Blueprint 2-Pack

with Jeff Mittie
Kansas State University Women's Head Coach;
2025 Sweet Sixteen;
TCU Women's Head Coach (1999-2014);
2010 Mountain West Regular Season Champions;
2010 Mountain West Coach of the Year;
2002 Conference USA Regular Season Champions;
2002 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2x Mountain West Tournament Champions (2003, 2005);
2001 WAC Regular Season & Tournament Champions;
2001 WAC Coach of the Year;
Arkansas State Women's Head Coach (1995-1999);
Missouri Western Women's Head Coach (1992-1995);
2x MIAA Regular Season Champions (1994, 1995);
2x MIAA Coach of the Year (1994, 1995);
1995 MIAA Tournament Champions

Successful programs are built in the details of daily practice. In this inside look at a complete Kansas State practice, Jeff Mittie reveals how his winning culture is reinforced through structure, competition, and clear teaching points from start to finish.

The practice opens with a strong emphasis on man-to-man defense, including a unique skipping rope box drill that teaches defenders to move as one connected unit. From closeouts to post doubles, Coach Mittie builds his defense in layers so players understand positioning, communication, and how to eliminate high-value shots. Defensive automatics then prepare the team for common offensive actions out of Horns, including flare screens, brush screens, zoom action, and elbow entries.

The intensity carries into competitive passing work with Bullseye Passing and 4 Spot Passing. These drills demand precision, communication, and pace while directly mirroring game actions such as catch-and-shoot, drive-and-kick, and paint touches. Every repetition has purpose, and mistakes are corrected in real time.

From there, the team executes advanced sideline plays and half-court offense with a focus on timing and spacing. Coach Mittie teaches multiple scoring options within each action so players learn to read defensive coverage rather than memorize patterns.

The practice concludes with 4 Trips live scrimmaging, where defensive standards such as post doubling, forcing contested jump shots, and limiting layups are reinforced under pressure.

Throughout the session, drills only advance once all standards are met. In this live, unedited practice, the energy remains consistently high, and Coach Mittie's teaching is direct, detailed, and demanding. This video provides a complete blueprint for structuring purposeful, competitive practices that translate directly to winning basketball.

112 minutes. 2026.

with Jeff Mittie;
Kansas State University Women's Head Coach;
2025 Sweet Sixteen;
TCU Women's Head Coach (1999-2014);
2010 Mountain West (MW) Regular Season Champions;
2010 MW Coach of the Year;
2002 Conference USA Regular Season Champions;
2002 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2x MW Tournament Champions (2003, 2005);
2001 WAC Regular Season & Tournament Champions;
2001 WAC Coach of the Year;
Arkansas State Women's Head Coach (1995-1999);
Missouri Western Women's Head Coach (1992-1995);
2x MIAA Regular Season Champions (1994, 1995);
2x MIAA Coach of the Year (1994, 1995);
1995 MIAA Tournament Champions

Kansas State's Jeff Mittie showcases the daily skill development and competitive edge that sustain a winning program.

The session opens with full-court tempo drills that demand conditioning, communication, and precise execution. Through 5 Man Weave, finishing into threes, and full-court shooting sequences, players are pushed to produce game-speed reps while building scoring confidence. Emphasis is placed on finishing through contact, knocking down perimeter shots under pressure, and maintaining pace without sacrificing decision making.

Shooting remains a major focus throughout. Five Minute Shooting and Punch Shooting create urgency and repetition, while competitive segments like 3 Spot Shot Contest reinforce accountability. Every shooting drill is structured, timed, and purposeful ensuring volume never replaces quality.

Defensively, the practice sharpens with closeouts, Deny Elbow, Deny Backdoor principles, and the Help the Helper Cone Touch drill to build multiple-effort habits. Players learn to rotate on penetration, guard screening actions in small-sided play, and take away shooters while containing the drive. The 3-on-3 Back Screen Defense segment demands communication and disciplined positioning under pressure.

The practice then connects offense to transition defense through 5-on-4 Second Scramble, teaching players to shift instantly from attack mode to protection mode. Advance and baseline out-of-bounds situations reinforce late-possession execution, while full-court shooting under fatigue tests focus and toughness.

This All Access-style video highlights how Coach Mittie develops smarter, more skilled players through competitive repetition, clear standards, and relentless pace. Every drill connects to game performance. Every rep reinforces accountability.

The result is a disciplined, connected, and competitive team prepared for high-level play.

94 minutes. 2026.